Nottinghamshire v Gloucestershire: Scores and report from County Championship Division Two

Match scores: Day three (Trent Bridge)

Nottinghamshire won by an innings and 50 runs

Nottinghamshire 1st inns: 430-9 dec (Lumb 117, Pujara 112; Miles 4-123, M Taylor 3-88)

Gloucestershire 1st inns: 149 all out (Mustard 53; Fletcher 3-32, Broad 3-40)
Gloucestershire 2nd inns: 231 all out (Bancroft 53, Mustard 49, Noema-Barnett 30; Mullaney 5-32, Broad 2-39)

Day three report

Nottinghamshire cemented their best start to a championship campaign in a decade with a convincing victory over Gloucestershire with a day to spare.

Following-on, the visitors were dismissed for 231 in their second innings, leaving Notts to celebrate victory by an innings and 50 runs.

The win, Nottinghamshire's fourth in five matches - together with last week's draw with Glamorgan - equals the start they made to the 2007 campaign, their last in the second tier.

Steven Mullaney was the unlikely bowling hero for the home side, taking career best figures of five for 32, with the main resistance coming from Cameron Bancroft and Phil Mustard.

Bancroft scored 53, his highest championship score, and Mustard followed his first-innings half century with a knock of 49.

The morning session began with Gloucestershire on 37 for one in their second innings, still 244 runs behind. For around an hour things went well for the batting side as Bancroft and Will Tavare developed their second-wicket partnership.

Mullaney and Stuart Broad altered the momentum, with a spell that reduced Gloucestershire from 98 for one to 104 for five.

Bancroft had been dropped on 46 when his eagerness to reach 50 persuaded him to flash hard at Broad. The ball flew to third slip, where Samit Patel could not hold on. The Australian eventually brought up his half-century from 88 balls but was then pinned in front by Mullaney.

Two deliveries later, Graeme van Buuren nibbled at the same bowler and was comfortably taken at first slip by Riki Wessels.

Chris Read's hunch to bowl Mullaney had been fully justified with the double-wicket maiden helping him to figures of two for eight from seven tight overs.

Broad also bagged two wickets in quick succession, ending Tavare's 108-minute vigil on 20 before bowling George Hankins for nought.

Harry Gurney secured his 250th wicket in first class cricket when Jack Taylor became the third leg before wicket victim in the first session, leaving Mustard and Kieran Noema-Barnett to bat through until lunch on 125 for six.

Noema-Barnett enjoyed himself at the start of the afternoon, hitting 30 from 34 balls, before picking out long leg, off Brett Hutton.

Mullaney then returned to the fold to claim the final three wickets to fall. Mustard was caught at slip, Miles miscued to mid off and the bowler was able to celebrate his maiden five-wicket haul when Matt Taylor was given out lbw.

Nottinghamshire's maximum-point haul strengthens their lead at the top of the Division Two table and takes them to 104 points from five matches, ahead of next weekend's home clash against local rivals Derbyshire.

Gloucestershire remain in mid-table, on 36 points from four matches, but life does not get any easier as their next match is the reverse fixture against Notts, at Bristol in a fortnight.

Day two report

Nottinghamshire seized the initiative on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Trent Bridge.

The unbeaten second division leaders reached 430 for nine before declaring and then unleashing their potent attack upon the visitors.

With Luke Fletcher taking three for 32 and England's Stuart Broad (pictured) claiming three for 40, Gloucestershire were skittled out for only 149 in just 44.1 overs.

For the third match in a row Notts enforced the follow-on and reduced the west country side to 37 for one in their second innings, still 244 runs behind.

The morning had begun with Nottinghamshire resuming their first innings on 375 for five and the home county quickly sped to maximum batting points as Chris Read and Riki Wessels plundered 55 runs from the first 13 overs of the day.

Read was dropped on 29 as Graeme van Buuren spilled a regulation offering at backward point as the Nottinghamshire skipper sliced Chris Liddle to backward point.

Gloucestershire's second bowling point was gifted to them as Wessels miscued Matt Taylor high to mid-off for 37. A decent short delivery from the same bowler then accounted for Read, who had made 36.

The batsman had been hurried into taking evasive action but the ball brushed the bat face and carried through to the diving Phil Mustard.

Craig Miles, who claimed four for 123, picked up his last wicket as an ugly swish from Brett Hutton ballooned straight up in the air for a regulation caught and bowled.

Broad made just five and the declaration came moments after he'd sliced Kieran Noema-Barnett high to point.

Gloucestershire's hopes of a solid foundation were torn to shreds as Fletcher's second delivery had Cameron Bancroft caught behind, giving Read his 900th first-class catch for his county and an eventful first session was brought to a premature close as Broad bellowed a successful lbw appeal against Will Tavare.

The first full over of the afternoon session brought the downfall of Chris Dent as the left-hander nicked Fletcher behind, for just a single.

Bowling with good rhythm, despite the gusty conditions, Fletcher then reduced the visitors to 43 for four as he knocked over van Buuren's middle and off stumps for 15.

George Hankins also reached 15 before falling to Harry Gurney, with Read snaffling up his third catch of the innings.

Phil Mustard, playing his 200th first class match, had a life on 17 when Wessels, at first slip, grassed an edge off Gurney.

The Gloucestershire skipper advanced to 53 but then mistimed a pull off Broad and saw Fletcher take a fine diving catch at mid-on.

Steven Mullaney enhanced his reputation as a partnership breaker by snaring two quick wickets. Noema-Barnett assisted the bowler by shouldering arms and losing his off stump for 14 and then Miles was caught behind for four.

Chris Liddle was the last man to depart, slashing wildly at Broad and seeing the ball sail all the way into the hands of Cheteshwar Pujara at third man.

Batting for a second time, in gloomy conditions with the floodlights burning brightly, Notts could afford to spill Dent on nought before Fletcher removed him for two.

The third stoppage of the day, at around 6.10pm, brought proceedings to a halt, with 15.3 overs still remaining.

Day one report

Centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara and Michael Lumb helped Nottinghamshire into a position of dominance on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Trent Bridge.

The Indian Test match batsman scored 112 and Lumb added 117 as the Second Division leaders piled up 357 for five after being asked to bat.

Notts had been reduced to 122 for three before Pujara and Lumb linked up in a fourth-wicket stand of 185. Both then fell in the final session to Craig Miles, who claimed three for 88.

Pujara made only two against Glamorgan at Cardiff last weekend, hours after flying in from Mumbai and cited 'a spot of jet-lag' for his low score but more than made amends with an innings of the highest quality.

Watchful throughout, the 29-year-old picked his moments to pepper the various advertising hoardings all around the ground. The quality of his straight drives was more than matched by his clips through midwicket and square leg.

Gloucestershire appealed enthusiastically when the Indian was on 25, believing that Chris Liddle had been nicked behind, but umpire Jeff Evans was unmoved.

That apart, Pujara moved easily past his previous scores at Trent Bridge, efforts of 38 and 55 for his country in a 2014 Test match, and then 57 during his brief stint with Yorkshire a couple of years ago.

His 39th career century came in the 70th over when he caressed Kieran Noema-Barnett through the covers for his 13th four from 174 deliveries.

Lumb survived a routine chance on 12, being spilled at point by Will Tavare from the bowling of Miles.

Overcoming a slightly scratchy start, he blossomed in the sweltering conditions of the afternoon to punish a tiring attack and reach his hundred from 206 deliveries.

Miles had Pujara caught behind as soon as the second new ball was taken and then tempted Lumb to drive to point soon afterwards.

Earlier, openers Steven Mullaney and Jake Libby rattled along at the start of the day, putting 50 on the board inside nine overs before Gloucestershire fought back strongly.

Mullaney chipped Miles to midwicket for 35 and Libby was pinned lbw by Matt Taylor for 32. Samit Patel pulled Liddle for six during his 15 but then nudged the same bowler to slip.

Pujara and Lumb joined forces around 20 minutes before lunch and remained together for the next 55 overs.

Riki Wessels and Chris Read took Notts through to the close and will start the second day needing only 43 to secure maximum batting points.