Cameron Bancroft produced a gritty captain’s innings to keep Gloucestershire in the game on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Kent at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

The visitors added 19 to their overnight first innings total of 308 for eight to grab a slender first innings lead of two runs, Chris Benjamin fell without extending his innings of 74, while Will Williams finished with four for 48 from 24 overs.

Gloucestershire then slipped to 112 for four in their second innings. But opener Bancroft battled away in bowler-friendly conditions to score 83 off 195 balls and lead his side to 251 for nine by the time bad light ended play six overs early.

There were three wickets each for James Taylor and Ekansh Singh, but with the pitch still assisting the seamers a final day target of at least 250 will be a test.

Gloucestershire’s first task when play started was to take the two remaining Kent wickets, which they managed in 5.3 overs, Benjamin edging Gabe Bell to Bancroft at second slip and Keith Dudgeon, on 39, being well caught at mid-on by Williams off the same bowler.

A bitterly cold wind made it a heavy sweater day for the players. Testing opening spells from Keith Dudgeon and first day hero Taylor meant Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth faced tough tasks against the new ball.

They had taken the score to 14 in the tenth over when Charlesworth edged a defensive shot off Taylor to be caught at third slip by Dudgeon. Bancroft and Ollie Price then fought hard to prize out 25 more runs before in the last over before lunch Price, on 11, elected to drive a full ball from impressive left-arm seamer Michael Cohen and presented Dudgeon with another slip catch.

Lunch was taken immediately at 39 for two off 20.1 overs, Bancroft having toiled for 63 balls to make 14. His grafting approach continued to pay dividends in the afternoon session and Miles Hammond contributed 33 to a stand of 70.

Hammond had just hit Singh over mid-on for four when attempting another big leg-side shot and miscuing a catch to deep mid-wicket to make it 109 for three. With three runs added, James Bracey fell for a duck, edging a drive off Cohen to second slip where the diving Sam Northeast got one hand to the ball and directed it upwards for first slip Zak Crawley to gather at the second attempt.

With a lead of 110, Gloucestershire looked in some peril. But the resolute Bancroft, riding his luck with several play and misses, moved to a half-century off 137 balls and Tommy Boorman helped take the score to 143 for four at tea.

The final session saw Boorman, on 19, flick a ball from Singh in the direction of square leg where Tawanda Muyeye took a tumbling catch. But another partnership then frustrated Kent as Graeme van Buuren hit 7 fours in a positive contribution of 32 at better than a run a ball.

He helped Bancroft bring the 200 up with a stand of 49 before having his off stump knocked back by a delivery from Taylor that looked to keep a bit low. The big wicket of Bancroft quickly followed as the Australian played back to a ball from Joey Evison that nipped back off the seam and pinned him leg before having been at the crease for just over five hours.

Matt Taylor was caught behind for ten aiming an expansive drive at a wide ball from Singh to make it 227 for eight. But still Gloucestershire battled and had just taken their total past 250 when Williams was unluckily bowled by Cohen off his thigh pad.

The umpires then decided the light was too poor, leaving Ed Middleton to continue the fight tomorrow on 21 not out.

Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft said: “It was really challenging batting out there today. The pitch is still doing quite a lot for the bowlers and hopefully that will be the same tomorrow.

“It’s a 50-50 game at the moment. Fortunes have ebbed and flowed, with partnerships at some points and clusters of wickets at others.

“We have a new groundsman this season and he is doing a really good job. It’s a good cricket wicket that rewards good batting and bowling.

“That has been the case from the outset and it’s hard to predict what will happen tomorrow.” 

Kent seamer Ekansh Singh said: “I have worked hard at my bowling during the winter and put on a bit of pace, which seems to be paying dividends.

“The key for us today was to stick together as a bowling unit and not go searching for wickets too much when they built partnerships.

“With the pitch as it is, there will definitely be challenging periods for us when we bat tomorrow.“But we will back ourselves to be positive and hopefully emerge with a win from what has been a very exciting game to play in.”

Picture supplied by: Rachel Le Poidevin / Gloucestershire Cricket