Leicestershire's bowlers held their nerve on the final day against Gloucestershire at Grace Road to complete their second county championship victory of the season on Saturday.

The home side eventually won by the comfortable margin of 44 runs, but they were made to work hard for their success by Gloucestershire CCC's middle and late-order batsmen.

Leicestershire, propping up Division Two, were strong favourites to claim victory at the start of play as Gloucestershire resumed on 133-5 chasing a victory target of 364.

At one stage, however, it looked as though the resolve of New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin might turn the game his side's way. Starting the day without a run to his name, he was only denied a century when last man Steve Kirby was bowled by Jigar Naik to seal Leicestershire's triumph.

Franklin finished 97 not out, having faced a mammoth 226 deliveries as he battled to keep his side in the game. It was a chanceless affair, too.

Twice he opened his shoulders early in the day to hit the slow left arm of Claude Henderson for six, but apart from those blows, Franklin was satisfied to pick up ones and twos to keep Gloucestershire progressing towards their target.

He lost Steve Adshead an hour into the morning, the Gloucestershire wicketkeeper comprehensively bowled by Wayne White for 18.

But then a watchful stand of 98 between Franklin and Richard Dawson threatened to take the game away from Leicestershire.

Again it was a case of steady accumulation with the batsmen knowing that they had plenty of time on their side to reach the finish line.

Dawson was poised to reach 50 for the first time this season only to be dismissed lbw one run short by the medium pace of James Benning.

Franklin was not to be moved, though, and he received good support late in the afternoon from Ian Saxelby, who helped move the score forward with a couple of thick edges to third man.

At tea the game was in the balance with Gloucestershire on 298-7. It was at the start of the final session that Leicestershire struck the decisive blows.

First Henderson trapped Saxelby lbw for 17, then Jon Lewis skied off spinner Naik to midwicket where Greg Smith held a swirling catch to leave Gloucestershire in dire straits at 304-9.

It looked more a case at that stage of whether Franklin could get his century rather than the all-rounder leading his side to victory.

As it was, Kirby was beaten and bowled by a well flighted delivery from Naik to bring the curtain down on the Gloucestershire CCC innings at 319.

The wickets were shared around by the Leicestershire bowlers with two apiece for seamers AJ Harris and White, while slow bowlers Henderson and Naik also claimed two each.