When Anthony Ireland was removed from Gloucestershire's attack for bowling successive, accidental beamers against Warwickshire in a Twenty20 match last summer, his days as a county professional looked set to be limited.

The Zimbabwean had made no major impact at Nevil Road – until yesterday. Championship best figures of 6-31 transformed the Division Two game against Leicestershire.

Leicestershire were 133 all out having lunched on 70-0 after the home side had failed to make a breakthrough during a sterile morning's play.

The umpires' decision to change a ball that had gone out of shape prompted a collapse from 83-0 to 96-8 before all 10 wickets fell inside a session.

In a controversial experiment, the ECB has ruled that Tiflex, rather than Dukes balls, are to be used in Division Two this year.

It is generally agreed that Tiflex balls swing much more and that proved to be the case in an afternoon session when John Bracewell's men also bowled a fuller length.

Ireland had not played a first-team game at all this year but was brought in as overseas player James Franklin was again feeling his hamstring while premier spinner Vikram Bannerjee was ommited.

The first delivery with the new ball saw Kolpak player Ireland york opener Matthew Boyce, who had toiled away for almost 40 overs for 23.

The next ball saw Tom New, who was to prove to be Leicestershire's top scorer with 54, caught feathering a catch to the wicketkeeper down the leg side off Tom Stayt.

Three overs further on and Boeta Dipenaar missed an inswinger from Ireland before the 24-year-old trapped HD Ackerman in front four balls later.

Ireland's next over saw Paul Nixon edge to Will Porterfield at second slip and Ireland's maiden county five-for came when the diminutive James Taylor lifted him to Jon Lewis at mid-wicket.

Carl Crowe belted a Rob Woodman short ball to Kadeer Ali who took the catch at the second attempt at point for nought.

And Ireland's sixth wicket arrived when AJ Harris missed another full length delivery and was cleaned up.

The eight wickets went down in 61 deliveries but the Midlanders added 37 more to briefly hold up the Glo'sters.

New Zealander Ian O'Brien mustered 23 and Wayne White eight before the innings ended.

Gloucestershire's reply started badly as they quickly lost Kadeer Ali, Hamish Marshall and Porterfield to slump to 20-3 before closing on 75-4.

Gloucestershire CCC are unlikely to play at Bristol if they qualify for a home quarter-final in the Friends Provident Trophy.

The Glo'sters are top of their group but with England playing West Indies in a one-day international there the day after the date for the quarter-finals, it looks set to be moved, perhaps to Taunton or Cardiff, if one of those grounds is available.