Career-best for Alex Gidman as Gloucestershire seize control

In the latest edition of The Cricketers' Who's Who, new Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman is asked for 'moments to forget'. He answers: "2008".

The 27-year-old mustered just 378 Championship runs at an average of 19 per innings last year.

But Gloucestershire CCC – in the shape of returning coach John Bracewell – showed faith in the former England A man by making him skipper for this season.

Yesterday he began to repay that decision with 159 against Leicestershire, helping to give the home side a lead of 228 as they closed the second day of their Division Two match on 361-7.

It was also Gidman's career-best, beating his 142 against Surrey, at Bristol, in 2005, and was his first Championship hundred since July 2007.

Back then he was still being thought of as a potential international all-rounder but now the batting – as well as the captaincy – is his priority.

Prior to this game Gidman had not reached 40 in any form of cricket this season but he batted with freedom of thought on a pitch that was slow but offered some lateral movement.

Gidman was dropped twice but not before he had reached three figures and established Gloucestershire superiority.

His day one partnership of 50 with Chris Taylor was trumped by an 82-run stand for the fifth wicket with nightwatchman Steve Kirby.

Spurred on by chairman John Light's promise of £5 for every 60 minutes he batted yesterday, Kirby lasted for almost two hours, falling just before lunch. The Lancastrian's first runs – a three – came 70 minutes into the day after he had faced 45 scoreless deliveries but his stoicism proved invaluable.

At the other end Gidman, who resumed in the morning on 34, feasted on the off spin of Carl Crowe, lobbing him over mid-wicket for four before smashing a straight six to overtake Leicestershire's first innings total of 133 all out.

Kirby finally fell for 27 when he edged Crowe to HD Ackerman before Rob Woodman also went to the spinner when he missed a sweep and was leg before wicket for six.

Wicketkeeper Steve Snell proved an even more substantial partner than Kirby, grinding out 163 deliveries for his 69 not out. Gidman was put down by keeper Paul Nixon, down the leg side, off the occasional seam of Tom New, on 110 and in the gully off Iain O'Brien on 132. But Gidman passed his career best with a pulled four off Crowe and went through 150 by pulling O'Brien to the fence.

Gidman finally fell on 159 cutting Crowe to Ackerman at slip. Tom Stayt and the pair added 67 in 14 overs against some average fare. When bad light stopped play for the second time Stayt had already made the top score of his brief career with 30 not out.