Gloucestershire batsmen finally take a chance to fill their boots

In A season which has produced rather more in the way of famine than feast, Gloucestershire's hard-pressed batsmen no doubt relished the opportunity to fill their boots on the third day of this LV County Championship match against Surrey at Bristol.

Quite simply, had the batters produced anything like the form and consistency shown by the seam bowlers, the county would have clinched promotion from the Second Division long ago.

As it is, the series of low scores, which contributed in no small part to a depressing sequence of five defeats in seven games, has left Gloucestershire requiring a minimum two wins from their last three fixtures if they are to stand any chance of regaining the top-flight status they relinquished in 2005.

At least the first of these is within their grasp, courtesy of a Surrey side which came bearing gifts.

Seldom can County Ground aficionados have witnessed a more shambolic performance in the field by a visiting team and Gloucestershire's batsmen took full advantage to seize control of what is becoming an increasingly one-sided contest.

Skipper Alex Gidman registered a career-best 176, Chris Taylor followed him into three figures and Hamish Marshall posted his highest score in three months as the hosts declared on 523-7 to establish an imposing first-innings lead of 340.

Required to demonstrate greater resolve than they had mustered hitherto, Surrey made partial amends when reaching the close on 136-3, still 204 runs behind. But they have much to do if they wish to save the game on the final day and Gloucestershire's bowlers, refreshed following a night's rest, will fancy their chances of forcing a fifth Championship success of the summer.

Initially, Gloucestershire CCC's intention was to bat beyond the tea interval and then subject Surrey's batsmen to a nerve-jangling examination during the final session. Yet so quickly did they score their runs, all previous assessments were scattered to the four winds.

Aided and abetted by an over-abundance of short-pitched bowling and some equally wretched fielding, Marshall, Gidman and Taylor contrived between them to add 177 runs in 28 overs during a frenetic morning session.

Run out by Rangana Herath's throw from square leg, Marshall fell 16 runs short of what would have been his first hundred since early June. Gidman and Taylor, however, did not miss out.

If further proof were needed that assuming the captaincy has in no way weakened Gidman's powers as a player, then it was here in abundance. Cutting and driving with impunity, he required 148 deliveries to realise his fourth hundred of the summer. His 22nd four took him past his previous highest score, the 159 posted against Leicestershire in a winning cause here in Bristol in May this year.

By the time he was out, reverse sweeping a catch to backward point to give slow left armer Herath a success his performance scarcely warranted, Gidman had negotiated 227 balls and harvested 25 fours and 3 sixes.

Dropped at first slip off Jade Dernbach before he was off the mark, Taylor made Surrey pay for their profligacy, contributing 111 runs from 102 balls, smiting 19 fours and a six and sharing in a whirlwind stand of 197 for the fifth wicket in 32 overs.

He was eventually swept up by a Stuart Meaker yorker, after which James Franklin and Steve Adshead opened their shoulders to hasten the declaration.

Gloucestershire could have gone on to surpass the 544 they posted at The Oval in 1928 – their highest total against Surrey - but expediency won the day and, given what followed, proved the correct choice.

Displaying considerably more adhesion than in their first innings, the visitors reached the close for the loss of openers Jon Batty and Michael Brown and captain Stewart Walters.

Batty was caught at the wicket in the act of square cutting Marshall's occasional seam-up, Brown offered no shot and was bowled by Anthony Ireland and Walters was pinned lbw by Ian Saxelby, guilty of playing across the line.