Gloucestershire 256 for 7 (Roderick 88*, Gurney 3-56) vs Nottinghamshire
Scorecard
Gareth Roderick was in the runs on his first appearance of the season © Getty Images
Gareth Roderick marked his first appearance of the season for Gloucestershire with an unbeaten 88 on a hard-fought first day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Nottinghamshire at Bristol.
The 25-year-old South African, consigned to the second XI by an early-season illness, shared stands of 83 with Phil Mustard (37) and 65 with Kieran Noema-Barnett (35) as his side recovered from 77 for four to close on 256 for seven.
There were three wickets for Harry Gurney and two for Brett Hutton as the Notts attack maintained a disciplined line and length for much of a tough day on an unhelpful pitch.
Roderick is Gloucestershire’s four-day captain, but Mustard continued in the role he had adopted for the first four Championship fixtures, although he is expected to hand over the wicketkeeper’s gloves.
The hosts were able to name left-arm seamer David Payne in their line-up for the first time since a hernia operation, while the Second Division leaders were unchanged from their drawn game against Derbyshire.
Cameron Bancroft and Chris Dent gave Gloucestershire a solid start after Notts had exercised their right to field first, taking the total to 45 before Dent fell lbw for 27, pushing forward to left-arm seamer Gurney.
It looked like being the home side’s morning as Bancroft, who had survived a confident lbw shout by Luke Fletcher off the second ball of the day, settled to his task and batted through the morning session.
But the final delivery before lunch saw Will Tavare, on seven, pinned leg-before by a toe-crushing yorker from Fletcher.
The lunch total was 67 for two and the match looked to be swinging the visitors’ way when Hutton dismissed Bancroft (37) and Graeme van Buuren with successive deliveries soon after lunch. The Australian edged a catch behind, while van Buuren was bowled off an inside edge.
But Roderick responded impressively. He was 47 not out at tea, having added 82 with Mustard, and the scoreboard read 159 for four. Both batsmen had looked untroubled. But without addition to his tea score Mustard feathered an outswinger from Gurney through to Chris Read to make it 160 for five.
Jack Taylor attempted to play in his usual positive manner, but had made only five when aiming an expansive shot at Luke Wood and directing a straightforward catch to point.
The previous delivery had seen Roderick reach a chanceless half-century off 115 balls, with 5 fours, and he continued to show exemplary technique when joined by Noema-Barnett in the late afternoon sunshine.
The powerful Noema-Barnett hit successive boundaries off Samit Patel’s fifth over and looked in good form himself as the stand developed into a meaningful one.
But with the total on 232, Noema-Barnett was undone by a full, swinging delivery from Gurney, which beat his defensive shot and scattered the stumps.
By the close Roderick had faced 194 balls and hit 9 fours in an immensely valuable first Championship knock of the summer.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo