Price rises for Gloucestershire to leave Derbyshire hopes deflated

Part-time spinner takes career-best six-for to raise hopes of final-day victory push

Gloucestershire 237 (Bracey 113, Randell 5-41) and 149 for 3 (Phillips 64, Hammond) lead Derbyshire 278 (Naeem 71, Montgomery 65, Price 6-45) by 108 runs

Ollie Price produced a career-best bowling performance to put Gloucestershire back in contention on day three of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Derbyshire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

Gloucestershire prepared a pitch for their overseas spinner Sai Kishore, only for the Indian international to be upstaged by Price, who took 6 for 45 from 21.4 overs with his off breaks as Derbyshire were bowled out for 278, a first-innings lead of 41. Matt Montgomery scored a fluent 65, only for the visitors to suffer a startling collapse, their last eight wickets falling for just 74 runs.

Joe Phillips then posted a patient 64 and shared in a third-wicket stand of 69 with Miles Hammond (46 not out) as Gloucestershire, making a decent fist of things in their second innings, reached 149 for 3 by the close, a lead of 108. Shoaib Bashir has taken 2 for 59 and Derbyshire will look to the England spinner to make further inroads in the morning.

Derbyshire had earlier resumed their first innings on 162 for 2 and Montgomery looked in fine fettle as he posted a half century with seven fours and dominated a stand of 43 for the third wicket with nightwatchman Jack Morley. But Derbyshire's smooth progress was rudely interrupted by the clatter of three wickets in six overs as Gloucestershire fought back.

Falling into the trap set for him, Montgomery top-edged a Matt Taylor bumper straight down the throat of Kishore at deep fine leg with the score 204 for 3. That soon became 211 for 5 as Price extracted turn from the Ashley Down Road end, removing Wayne Madsen and Martin Andersson in consecutive overs.

Having posed the biggest threat of Gloucestershire's three spinners towards the end of day two, Price induced Madsen to reach forward and edge to Cameron Bancroft at slip, while Andersson played back, missed one that straightened up and departed for a 10-ball duck.

With recent batting collapses against Middlesex and Durham still fresh in their minds, Derbyshire were now reliant upon Morley and Aneurin Donald, both of whom were making their first Championship appearances of the season. Applying themselves diligently, the sixth wicket pair remained intact long enough to reach lunch on 253-5, at which point the visitors had a slender lead of 16 and a batting bonus point.

Gloucestershire delayed taking the new ball upon the resumption and their spinners made further inroads, Kishore bowling Donald around his legs for 26 and Price having Brooke Guest held at short square leg in the next over to eclipse his previous best return of 3-40 against Leicestershire at Bristol in 2023.

When eventually he was able to utilise the new ball, Price ended Morley's long vigil, finding an edge and presenting an opportunity for Bancroft at slip. In the context of a low-scoring contest, Morley's career-best innings of 41 from 140 balls felt significant. Price completed his first ever five-for in his next over, bowling Brett Randell with a quicker ball, and then had Ben Aitchison superbly held at short square by Tommy Boorman as Derbyshire were dismissed inside 90 overs.

Gloucestershire had yet to wipe out a first-innings deficit of 41 when Bashir removed Bancroft with his first delivery, the Australian driving outside the line of the ball and offering a catch behind. Fresh from his exploits with the ball, Price joined Phillips and these two carried the home side into credit on 48-1 at tea.

Gloucestershire's second wicket pair saw off Bashir and runs were beginning to come more easily when Price flashed at a ball outside off stump from Randell and was caught by Madsen at slip for 21.

Phillips proved a steadying influence, grafting a valuable half century from 94 deliveries before falling to Bashir shortly before the close. Hammond appeared largely untroubled in advancing his score to 46 and he and James Bracey will look to build a meaningful lead in the morning.