Gidman and Roderick plunder Leicestershire

Gloucestershire 513 for 5 (A Gidman 221*, Roderick 171) v Leicestershire
Scorecard

Gareth Roderick and Alex Gidman put Leicestershire's attack to the sword with a record-breaking triple-century stand as Gloucestershire ran up 513 for 5 on the opening day at Bristol.

The pair came together with the hosts 47 for 2 - having won the toss - and exploited perfect batting conditions to put on 392 in 66.2 overs, beating the previous highest Gloucestershire third-wicket stand of 336, set back in 1933 by Walter Hammond and Bev Lyon.

Both hit career-best scores. Roderick made 171, off 239 balls, with 15 fours and two maximums, while Gidman hammered an unbeaten 221, from 233 deliveries, with 29 fours and three sixes. Their partnership was only three short of Gloucestershire's record for any wicket.

The hosts made a bright start under cloudless skies, openers Will Tavare and Chris Dent taking the score to 39 in nine overs before Atif Sheikh struck with his first ball of the game after replacing Ollie Freckingham at the Ashley Down Road End.

Tavare chased a wide one from the left-arm seamer and edged to wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, having made 15. Dent followed when Freckingham switched to the Pavilion End and had him taken at second slip by Greg Smith for 24.

That was as good as it got for Leicestershire. Gidman looked in good touch from the start of his innings, hitting successive boundaries through the covers as 15 came off an over from Freckingham.

Roderick began watchfully, but gradually started to play his shots. By lunch the pair had taken the total to 137 for 2 with few alarms.

As the sun continued to beat down, Leicestershire's bowlers were made to toil in the afternoon session. Gidman was first to his half-century with a square cut boundary off Sheikh, having faced 53 balls and hit 10 fours.

Roderick followed to the same landmark in the next over. The wicketkeeper, who missed much of the season after twice breaking the same finger, had hit seven boundaries in facing 85 deliveries.

Without a semblance of a chance, both batsmen eased their way to three figures. Roderick overtook his partner to get there first, driving Freckingham to long-off for three.

Roderick's ton had occupied 152 balls and featured 11 fours. Gidman made batting look equally easy and by the time he reached his hundred, off 114 balls, with 15 fours and a six, hoisted over long-on off Jigar Naik, the stand was worth 246.

On 120, Roderick was dropped by Greg Smith at slip off Naik. It was an error Leicestershire could ill afford as tea was taken with Gloucestershire 342 for 2.

It was the same story in the final session, Roderick and Gidman scoring at will. Roderick broke the county's third-wicket record with a six over long-off, which took the score to 386 for 2.

He finally fell in the second over with the second new ball, caught behind by Ned Eckersley, deputising for wicketkeeper O'Brien, off Freckingham. O'Brien had been off the field in the afternoon session, although he did return as a fielder.

Charlie Shreck followed up by pinning Hamish Marshall lbw for 13 with the final ball of the 89th over before Gidman reached his double hundred with two fours in the space of three deliveries from Freckingham.

Ian Cockbain fell to Rob Taylor for a duck. but Gidman moved remorselessly to his best ever score, beating the 211 he made against Kent at Cheltenham last season.

Reflecting on his and Roderick's record-breaking stand, Gidman said: "I'm not that fussed about the personal milestone, but the partnership was so enjoyable. Gareth Roderick is a class player with a big future.

"One of the umpires told me about the third-wicket record so he must have looked it up during tea, but we didn't know how close we were to the Gloucestershire record for any wicket and Gareth is gutted at getting out when he did."

Roderick added: "We took it 10 runs at a time and after each 10 we went up the pitch and touched gloves. We ended up doing that a lot of times! Alex is a great player to bat with. He is just relaxed enough, but is always talking to you.

"I was eyeing up my first double hundred and when I was told in the dressing room that we were only three runs short of the best ever stand for the county I felt even worse."