Madsen ton leaves Derbyshire well poised for win

Gloucestershire's batsmen will have to bat resolutely on the final day at Cheltenham in order to secure a draw against Derbyshire. A win is almost out of the question. Having secured a first-innings lead and extended it to 284 by the end of the second day, Derbyshire drove home the advantage, setting Gloucestershire an improbable target of 486. Wayne Madsen scored a career-best of 170 not out and, with Wavell Hinds who made 54, added 117 for the fifth wicket. Madsen's effort was the highest score by a Derbyshire batsman on first-class debut, beating Peter Bowler's155 against Cambridge University at Fenners in 1988. It wouldn't have been possible if not for Gloucestershire's carelessness in the field, for Madsen was dropped on 74 and 95 by Hamish Marshall and Kadeer Ali respectively.

Derbyshire eventually declared on 323 for 6. Gloucestershire's bid for survival, or victory, suffered because of their top-order batsmen's inability to play long innings. They got off to a decent start - their openers added 71 - but Steffan Jones and Tim Groenewald struck twice each to reduce them to 91 for 4. Alex Gidman and James Franklin prevented further damage with a 57-run partnership but they will have to contribute significantly on the final day to prevent defeat. Gloucestershire will began the fourth day needing 338 runs with only six wickets in hand.