Shakib five gives Worcestershire a chance

Worcestershire 278 and 8 for 0 v Gloucestershire 480 and 136
Scorecard

An exciting final day is in prospect at Cheltenham where Gloucestershire are well placed to win their first County Championship game at the College Ground since 2001 against Worcestershire.

Despite a century from Daryl Mitchell, Worcestershire could make only 278 in their first innings and conceded a deficit of 202 runs.

With the pitch threatening to break up, Gloucestershire skipper Alex Gidman decided against enforcing the follow-on and saw his side crash to 136 all out in their second innings, Shakib Al Hasan taking 5 for 23 - his best figures for Worcestershire - and Alan Richardson 4 for 57.

But that still left the visitors needing an unlikely 339 to win. They closed the third day on eight without loss and will need to bat very well to achieve even a draw.

Worcestershire had begun on 126 for 2 in reply to 480 and looked capable of a decent first-innings reply while overnight batsmen Mitchell and Moeen Ali were together. But once Moeen fell to Anthony Ireland for 59, including nine fours, only Mitchell offered much resistance. Gemaal Hussain finished with 4 for 30 to take his wicket tally for the season to 53.

Mitchell was sixth man out with the total on 258, having faced 254 balls and hit 16 fours. It was a solid effort by the opener on a pitch that began to respond to spin in the latter stages of the innings and on which the home seamers bowled well.

Gloucestershire were no doubt planning on building a lead beyond 400 before a declaration, but it never looked like happening as the out-of-form Jonathan Batty was bowled by Matt Mason for three.

First-innings centurion Will Porterfield hit a breezy 33, but Hamish Marshall, Alex Gidman and James Franklin could make only 30 between them, perishing in the quest for quick runs. Worryingly for Worcestershire, it was left-arm spinner Shakib who did most of the damage.

Chris Taylor made sure the second innings was not a total disaster for the home side by hitting 45 off 56 balls, with seven fours, but the last four wickets fell without a run being added.

Worcestershire will still feel they are in with a chance, but if Gloucestershire fail to take this opportunity they may start to think they will never win another four-day game at Cheltenham. Their spell without a victory there stretches back 15 Championship games.