Tavare does family name proud with ton

Several names of times past reappeared last season. Cowdrey, Shrewsbury, Procter, were among the famous names to once again grace the county game. Tavare is the latest and 24-year-old Will did the family name proud with a century on his first-class debut.

Chris Tavaré played 31 Tests for England in the 1980s and his nephew, Will, hinted at following in his footsteps with an unbeaten century to give Gloucestershire a strong start to the 2014 season.

Chris enjoyed a fine career for Kent and Somerset with almost 25,000 first-class runs. Will showed a similar appetite by seizing his chance in just his second first-class match to become the eighth Gloucestershire player to make a century on debut.

Joining a club including David Shepherd, Andrew Symonds, Chris Taylor, Craig Spearman, Hamish Marshall and Ed Cowan is a good way to begin a career.

Tavare was only included in the XI at the last moment after wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick - supposedly the answer to Gloucestershire's troubles in finding a regular gloveman - was ruled out injured. Tavare ensured he was not missed and took his chance with a 198-ball ton.

Hampshire will say it should not have happened. He was dropped twice, one of them a straightforward chance to first slip off Matt Coles when just 32. But he survived to add 163 in 47 with his captain Michael Klinger - the Australian returning for the second season of his two year deal with Gloucestershire very keen to extend his stay.

Klinger made 81 off 168 balls before being caught behind off Hampshire's new South African signing, Kyle Abbott who struck two balls later to remove Alex Gidman for a duck as Gloucestershire lost two wickets just before tea. Hamish Marshall followed after the break for only four as James Tomlinson picked up his second wicket of the day after dismissing Chris Dent in the seventh over for his 300th first-class wicket for Hampshire.

A wobble took Gloucestershire from 180 for 1 for 186 for 4 and threatened to undo the work of Tavare and Klinger but the ever-dependable Will Gidman made a steady half-century and raised a century stand with Tavare as Gloucestershire rebuilt to almost claim a third batting point before the close. Gidman couldn't last to the end of the day, being caught behind as Sean Ervine took the second new ball but Hampshire have not done enough damage to justify deciding to bowl first.