Cameron Green comes to Gloucestershire rescue with battling hundred

Cameron Green demonstrated true grit in scoring a much-needed hundred to extricate Gloucestershire from a spot of bother on day two of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Kent at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

Reduced to 139 for 4 in reply to Kent's first-innings 424, Gloucestershire were indebted to their overseas hired hand, who registered a battling 102 not out from 150 balls with 12 fours and a six, and shared in a revitalising unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 168 with James Bracey to steer the home side to the relative safety of 307 for 4 by the close, just 117 runs behind. Bracey finished unbeaten on 69 from 134 balls and Gloucestershire are already two batting bonus points to the good.

Jake Ball took 2 for 67 and Nathan Gilchrist and Grant Stewart claimed a wicket apiece as Kent applied themselves diligently in the field, but the visitors will have to make the new ball count in the morning if they are to shift pressure back onto their opponents in a contest which looks increasingly likely to end in a draw.

Resuming their first innings on 386 for 6, Kent had earlier lost their last four wickets for the addition of 38 runs, Ajeet Singh Dale returning career-best figures of 7 for 110 from 26 overs. He accounted for Stewart and Chris Benjamin, who scored 182 and 93 respectively in staging a partnership of 264, a record seventh wicket stand in all matches for Kent, who were dismissed in 110.4 overs.

There may have still been some shine left on the relatively new ball, but it was back to business as usual for Stewart and Benjamin, Kent's seventh wicket pair requiring four overs to bank a fourth batting bonus point. For their part, the home side desperately needed wickets and skipper Cameron Bancroft threw the ball to Singh Dale, Gloucestershire's most incisive bowler on day one.

He claimed his first five-wicket haul of the season in his third over from the Ashley Down Road end, inducing Stewart to play a tired shot and edge to second slip. Having advanced his career-best first-class score to 182 from 189 balls, hit 20 fours and 5 sixes and dominated a Kent record-breaking seventh wicket partnership of 264 with Benjamin, the Italy international walked off to a standing ovation with the scoreboard on 401 for 7.

His erstwhile partner in runs departed soon afterwards, Benjamin attempting to drive Singh Dale and nicking off to wicketkeeper James Bracey, who took a straightforward catch to terminate a magnificently obdurate innings on 93 from 244 deliveries. The patient Benjamin had defied Gloucestershire for five and a half hours, transforming an innings that had been deep in trouble on 137 for 6 on the first day.

Presented with an opportunity to improve upon the career-best 6 for 41 he took against Worcestershire at New Road in April 2023, Singh Dale ran in hard, located Ball's outside edge and raised his arm in celebration before even Bracey had pouched the catch that further reduced the visitors to 414 for 9. He was denied an eighth victim when Zaman Akhter had Kashif Ali held at deep backward square to bring the innings to a close shortly after midday.

Kent's top order batsmen scratched a mere eight runs from 10 overs against a new ball that nipped off the seam on the first day, but Gloucestershire openers Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth encountered few problems on an essentially flat surface as they safely negotiated 12 overs to reach lunch on 48 without loss.

But there was just enough assistance from the pitch to keep the Kent seamers interested and Stewart effected a breakthrough early in the second session, Bancroft prodding defensively outside off stump and nicking to slip. Gloucestershire's skipper had scored 26 from 36 deliveries and staged an opening stand of 54 with Charlesworth inside 13 overs to at least afford the innings a decent start.

Gilchrist and Stewart mustered sufficient movement off the pitch to trouble the batsmen, but left handers Charlesworth and Ollie Price played steadfastly, punished the bad bad when it came along and gradually laid the foundations for a meaningful partnership. Gloucestershire's progress was smooth until Charlesworth fell into a trap set for him, pulling a short-pitched delivery from Ball and holing out to deep backward square for an 87-ball 41. The second wicket pair had added 45 in 13.5 overs and Gloucestershire were 99 for 2.

When last they batted together, Price and Miles Hammond had staged a stand of 203 for the third wicket in a drawn match against Lancashire. Still in good touch following his career-best 253 at Old Trafford, Price played some glorious shots in raising 40 from 51 balls with 9 fours, only to be pinned lbw by Gilchrist with the score 119 for 3. It felt like a big wicket and Kent were positively on a roll when Hammond fell for 18 soon afterwards, playing a back foot defensive shot to a fullish delivery from Ball and offering a catch to Tawanda Muyeye at first slip. Having lost three wickets for 40 runs in 7.4 overs, Gloucestershire were 139-4 and under mounting pressure, still 285 behind.

Green and Bracey ensured the home side reached the tea interval without further mishap on 156 for 4 and these two continued to build steadily as conditions eased in the final session, going to an assured 50 partnership from 120 balls. Green made a hundred on debut for Gloucestershire at Canterbury last month and clearly enjoys playing against Kent. He went to 50 from 106 balls on this occasion, reaching that landmark with his fourth four, a back foot force through the covers off Gilchrist.

Runs now began to flow and the fifth wicket pair required only 62 balls more to raise the hundred partnership as Kent's bowlers began to tire. Playing the supporting role to perfection, Bracey went to 50 via 101 balls with his tenth four, a cut shot off Kashir Ali. Gloucestershire banked a second batting bonus point and there was still time for Green to move to his hundred from 146 balls, the Western Australian heaving Kashif through mid-wicket for his twelfth four to spark raucous celebrations among those who had stayed on into the early evening sunshine.