Chris Taylor ton punishes Kent

Gloucestershire 486 for 7 v Kent 205
Scorecard

Chris Taylor made an unbeaten 192 as Gloucestershire moved into a commanding position in their Division Two game with Kent. The long-serving batsman shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 160 with skipper Alex Gidman (79) as Gloucestershire reached 486 for 7 at Cheltenham in reply to Kent's 205.

Taylor is just four short of his highest score of 196, made against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 2001, and has struck 23 fours and a six in his 246-ball innings. David Balcombe was Kent's most successful bowler with 3 for 92, but it was an off-day for fellow paceman Robbie Joseph, who could only return 1 for 110 in 19 overs.

The promotion-chasing home side started the day on 107 for 3 and an eventful first over from Balcombe brought nine runs and the dismissal of nightwatchman David Payne, caught at second slip by Martin van Jaarsveld. Only another four overs were possible before rain brought a 40-minute interruption to play. After the resumption, Taylor and Alex Gidman took full advantage of the short boundaries square of the wicket at the College Ground to keep the scoring rate above four an over.

Taylor took three successive boundaries off Simon Cook, all driven through the off-side, on his way to a 61-ball half-century, which he reached just before the lunch interval with Gloucestershire on 204 for 4. Alex Gidman reached his 74-ball half-century with the second of three boundaries he took from a Darren Stevens over, and soon after hit James Tredwell for a straight six for the second time in his innings.

The pair had put on 160 in 35 overs when Alex Gidman played across the line at Joseph and was trapped leg before wicket. His 115-ball innings contained nine fours as well as two sixes. Ian Cockbain put on 77 for the sixth wicket with Taylor, who hurried to his second century of the summer by taking 14 runs off a Tredwell over.

He cover-drove the offspinner for a boundary, hit the next delivery for six over long-on and then struck him for a four through extra cover to reach a 125-ball hundred. Cockbain departed for 19 when he gave a low return catch to Balcombe, but there was no respite for Kent as Will Gidman and Taylor continued to score briskly and bat with few problems on an easy-paced pitch.

Will Gidman had contributed 35 to a partnership of 91 when he was caught at slip by Van Jaarsveld off Tredwell. But Van Jaarsveld dropped Taylor on 185, also off Tredwell, and he had added another seven runs when more rain ended play with 14 overs of the day remaining.