Craig Miles bags five but Luis Reece rallies Derbyshire

Gloucestershire 100 for 5 (Reece 4-15) trail Derbyshire 184 (Reece 59, Miles 5-50) by 84 runs
Scorecard

Craig Miles marked his farewell match for Gloucestershire with a five-wicket haul before Luis Reece put Derbyshire back in the Division Two County Championship match at Derby.

Miles, who is joining Warwickshire next season, took 5 for 50 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 184 with Reece top-scoring with 59 in his second game back after more than three months out with a broken foot. Wayne Madsen completed 1000 Championship runs for the season but Miles and Matt Taylor with 3 for 32 ran through the home side who responded when Reece took four wickets to reduce Gloucestershire to 100 for 5 at the close.

On a day dominated by the seamers, Tony Palladino celebrated his 50th Championship wicket of the season four days after it was announced the 35-year-old has signed a new two year contract with Derbyshire.

Gloucestershire's bowlers had initially struggled with their radar after an uncontested toss and Reece took advantage of some wide and overpitched deliveries. He saw Billy Godleman edge a drive at Miles into his stumps and then watched as Madsen passed 1000 runs for the fifth time in six seasons with a boundary off Matt Taylor who had Reece spilled at third slip on 32.

Madsen went soon after achieving his milestone when he was trapped in front by Ryan Higgins and after Reece clipped Miles off his legs for his eighth four to reach fifty, he edged a good ball from the seamer to second slip.

Higgins found some late movement to bowl Tom Lace in the second over after lunch but Matt Critchley and Alex Hughes batted positively to add 51 before Miles started the slide that saw Derbyshire lose six wickets for 35.

Critchley was lured into driving at a wide ball and Hughes was lbw pushing half forward, leaving Taylor to sweep away the tail in the space of two overs. Harvey Hosein played across the line, Hardus Viljoen was caught on the crease and Palladino offered no shot to one that swung back enough to clip the off stump.

When Anuj Dal clipped Miles to fine leg, Derbyshire's last four wickets had tumbled for 14 and the day threatened to get worse for the home side when Hosein dropped Chris Dent off Lockie Ferguson on 9.

Palladino was rewarded for a probing opening spell when he bowled Miles Hammond but Gloucestershire were starting to take control until Reece delivered his best spell in the Championship. The allrounder got just enough seam movement to have James Bracey and Benny Howell lbw and his accurate line accounted for Ben Charlesworth and Dent as Derbyshire shaded an eventful day.