Ball bounces Derbyshire out of the game

Martyn Ball's fine all-round performance put promotion hopefuls Gloucestershire into a powerful position in the CricInfo Championship Division Two match with Derbyshire at Bristol.

Ball's quickfire 59 in the morning included 13 fours and lifted Gloucestershire's total to 508 after they had resumed on 418-5.

The long-serving off-spinner then returned a season's best 6-23 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 210.

Forced to follow on, Derbyshire lost Michael Di Venuto and Graeme Welch as they closed the second day on 33-2 and seemingly on their way to their eighth defeat of the season.

It had looked different in early afternoon as Stephen Stubbings and Di Venuto shared an opening stand of 122 in 20 overs, during which Di Venuto passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season.

Ian Harvey broke the stand when Di Venuto was caught behind by Jack Russell off a defensive edge for 61.

Harvey then took a superb slip catch to remove Stubbings for 62 and give Ball his first wicket.

The collapse that followed was a depressingly familiar one to Derbyshire supporters.

Three wickets fell with the score on 148 and only a sixth-wicket partnership of 31 between Steven Selwood and Karl Krikken offered prolonged resistance.

Ball found assistance from the Jessop Stand End as he also accounted for Mathew Dowman, Selwood, Krikken, Welch and Kevin Dean.

Pace man Alastair Bressington provided good back-up with 3-42 in 11.4 overs.