Higgins and Price lead the way as Glos battle back at Bristol
RYAN Higgins led a Gloucestershire charge on the third afternoon at Bristol as the home side came storming back into the match as Northamptonshire closed 92-7, leading by 228.
Higgins took 3-26 and Tom Price 2-22 as Gloucestershire kept themselves alive in a game they looked well out of.
Graeme van Buuren (56) and superb resistance from Gloucestershire’s tail had earlier held up Northants to save the follow-on, before they were eventually bowled out for 191.
The rearguard action, which saw No 10 Matt Taylor make 24 from 97 balls and Jared Warner 10 from a 82 deliveries, almost delivered a batting point but it certainly wrested back the initiative.
The bowlers seized upon the momentum to leave Northants’ second innings in tatters.
Price led the charge, striking in the fourth over as Emilio Gay played into his stumps trying to defend. Price added Rob Keogh palpably lbw to a full ball which nipped back.
Higgins had Luke Procter lbw from around the wicket – with a suspicion that the left-hander got outside the line of off stump. His later spell removed Harry Gouldstone, so impressive in the first innings, who made only seven before playing around a straight delivery and losing his middle stump.
Adam Rossington was also bowled but this to a lovely delivery which swung away to hit off stump. He made only 18 and there will be no captain to the rescue this time for the visitors. Ricardo Vasconcelos was also bowled. He moved in a pleasant way to 26 but played loosely outside off stump to one from Matt Taylor which seamed in. Saif Zaib made 14 before he was squared up by Warner and edged behind.
It was slippery stuff in the gloaming and followed some extraordinary resistance from the Gloucestershire tail.
Resuming on 90-6 replying to 327, the home side were in danger of conceding a huge lead.
Zafar Gohar quickly fell to Procter for seven but the resistance began with an eighth-wicket stand of 45 between Price, who lasted 54 balls for his 16, and van Buuren.
He resumed on 19 and edged Procter through the slips for the day’s opening boundary before clipping him through midwicket and cutting Jack White through point.
His second fifty of the summer came in 121 balls and helped give Gloucestershire a sniff of a remarkable turnaround.