Northants close in on victory

Day 3: Gloucestershire 192 and 280 for 9 lead Northants by 68 runs.

So, let's cut to the chase and consider the question that all Gloucestershire fans will be wondering; what's the chance of rain tomorrow?

Sadly, not great if the weather channel prove to be correct.

Unless something remarkable happens, Northants will wrap up a thoroughly deserved victory. Glos will go and dwell on a few positives from their second innings fight. At 109 for 4, and opening game centurions Dan Housego and Hamish O'Marshall joining captain Michael Klinger back in the pavilion the odds were on for a dispiriting innings defeat. Instead, lead by former skipper Alex Gidman, Glos fought back to at least take the game into a fourth day and make Northants bat again. When you finish bottom of the county championship you have to take whatever small victories you can.

The disappointing aspect of today's batting effort was that several plays got themselves into a position to play the sort of knock that could have seriously given Northants the jitters. Sadly neither Dent, Gidman or Benny could convert their half centuries into anything more meaningful. Young Cameron Herring also displayed encouraging signs of his potential with a second half decent contribution of the match. Gloucestershire will now rue the lack of runs in this match from messers Housego, Klinger and O'Mish who contributed only 44 runs in 6 innings between them. When half of your batting lineup scores less than fifty in the entire match you ain't going to win many matches.