First day of four: Notts (42-2) trail Gloucs (319) by 277 runs
GIVEN Gloucestershire's suspect batting, their continued advance and championship challenge sustained almost to the wire, is especially laudable. The team as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts and would that Nottinghamshire could draw on such inspiration.
Jason Gallian must feel like he has taken the helm of the Marie Celeste - nice surrounds, not an officer in sight, but at least he still has a skeleton crew on board.
Mark Alleyne opted for first use of a bland strip but within three overs he was back in the middle, negotiating a recovery after Andy Oram removed both openers. The captain remained largely untroubled until forcing Gallian to extra cover for 72 then Matt Windows demonstrated the class which has earned an 'A' team berth this winter with 11 fours in his 63.
Dominic Hewson (39) eventually provided Matthew Whiley with a first championship wicket before Jon Lewis' boisterous 40 stiffened the tail.
Mike Smith raised his wicket tally to 68 by the close.
Day 2: Walsh celebrates reaching century
By Stephen Thorpe at Trent Bridge
Second day of four: Gloucs (319 & 74 for 2) lead Notts (249) by 144 runs
COURTNEY WALSH, who is still considering a two-year contract that would preclude him from next year's World Cup, capped his testimonial season with a 100th first-class wicket which may keep Gloucestershire in contention for championship prize money.
Walsh and Mike Smith have now shared 169 wickets this summer, but the pitch is lifeless enough to smother the most redoubtable attack.
Mark Alleyne rotated the seamers, including himself, but Martyn Ball, the off-spinner, was soon wheeling away from the Radcliffe Road end. There was just a hint of slow turn as another day of attrition beckoned beneath the grey skies.
Eddie Hemmings' sacking as Nottinghamshire's coach, compounded by the death of the highly-respected chairman, Alan Wheelhouse, and the dismissal of Alan Ormrod, the cricket manager, with a year of his contract to run, has only added to the disarray.
Jason Gallian, the new captain, and Mike Gatting are old friends but the Middlesex veteran will be loath to leave Lord's while uncertainty surrounds the coaching roles there.
Gallian scored 25 on assuming the leadership in early August and had not bettered it before yesterday, though it took him 35 overs. Just when he seemed in for the duration, Ball tossed one higher and Gallian played around it. Only Noel Gie (50) and Chris Tolley (30) buckled down after that.
Paul Johnson, who had been troubled by a stomach complaint, soon lost his off stump to Walsh's yorker then Tolley repeated Graeme Archer's sorry shot, providing the Jamaican with the landmark wicket.
Chris Read's 48 not out and Paul Franks (32) dragged Nottinghamshire past the follow-on target of 170.
Day 3: Hancock goes on the rampage
TIM HANCOCK, having consolidated Gloucestershire's position in search of prestige outside the championship battle being waged at the Oval, embarked on an innings of great vigour to raise his 200 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge yesterday.
Resuming his stand with 40 to his name, and Gloucestershire, at 74 for two holding a lead of 144, Hancock wound his way to 100 in resolute fashion; and then unleashed an embarrassing barrage. His first hundred had taken 244 minutes, and 302 balls; his second 125 minutes and 98 balls.
Gloucestershire declared at tea with a lead of 481; and Nottinghamshire, who had laboured to avoid the follow-on were looking at another uphill struggle.