Gloucs remain in control against Derbyshire

Gloucestershire have only picked up three points from their first three games this season [Getty Images]

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Central Co-op County Ground, Derby (day three)

Gloucestershire 498: Hammond 145; Bashir 3-116

Derbyshire 281: Madsen 65 & 117-3 (f/o): Montgomery 48*

Derbyshire (3 pts) trail Gloucestershire (5 pts) by 100 runs

Match scorecard

Gloucestershire's bowlers raised hopes of a first win of the season on day three of the County Championship match against Derbyshire at the Central Co-op County Ground.

After losing the opening three Division Two games, the visitors have a good chance of forcing victory at Derby after dismissing the hosts for 281 and then reducing them to 117-3, still 100 behind.

Spinner Graeme van Buuren took 3-31 and seamer Gabe Bell 3-84 with Wayne Madsen, 65, the only Derbyshire player to pass 50.

When they followed on trailing by 217, Harry Came and Caleb Jewell both went cheaply before Madsen fell for a second time to increase the pressure on Derbyshire.

Before play began there was news of another injury replacement, this time for Gloucestershire, who brought in Craig Miles for Henry Brookes.

The on-loan pace bowler, who made a career-best 89 on day two, had left the field towards the end of the evening session with what appeared to be a hamstring problem and, following an assessment in the morning, was unable to continue.

Madsen resumed on 62 and his wicket was the one Gloucestershire wanted as he has scored seven first-class centuries against the west country club, two of them last season.

This time he added only three runs before he clipped Will Williams to short mid-wicket to give the visitors an excellent start to the day as Martin Andersson had already been dismissed.

Bell brought one back to knock out Andersson's middle stump and with both overnight batsmen back in the pavilion, Derbyshire faced an uphill struggle to save the follow on.