Thanks to centuries from Kim Barnett and Chris Taylor, Gloucestershire batted themselves into a dominant position on the first day of their Championship match against Notts at Trent Bridge. When bad light halted play half-an-hour early Taylor was unbeaten on 152 and Gloucs were on 356—5.

Wayward early bowling enabled the visitors, who had won the toss and elected to bat first, to get off to a healthy start with 83 runs coming inside the first 20 overs. Notts then trapped Dominic Hewson lbw for 36 and sent Matt Windows back without scoring, but Kim Barnett batted superbly, feeding on anything short or wide, to reach lunch on 75 not out.

Barnett batted in the same vein after the interval and completed a fine century (193 mins, 145 balls, 19x4) before steering the ball to Greg Blewett at slip off the bowling of Greg Smith.

Taylor dominated the remainder of the afternoon session, reaching his own hundred just before tea (157 mins 149 balls l7x4) by hitting Usman Afzaal for consecutive boundaries. Of the 162 runs scored in the session Taylor had hit exactly 100 of them.

Notts responded with a wicket immediately upon the resumption. Mark Alleyne tamely chipped Harris straight into the waiting hands of Darren Bicknell at mid on.

Taylor pushed a single to bring the 300 up in the 80th over but then saw his new partner Jeremy Snape smartly caught by a diving Blewett at slip. Jack Russell, playing his first game of the summer after a back injury, got off the mark first ball and helped take the total past 350.

With just eight overs of the day remaining Gareth Clough's short—pitched delivery was pulled away by Taylor for the four needed to take him past 150 (253 mins 218 balls 23x4).

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