County Championship: Chris Dent & Ryan Higgins hit tons as Gloucestershire against Leicestershire heads for draw
Last updated on .From the section Counties
| Specsavers County Championship Division Two, Fischer County Ground (day three): |
| Leicestershire 487: Dexter 180, Azad 137, Ackermann 56*; Shaw 4-85 |
| Gloucestershire 503-6: Higgins 196*, Dent 176, Howell 52; Abbas 3-48 |
| Gloucestershire (7 pts) lead Leicestershire (6 pts) by 16 runs |
| Scorecard |
Chris Dent and Ryan Higgins scored tons in a 318-run sixth-wicket stand as Gloucestershire took a first-innings lead over Leicestershire at Grace Road.
Gloucestershire had struggled to 41-3 overnight in reply to a daunting 487.
But opener Dent's 176 - his first Championship century this season - was the maintstay of a gritty response which saw Higgins hit an unbeaten 196.
The pair took Glos to 449 before Dent fell and the visitors ended day three 503-6 to all but ensure a draw.
Leicestershire had edged the morning session at the County Ground as they looked to capitalise on their day two dominance and force the follow-on.
Benny Howell did manage a defiant 52, but he was caught at second slip by Colin Ackermann off Chris Wright and Will Davis was bowled by Jack Taylor.
At 131-5, Gloucestershire were still 256 runs behind but rallied in such style that they picked up maximum batting points.
Captain Dent's meticulous approach and the more aggressive Higgins set about beating the club's previous best sixth-wicket partnership against the same opponents, set by Billy Neale and Dick Stephens at Aylestone Road in 1931.
Dent batted for seven and a quarter hours, faced 311 balls and hit a six and 25 fours before he was bowled by Dieter Klein.
Higgins scored his third County Championship three-figure score of the season, hitting 25 fours and a six to end the day unbeaten just four runs short of a double ton.