Windows and Taylor put Gloucestershire on top

Matt Windows and Chris Taylor hit centuries to bat Gloucestershire into a strong position on the second day at Bristol.

By the close the pair had put together an unbroken third-wicket stand of 235 to take the score to 305-2 in reply to Notts first innings total of 322.

Windows was unbeaten on 130 having reached his third Championship hundred of the season of 157 balls, with 15 fours.

The equally impressive Taylor was 113 not out, having taken just 139 deliveries to reach three figures with 13 boundaries. It was also his third first-class ton of the summer and was brought up without giving a chance.

Windows had received a life on 37 when Greg Smith at mid off spilled a straightforward chance off the luckless Richard Logan, who had earlier seen two other catches dropped off his bowling.

It proved an expensive miss as the Gloucestershire pair piled on the runs, depsite the loss of 32 overs during the day to rain. The start was delayed by half an hour and there were two interruptions before a premature close.

During the morning session, the game had looked wll balanced when Dominic Hewson and Rob Cunliffe fell to Logan and Smith respectively to leave the home side 70-2.

Hewson was spectacularly caught in the slips for 16 by the diving Kevin Pietersen, who surprisingly allowed two other easier chances to slip from his grasp.

When Cunliffe, on 28, had his off stump removed by Smith, Notts looked to be well in the game.

But their bowling strayed in line and length during the afternoon and Windows and Taylor took full advantage, Windows with some typically meaty strokes, and Taylor, with a more wristy, but equally effective approach.