Gloucestershire openers put on 316 at Leicestershire

A record breaking opening partnership between Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth saw Gloucestershire dominate the opening day of their County Championship match at Leicestershire.

The pair put on 316 after the visitors were put into bat by Foxes skipper Lewis Hill, beating the previous record opening partnership made against Leicestershire in first-class cricket, the 315 put on by Herbert Sutcliffe and Len Hutton for Yorkshire in 1937.

Bancroft’s 160 was his second century in as many innings and Charlesworth’s 126, which included 10 fours and six sixes, was his maiden first-class ton.

A lunchtime scoreline of 107 without loss suggested Hill had been ill-advised.

Bancroft hit seven boundaries in going to his 50 off 84 balls, his third consecutive half-century. Charlesworth struggled to time the ball at times, but was unbeaten on 29 off 85 deliveries at the interval.

Josh Hull will consider himself unfortunate when a full-swinging delivery beat Charlesworth’s defence and flattened middle stump, only for his celebration to be cut short by the sight of the umpire’s extended arm for a no-ball.

Bancroft too might have gone before reaching three figures, edging Rehan Ahmed low to first slip where Peter Hanscomb was unable to take the chance low to his left.

Charlesworth took full advantage of his reprieve, going to his hundred with a huge straight straight six, one of six maximums before he holed out to long-off off the part-time off-spin of Louis Kimber.

By then the partnership had passed 300, leaving Gloucestershire’s previous opening record against Leicestershire, the 201 put on by Kadeer Ali and Craig Spearman on the same ground in 2007, well behind.

Bancroft was to follow, chopping a delivery from Ben Mike on to his stumps, before Ollie Price and Miles Hammond saw Gloucestershire through to the close, nine balls early due to bad light.