Gloucs Reign After The Rain
Lewis - two wickets for Gloucestershire.
Bad weather meant only 33.5 overs were possible on the first day between Gloucestershire and Middlesex in the LV County Championship clash at Bristol, with the hosts bowling themselves into pole position despite a hefty delay.
A wet outfield delayed the start until 4pm when Middlesex were invited to bat in overcast conditions. By the time bad light ended play two-and-a-half hours later the visitors had struggled to 73 for four.
Skipper Jon Lewis took the wickets of Billy Godleman and Ed Joyce, while Steve Kirby accounted for Dawid Malan and Anthony Ireland claimed the important scalp of Owais Shah.
Middlesex were immediately on the defensive against the opening attack of Lewis and Kirby and the total was still at nought when Godleman was caught lbw pushing forward to the second ball of the fifth over.
The 12th over, sent down by Kirby, brought more problems for the batting side as Shah retired hurt with what appeared a knee problem and Malan fell to a good low catch by Will Porterfield at first slip to make it 18 for two.
Gloucestershire had earlier opted to give a debut to 19-year-old trialist seamer Ian Saxelby, whose uncles Kevin and Mark both played first-class cricket.
The Nottinghamshire youngster, who has represented England Under-19s this summer, was introduced for the 16th over with the score 23 for two and sent down five tidy overs for 18 runs from the Pavilion End, conceding a top-edged six off a Joyce pull shot.
The total had moved to 46 when Joyce, on 13, became a second lbw victim for Lewis, as he looked to play through the leg side off the back foot.
There was a break for bad light and drizzle after 29 overs by which time Shah had resumed his innings in partnership with Eoin Morgan.
But he did not last long before edging a regulation catch to wicketkeeper Steve Snell off a short delivery outside off stump.
Morgan was unbeaten on 23 when the umpires called a final halt for bad light with a possible 4.1 overs remaining. Lewis closed the day with an impressive return of two for 12 from nine overs.