Centurion Adams holds up Gloucestershire victory charge

Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey bowled Gloucestershire to the brink of victory over Sussex on day three of the CricInfo Championship second division match at Cheltenham.

Harvey claimed all three of his second innings wickets in a fiery, four-over post-tea spell of 3-4 as the visitors went from 213-2 to 244-6.

But Chris Adams, with 122 not out, and Mark Davis, with 32 not out, then put on an unbroken 71 for the seventh wicket as Sussex, 353 behind on first innings,­ closed on 315-6.

Sussex had resumed the day on 160-8 in their first innings and the last two wickets fell for just seven runs as Billy Taylor and James Kirtley fell to slip catches off Martyn Ball and Harvey respectively.

Harvey's figures of 18.5-13-13-3 were exemplary on a ground with short square-side boundaries, and the Australian was just as effective in the second innings.

Home captain Mark Alleyne provided the initial breakthrough when he had Murray Godwin lbw for 12, but Richard Montgomerie and Adams then shared a second-wicket stand of 125 before the former was caught and bowled by Ball.

Montgomerie's 107 was his sixth Championship hundred of the season and his 173-ball innings contained 19 fours. Adams played equally well, but he could only look on in despair as wickets tumbled after tea.

Harvey struck twice in three balls in his opening over after the interval, as Bas Zuiderent and Michael Yardy fell to catches by Alleyne at second slip.

Umer Rashid then edged James Averis to wicket-keeper Jack Russell, as he attempted to cut, and Matt Prior was caught by Jeremy Snape at gully off Harvey.

Gloucestershire appeared set for a three-day victory, but Adams and Davis responded with some determined batting.

Adams reached his 194-ball century with a cut for four through the covers off Ben Gannon and has so far struck 19 fours and three sixes.