JACK Taylor hit his fifth first class century as Gloucestershire ran up 343 for eight on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Worcestershire at Cheltenham.

Dropped on 16, the 25-year-old all-rounder, who relishes batting at the College Ground, went on to 122-ball hundred and was still there at the close on 118, having hit 16 fours and a six.

Chris Dent (65) and Phil Mustard (50) were the other main contributors for the hosts, who had to recover from losing Cameron Bancroft to the first ball of the match.

Ed Barnard was the pick of the Worcestershire attack with four for 67. But they will have been disappointed with the day, having reduced Gloucestershire to 87 for four at lunch.

Visiting skipper Joe Leach exercised his right to field and then struck with his opening delivery as Bancroft was lbw only half forward.

Will Tavare got the scoreboard ticking with an early six over square leg off John Hastings and added 53 with Dent before being well caught low down to his right by wicketkeeper Ben Cox, edging a defensive shot off Leach.

Gareth Roderick had made only 11 when totally miscuing an attempted hit through leg side and offering a simple catch to point to give Barnard his first wicket with the total on 79.

And Gloucestershire looked in trouble when off-spinner George Rhodes struck in his opening over shortly before lunch, Cox taking the catch as Graeme van Buuren, on one, edged an attempted cut.

The afternoon session saw the home side fight back with the sun shining. Dent, who had batted steadily through the morning, reached his fifty off 103 balls, with 6 fours.

The left-handed opener went with the score on 129, lbw to a ball from Barnard that appeared to keep a bit low.

If there was a pivotal moment, it came with the Gloucestershire total on 147 for five. Taylor, who had survived a couple of edges, was dropped at third slip by Joe Clarke off Josh Tongue, the catch arriving at a comfortable height.

Taylor responded to his reprieve with a straight six off Rhodes and went to a 51-ball half-century as he and Mustard took the score to 221 for five at tea.

Home skipper Mustard followed to fifty at the start of the third session, having faced 125 balls, but was out in the same over, bowled driving at Barnard.

When Kieran Noema-Barnett was caught behind off Tongue for a duck it was 234 for seven and Worcestershire appeared to have regained control.

But Craig Miles then joined Taylor and batted with increasing confidence. It was 275 for seven by the time the visitors were able to take the second new ball and it only resulted in an increased scoring rate.

Taylor, whose career-best score of 156 was made at Cheltenham against Northants in 2015, went to his hundred with his 14th four, while Miles grew sufficiently in stature to pull Hastings for six, with the partnership blossoming.

It was worth 89 in 20.3 overs when Barnard returned at the College Lawn End to have Miles caught behind with the second ball of a new spell.

But Taylor remained unmoved and by stumps had faced 149 balls.