LIAM Norwell continued his superb season with a return of  6-41 as Gloucestershire bowled out Northamptonshire  for 246 on the opening day of the Cheltenham  Festival,  despite 104 from visiting captain Alex Wakely.

Northants were put into bat by acting Gloucestershire  skipper Ian Cockbain, who was in charge following the  morning announcement that former England wicketkeeper  Geraint Jones had decided to relinquish the captaincy and  retire at the end of the season.

Pace bowler Norwell helped justify Cockbain's decision with  a devastating burst of 5- 16 in seven overs either  side of the lunch interval, which included having Ben  Duckett caught at long leg for 53. He has now taken 51  first-class wickets this summer at 21 apiece.

Norwell said: "I wasn't happy with how I bowled to begin with, but I managed to come up trumps just before and after lunch.

"I can't remember taking five-for in such a short spell before. I managed to get the ball in better areas, they played some poor shots and you take your luck when it comes to you.

"I think we bowled too short to start with, but we got our areas and lines much better as the day went on, especially after lunch."

Northants hit back well with the ball in the closing 24  overs of the day as Gloucestershire were reduced to 82 for  four.

Most captains opt to bat first when they win the toss on the  fast-scoring College Ground, but Cockbain's decision to  insert the visitors was no doubt influenced by overcast  conditions.

There was early reward when Stephen Peters departed to the  second ball of the match, caught behind by Gareth Roderick  off Craig Miles, but Duckett and Wakely batted with so few  alarms in a second-wicket partnership of 90 that it looked  as if Cockbain's decision might backfire.

Duckett, fresh from scoring 134 and 88 in his previous  County Championship game at Old Trafford, played  particularly freely in advancing to a 59-ball half-century,  with three of his ten boundaries taken from one James Fuller  over, all driven through the covers.

Norwell sparked an astonishing turnaround in fortunes by  tempting Duckett to hook a delivery to Howell at long leg  and then having Rob Keogh taken by Chris Dent at first slip  in the last over before lunch.

After the interval, Norwell accounted for Richard Levi,  caught behind as he went looking for a third successive  boundary, Adam Rossington, taken by Michael Klinger at first  slip, and Josh Cobb, who was bowled as he pushed forward.

Wakely's patient approach was repaid with a 128-ball  half-century and he found good support from Steven Crook in  a seventh-wicket partnership that realised 69 runs in 17  overs.

Crook had contributed 27 when he swept Jack Taylor's  off-spin to the square-leg boundary, where Benny Howell did  well to catch the ball at the second attempt just inside the  rope.

Wakely brought up his 216-ball century with a  straight-driven boundary off Taylor, the 16th four of his  innings, but he was dismissed in the last over before tea  when an attempted pull against Fuller only resulted in a  gloved catch to Klinger at slip.

Graeme White hit a straight six and four fours in a  quickfire 24 before he drove a low catch to Marshall at  extra cover off Howell.

Norwell wrapped up the innings, and completed his second  six-wicket haul of the season, when Rory Kleinveldt  top-edged a hook to Miles at long leg.

When Gloucestershire batted, Dent edged Olly Stone low to  Kleinveldt at third slip to depart for a second-ball duck.

Will Tavare fell lbw to Kleinveldt as he pushed forward, and  the burly South African paceman struck again when Klinger  was caught behind by Rossington.

Marshall and Roderick rallied the innings with a stand of  41, which was broken in the 22nd over when Roderick missed a  legside flick and was lbw to Crook for 23.