MICHAEL Hogan claimed four wickets to give Glamorgan a victory opportunity on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Brightside Ground, Bristol.

The 34-year-old seamer dismissed Cameron Bancroft (70) and Hamish Marshall (58) before striking two more blows with the second new ball, sending back Gareth Roderick (67) and Kieran Noema-Barnett (4) for figures of four for 68.

Having begun the day on 60 for one in their second innings, eight runs behind, the hosts were reduced to 271 for eight, a lead of 203, before some tail-end resistance from Craig Miles and David Payne guided them to 302 for eight.

That meant a lead of 234 and all results are possible today, although the weather forecast is not good.

Timm van der Gugten struck the first blow of the day for Glamorgan early on, pinning Graeme van Buuren lbw for 22 with a ball that nipped back.

Bancroft was unbeaten on 35 at the start of play and the Australian opener moved to his first half-century for Gloucestershire on the day Michael Klinger, the player he has stood in for as overseas signing, returned to the club.

Roderick had helped take the score to 109 for two when rain forced an early lunch. Soon after the interval it became 117 for three as Hogan speared a ball into Bancroft’s pads and had him caught at short mid-wicket, having faced 158 balls and hit 10 fours.

Hamish Marshall continued his fine early season form, going past 50 for the fifth time in as many games, with 7 fours and a six. But on 58 he misjudged a drive off Hogan and was caught in the gully.

It was 232 for four at tea, Roderick having reached a painstaking half-century off 144 balls. The new ball was taken immediately after the break and Glamorgan used it well.

George Hankins was deceived by a quick ball from van der Gugten in the second over and bowled for 18, while Hogan quickly followed up with a leg-before verdict against Roderick as he looked to work a straight ball through the leg-side.

Roderick had battled away for nearly four and a half hours and was clearly frustrated with himself for not going on to a really significant score, Gloucestershire then lost two more quick wickets. Noema-Barnett played a poor shot to Hogan and was caught by substitute fielder Nick Selman above his head at extra cover, while Jack Taylor was guilty of an equally rash stroke as he was caught at mid-on off Harry Podmore for 17.

The hosts looked in a hole at 271 for eight on a still true pitch. But Miles and Payne stopped the rot and by the time bad light ended play for the day their stand was worth a precious 31 runs.