Jeremy Snape and Jack Russell revived Gloucestershire's second innings at Bristol today in the low-scoring CricInfo Championship Division Two game with Warwickshire.

The pair came together with Gloucestershire on 100-5 in the 45th over and with a lead of only 41. But by the premature close they had taken the score to 157-5, with Snape on 42 and Russell on 15, and put the game back in the balance.

Bad light and rain wiped 35 overs off the day's play, with 27 of them lost in the last session.

Alan Richardson, Dougie Brown and Neil Smith claimed a wicket apiece in the morning as Gloucestershire lost Dominic Hewson (11), Kim Barnett (21) and Matt Windows (14) in reaching 85-3.

Warwickshire's victory hopes were raised further when Mark Alleyne and Chris Taylor were then removed in successive overs after the interval.

Alleyne cut a Brown delivery to Mark Wagh at third man, to fall for ten, then Taylor gave a legside catch to wicket-keeper Keith Piper off Richardson for 33.

Warwickshire had to do without seamer Melvyn Betts in the afternoon session due to illness and the rest of their attack were frustrated by Snape and the typically obdurate Russell.

The scoring rate was only just above two an over, but Snape and Russell briefly broke the stranglehold with a boundary apiece off Vasbert Drakes in the 56th over.

Snape took two more boundaries off Richardson in one of the three-and-a-half overs possible, the second of which brought up the half-century stand.

Richardson finished with 2-40 from 20.3 overs, while Brown has 2-17 from 15 overs. Off-the-field, Gloucestershire have been dealt another injury blow ahead of next Saturday's Benson & Hedges Cup final with Surrey at Lord's with news that vice-captain Tim Hancock broke a bone in his right hand during fielding practice.

Hancock has not been selected for Gloucestershire's last three Championship matches, but he is a key member of the one-day team and has no chance of being fit for the Lord's showpiece.

Gloucestershire are also expected to be without pace bowlers Mike Smith (groin) and Jon Lewis (back) for the game due to injury.

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