Hundreds from Chris Taylor and Jeremy Snape, plus a half-century from Kim Barnett, powered Gloucestershire to 415-5 on the opening day of the CricInfo Championship second division match with leaders Sussex at Cheltenham.

Sussex captain Chris Adams chose to field first, but saw his decision backfire as his team put down four catches and struggled to stem the flow of quick runs on a fast-scoring ground.

To add to their woe, wicket-keeper Matt Prior departed midway through the second session with a injured thumb on his left hand, which had been sustained in the third over as he made a legside stop from a James Kirtley delivery.

Adams took over behind the stumps and held the catch that ended Barnett's accomplished innings of 79, which contained 14 fours and came from 135 balls.

Dominic Hewson and Matt Windows fell for ten and 22, to Kirtley and Adams respectively, and Mark Alleyne soon followed Barnett back to the pavilion when he was caught by Bas Zuiderant at slip off Mark Robinson for one.

That left Gloucestershire on 193-4, but thereafter there was no stopping Taylor and Snape as they peppered the short, square-side boundaries in a fifth-wicket partnership of 204.

Taylor brought up his second hundred of the season ­and the third of his career with a cut four to backward point off Kirtley.

He was finally undone shortly before the close when he drove a low return catch to spinner Mark Davis, having struck 25 fours and one six in his 226-ball innings of 140.

Snape, who has prospered since being moved up to six in the order over the past couple of months, brought up his century with a single to long leg in the penultimate over of the day, bowled by Umer Rashid.

He finished on 100 not out, with 11 fours and two sixes so far in his 155-ball innings.

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