KENT’S slim chances of forcing a morale boosting early-season win in Bristol were more or less ruined by wasted chances as hosts Gloucestershire, needing just two more to avoid the follow-on, reached 208 for seven by the close of day three.

Slap dash fielding gifted four lives to the home batsmen by way of three dropped catches and a missed stumping, all of which allowed the hosts to move within 151 of Kent’s first innings total going into the final day of this rain-hit game.

Having lost their last four first innings wickets inside 40 minutes at the start of the day in adding only 20 runs - Jonathan Lewis bagging five for 57- Kent hoped to skittle Gloucestershire out for under 200 and make the opposition bat again.

But Min Patel at point, Darren Stevens at cover and van Jarsveld at second slip all grassed opportunities, while Geraint Jones missed a sharp stumping chance enabling Gloucestershire, inspired by skipper Chris Taylor, to wriggle off the hook.

Kent plugged away to take wickets at reasonable intervals, but a slow pitch and a long outfield made for turgid cricket.

Simon Cook was the pick of the Kent attack with three for 30, bowling a nagging length that consistently troubled the home top-order.

Phil Weston (19) played and missed on a handful of occasions before finally snicking a Cook leg-cutter to van Jaarsveld.

A dozen runs on but after the lunch break Kadeer Ali’s injudicious attempt at a run-down to third-man picked out David Fulton at slip then Craig Spearman feathered a wild drive to just reach Jones’s gloves on the full.

Tim Hancock (23) then teamed up with his captain Taylor to add 68 dour runs for the fourth wicket before Hancock chased a wide one to edge to Jones and give Cook his third wicket.

Taylor went 31 overs without hitting a boundary, but came out of his shell to hoist Min Patel for six and four within the space of an over.

It was a temporary respite however, as Patel had his revenge in the next over by having Taylor caught when attempting a reverse sweep at silly point – the second of four catches of the afternoon for skipper Fulton.

He moved to short-leg to snaffle Stephen Adshead (7) off the same bowler to make it 207 for six with Patel claiming figures of two for 50.

The spinner gave way at the Jessop Stand End once the new ball became available allowing Amjad Khan to make an immediate impact in having Alex Gidman (43) pocketed at slip by that man Fulton.

The game seems likely to fade out into a draw on Saturday but, the same was said of last season’s corresponding game here, and that resulted in a resounding Kent win.