The way both teams had batted in this match did not bode well for Gloucestershire's chances of scoring 332 to win and, sure enough, they looked doomed to defeat last night when Kent, bidding to close the gap on the second division leaders, reduced them to 131 for five.

The visiting team's task would have been easier had not Ryan McLaren and Simon Cook defied them with a last-wicket stand of 87; the best of the match and the highest for Kent's last wicket against Gloucestershire, surpassing the 77 Leslie Todd and C S “Farmer” Marriott put on at Canterbury 80 years ago.

Steve Kirby, whose fiery fast bowling had kept Gloucestershire in the match the night before, was still steaming in when Kent resumed 214 runs ahead with four wickets in hand and he duly completed his first five-wicket haul of the season after he pinned Amjad Khan, the nightwatchman, leg-before.

Vikram Banerjee, the left-arm spinner, struck with his first ball of the day, Justin Kemp cutting straight to cover, and Jon Lewis had James Tredwell caught at mid-on, before McLaren and Cook began to forge their unlikely alliance.

McLaren's previous highest score in the championship this season was two while Cook had reached the dizzy heights of eight not out. But not even Kirby, armed with the second new ball, could disturb them as they put some of the recognised batsmen to shame. They had held up Gloucestershire for 25 frustrating overs when McLaren, who had made 42, clipped Banerjee to short mid-wicket, leaving Cook with an unbeaten 40 to add to his first innings five for 22.

There were still 150 overs left in the match when Gloucestershire began their second innings, but William Porterfield, like so many batsmen these days, was still in too much of a hurry when he tried to pull Azhar Mahmood and top-edged to mid-on.

Kadeer Ali and Hamish Marshall were more circumspect on a pitch that had lost some of its pace and bounce, in the baking sun but was beginning to turn for Tredwell, who has already bowled Kent to victory over Glamorgan this season with a career-best eight for 66 at Canterbury.

They had put on 59 when the spinner broke through, having Ali caught at slip and claiming Alex Gidman leg-before. When Azhar had Marshall caught at second slip and Craig Spearman, batting with a broken finger, leg-before, Kent were scenting victory.

Kent: First Innings 231 (M van Jaarsveld 53)
Second Innings (overnight 149-6)
J M Kemp c Gidman b Banerjee 41
A Khan lbw b Kirby 5
J C Tredwell c Hussain b Lewis 6
R McLaren c Porterfield b Banerjee 42
S J Cook not out 40
Extras (lb 16, w 1) 17
Total (96 overs) 266
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-37, 3-72, 4-82, 5-137, 6-145, 7-163, 8-177, 9-179.
Bowling: Lewis 20-6-57-1; Franklin 17-4-57-0; Kirby 26-9-44-5; Banerjee 25-4-58-4; Hussain 8-0-34-0.

Gloucestershire: First Innings 166 (S J Cook 5 for 22)
Second Innings
W T S Porterfield c Key b Azhar 11
K Ali c Kemp b Tredwell 38
H J H Marshall c Van Jaarsveld b Azhar 45
*A P R Gidman lbw b Tredwell 12
C M Spearman lbw b Azhar 13
V Banerjee not out 0
J E C Franklin not out 3
Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 5) 9
Total (5 wkts, 54 overs) 131
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-79, 3-107, 4-123, 5-128.
Bowling: Azhar 11-5-11-3; Khan 3-1-12-0; Tredwell 20-5-50-2; Cook 12-3-25-0; McLaren 8-2-29-0.

Umpires: M J D Bodenham and J W Holder.