It was a memorable day at Bristol Cricket Club as Charlie Thurston smashed the all-time highest Northamptonshire 2nd XI individual batting record that he had set less than a month ago against Glamorgan at Milton Keynes.

Thurston’s record-breaking innings finished on 283 not out from 367 deliveries. He was at the crease for 483 minutes which is perhaps the most staggering statistic of all as it took place in record breaking temperatures that spread across the entire United Kingdom.

Thurston was ably backed up by some resolute tail-end resistance, from Buck (63), Glover, Russell and Gowler, as he added 314 valuable combined runs for the last five wickets of the Northamptonshire innings – driving them towards a superb first innings total of 572.

In reply, Gloucestershire finished the day on 116-1 in 36 overs which incredibly saw a delay and loss of four overs due to rain. With the excessive heat, the pitch soon dried off to see leg-spinner Alex Russell claim the scalp of Gloucestershire opening batter Ben Charlesworth, unusually dismissed hitting his own wicket.