Northamptonshire claimed two bowling points in the first session before rain washed out the remaining two sessions on Day 1 at Bristol.
Emilio Gay became Northamptonshire player number 525 when he was presented his cap by Phil Rowe before play. The youngster making his debut in place of Rob Newton who misses out with a finger injury picked up in the previous match against Durham. Captain Adam Rossington chose not to contest the toss and elected to bowl with a poor forecast looming.
Gloucestershire began the day in steady fashion, batting through 9.3 overs before Northamptonshire made the first breakthrough. Ben Sanderson the man to get things started when he found a thin edge from Bracey through to keeper Rossington. It was 2 wickets in as many overs when Berg found the edge, Hutton taking a good low catch at second slip.
It was a piece of excellence in the field that had Gloucestershire 3 down just 2 overs later. Luke Procter swooping round from point to pickup and throw down the stumps, Dent short of his ground. Sanderson found another thin edge in the next over, Roderick this time feathering into the hands of Rossington, Gloucestershire now 32/4.
Gloucestershire settled and took the score past 50 before Bracewell claimed 2 wickets in 2 overs to hand Northamptonshire their second bowling bonus point. The Kiwi doing well in his follow-through to lay a finger on a well struck straight drive, Hankins found short of his ground at the non-strikers end. It was more conventional in his next over, Higgins turning a ball off his pads straight into the hands of the debutant Emilio Gay at square leg.
That would be it for the day however, the rain arriving and setting in just 2 balls after lunch.
Gloucestershire 80/6 (Sanderson 2/19, Berg 1/8)