Former Yorkshire left-armer Ian Fisher made it a 33rd birthday to forget for Darren Gough at Headingley yesterday as he bravely saved Gloucestershire from the follow on and gave his side an outside chance of promotion instead of his of his exasperated ex-colleagues.

A draw will be good enough for Gloucestershire to go up whereas Yorkshire need to win if they are to secure the third promotion spot.

Gloucestershire, needing 327 for safety, were struggling on 210 for seven when Fisher came to the crease. The situation appeared even bleaker for the visitors at 247 with the dismissal of Australian, Ian Harvey, who fell to a leg-stump yorker from Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath.

But Fisher was then joined in a gallant 97 stand for the ninth wicket with Jon Lewis before both were out in the space of three balls by which time Gloucestershire had reached 344, leaving Yorkshire with a disappointing lead of 132.

Fisher finished with 71 off 102 balls with ten fours to notch his highest score of the season and it was off Gough that he hit most of his fours to dampen the former England bowler's birthday celebrations.

Although Fisher initially had some anxious moments against Gough he rapped back by slamming him for three fours in one over and when Gough later took the new ball the left-hander on-drove and leg-glanced consecutive deliveries to the fence.

In between these blows, Fisher miscued a hook at Matthew Hoggard to take a single, which brought him his first half century in over a year and Lewis gained in confidence by driving Hoggard for a couple of boundaries.

There were ironic cheers from the crowd when off-spinner Richard Dawson was brought on for the first time at 308 for eight with the innings 88 overs old and the new ball about to be claimed but it was Chris Silverwood who broke the stand by knocking out Lewis's off-stump with a fine yorker after he had made 36 from 78 balls with seven fours. Fisher followed in the next over when he drove McGrath to substitute fielder Chris Taylor and deep mid-off.

Resuming on five without loss in reply to Yorkshire's first innings 476, Gloucestershire were given a solid foundation by Craig Spearman and Phil Weston, who put on 79 together before Spearman was caught at cover by the diving Damien Martyn.

Gloucestershire dipped to 116 for five but Weston held firm and was then joined by Harvey.

They pushed the score on to 209 with a 93 stand in 18 overs at which stage Weston departed for 84 in an over begun by Steve Kirby and ended by Silverwood.

Jack Russell was dismissed for a duck by McGrath, who also sent back Harvey for 70 from 94 balls with 11 fours but Fisher and Lewis made sure the bowlers still had a lot of hard work to do.