Still needed a further 231 to win with only five wickets in hand at the start of the day, Gloucestershire lost wicketkeeper Steve Asdhead in the first hour, bowled by Wayne White for 18.
Eight overs before the close he gave a maiden catch tp debutant wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins, who took Brendon McCullum's place behind the stumps after the first-choice wicket-keeper opted to play as a batsman only because of a bad back.