Opening batsman Nick Gubbins believes Middlesex can still win their County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire.

The 2016 champions closed day two on 182-7, in reply to the home side’s 296 in Bristol, after Dawid Malan (62) top scored.

But Gubbins feels they have enough in their locker to still get a positive result, saying: “We pride ourselves on batting down to number 11 and we saw what Gloucestershire’s tail did when they put on another 80-plus.

“We know what we are capable of and we firmly believe we can still win this game.

“We really wanted to go big as a batting unit and it was a shame that we lost those wickets in the last session.

“From a batting point of view, it’s pretty frustrating for us all. But Malan showed what can be done when you get your head down and graft and there is still plenty of time left in the game for things to happen for us.”

Malan batted for three hours to make his half-century and passed 10,000 first-class runs in the process, while Stevie Eskinazi fell five short of his own fifty.

Middlesex slipped from 155-4 as young Ben Charlesworth (3-21) had success for the hosts and Gubbins added: “It’s a bit of a grind with fielders in front of the bat, close catchers, a pitch that’s a bit up and down and the threat of lbw, but it’s a pretty good wicket.

“Hopefully, there will still be a bit in it for the bowlers when they come to bat again.”