Leus du Plooy haunted Gloucestershire once again with an unbeaten 98 as Middlesex reached 279 for 5 on a truncated first day of the Rothesay County Championship season at a gloomy Lord’s.

The South African-born left-hander, who made a career-best 263 not out against the same opponents in the final match of last season at the Home of Cricket, picked up where he’d left off, producing another classy innings, including 10 fours. Du Plooy shared an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 85 with Joe Cracknell, having earlier put on 84 with Max Holden.

Will Williams (2-46) bowled well as did Tasmanian Gabe Bell (1-44), both on debut, but the visitors were left to rue three dropped catches which would have given the day a different complexion.

Given the morning rain, murky skies and that the lights were on from the off, it was no surprise Gloucestershire chose to bowl first and they should have had an early breakthrough, Sam Robson tucking a ball off his hip that carried to backward square where Williams shelled the catch.

The morning’s play was attritional, Robson and opening partner Josh De Caires accumulating slowly, so much so it was 93 balls before the former creamed the first boundary through cover.

Gloucestershire’s bowlers were a little short in length and bowled too many down the leg side. One such delivery though brought the breakthrough: De Caires strangled out, James Bracey taking a fine low catch off the bowling of Matt Taylor.

Rain brought an early lunch and shortly after the resumption, Robson played around a fuller delivery to be trapped in front by Williams, his first wicket in Gloucestershire colours.

Du Plooy’s entrance changed the pace of the match, the Seaxes skipper sending his very first delivery through midwicket for four. It set the tone with one square cut fizzing to the fence as he made batting look a different prospect to anyone else – at least until Cracknell made his entrance.

His 50 came up in 70 balls, but while he prospered others continued to toil. Holden was missed at slip on 13, and just as he was threatening to break the shackles he was beaten by one from Williams which hit the top of off.

Ben Geddes, too, promised more than he delivered, pulling a six over midwicket only to fall in the next over driving at a full ball from spinner Ollie Price.

Ryan Higgins soon became Bell’s only victim, but du Plooy, badly dropped at slip by Price off Taylor when 68 smote the next ball through the covers, so rubbing salt in the wound.

Cracknell would prove an able ally playing fluently from the get-go. Seven fours scorched from his bat in a half-century made at only a little less than a run a ball against bowlers who’d begun to tire. However, we weren’t to see du Plooy’s century, the skipper two runs short of the landmark when the umpires called time with a little over 11 overs left to be bowled.

The start of the day was marked by a poignant minute’s silence in memory of Mick Hunt, head groundsman at Lord’s for 33 years who passed away last month.