Gloucestershire v Lancashire, Rothesay CC, Bristol - Days 1-4

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Lancashire win by four wickets.

Day Four: Gloucestershire 136 all out (George Balderson 5-34, James Anderson 3-12, Ollie Price 35) & 305 all out (James Bracey 114, James Anderson 4-51, George Balderson 4-75).

Lancashire 240 all out (Keaton Jennings 70, Matty Hurst 39, Matt Taylor 6-43) & 203-6 (Keaton Jennings 78 not out).

Keaton Jennings led the way with an unbeaten half-century as Lancashire completed a four-wicket Rothesay County Championship Division Two win over Gloucestershire shortly after lunch on the final day at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

Starting the day on 75 for three in their second innings, requiring a further 127 runs for victory, the visitors finished on 203 for six, Jennings contributing 78 not out, Michael Jones 30 and Arav Shetty 31, as their team made it two wins from their first three Championship fixtures.

Lancashire took 19 points from the game to consolidate leadership of Division Two.

Gloucestershire, meanwhile, have lost three from three and are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table.

Lancashire captain James Anderson said

“It was a tough four days, but we have got over the line, again despite not playing our best cricket.

“We did well to bowl them out on day two, but should then have gone on and got 300 in reply. We weren’t ruthless enough with the bat, allowing them back into the game, and then really had to dig deep.

“The injuries didn’t help. To lose Ajeet Singh Dale on the first morning was a blow and then seeing Luke Wells suffer that awful shoulder injury had the lads rattled for a bit.

“We have a strong squad and rested a couple of guys this week, so hopefully they will be available for our next game against Durham.”

Asked whether he would be fit to play a fourth Championship game in a row, Anderson smiled and said: “We will wait and see. I struggled to get out of bed this morning! So I’ll just take things day by day.”

Day Three: Gloucestershire 136 all out (George Balderson 5-34, James Anderson 3-12, Ollie Price 35) & 305 all out (James Bracey 114, James Anderson 4-51, George Balderson 4-75).

Lancashire 240 all out (Keaton Jennings 70, Matty Hurst 39, Matt Taylor 6-43) & 75-3 (Keaton Jennings 25 not out, Michael Jones 15 not out).

Lancashire need a further 127 runs to win with 7 second innings remaining.

Lancashire’s injury woes continued as a James Bracey century helped Gloucestershire stage a spirited fightback on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

Having already lost seamer Ajeet Singh Dale to a hamstring injury on day one, the visitors had to make a second substitution when Luke Wells suffered a painful shoulder injury diving to prevent a boundary during the morning session.

Harry Singh was introduced in his place, with the go-ahead to bat and bowl, as Gloucestershire advanced their overnight second innings score of 58 for three to 305 all out, a lead of 201. Bracey hit 114, with 16 fours, and Miles Hammond contributed 82, sharing a fourth wicket stand of 148. There were four wickets each for James Anderson (4-51) and George Balderson (4-75)

Lancashire were left with 28 overs to bat in the day and closed on 75 for three, Keaton Jennings unbeaten on 25, needing a further 127 runs to win.

The Wells injury happened with Gloucestershire’s total 124 for three as he tried to prevent a Bracey boundary to fine leg off Anderson. He immediately signalled his distress and team-mates ran to his aid before medical help arrived and he was taken to Southmead Hospital with a suspected dislocation.

Head Coach Steven Croft said

“Luke Wells dislocated his shoulder diving for the ball. He had to go to hospital and it is back in place now.

“He will probably have to go for some scans in the week, but that’s all we know for now. You never like to see anyone leave the field in those circumstances and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“The substitution was straightforward. Harry Singh is a batter who can bowl so it was like for like.

“We are in a decent position going into the final day. But the danger on that wicket is looking too comfortable and we would like to have been one or two less wickets down.

“Wickets have fallen in clusters during the game and we need to be mindful of that tomorrow.”

Day Two: Gloucestershire 136 all out (George Balderson 5-34, James Anderson 3-12, Ollie Price 35) & 58-3.

Lancashire 240 all out (Keaton Jennings 70, Matty Hurst 39, Matt Taylor 6-43).
Gloucestershire trail by 46 runs.

Keaton Jennings staged a dogged half century to give Lancashire a potentially crucial advantage over struggling Gloucestershire at the halfway stage of a low-scoring Rothesay County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

The experienced opener defied a seam-friendly pitch and uneven bounce to carve 70 from 110 balls and dominate a partnership of 79 for the second wicket with Josh Bohannon as the Red Rose county posted 240 that also included a useful ninth wicket alliance of 58 between Matty Hurst and replacement player Ollie Sutton to establish a meaningful first-innings lead of 104. Left-arm seamer Matt Taylor did his level best to keep Gloucestershire in contention, spearheading a spirited fightback with an impressive career-best return of 6-43 from 18.2 overs as Lancashire were made to work hard for their runs.

Shot out for a wholly inadequate 136 in their first innings, Gloucestershire's batting frailties were again exposed as they reached stumps on 58-3, still trailing by 46. It could have been worse for the hosts if Keaton Jennings had clung on to a slip chance offered by Miles Hammond late in the day. Bottom of the table without a point before this game, they face an uphill battle if they are to avoid a third straight defeat.

Lancashire batter Keaton Jennings said

"We probably should have had another 60 or 70 with the bat and had them four down at the close, but it was a pretty good day for us overall and I'd rather be in our position than theirs.

"Batting was hard work. The pitch was little bit too paced and some deliveries don't quite do what you think they are going to do. Some balls would stop or deviate and that's why you've seen some poor shots.

"I didn't feel great out there, but there are days when you have to dig in and work hard, and this was one of those. There was a lot of playing and missing, but that's part and parcel of the game.

"Both sides have been below par with the bat, but both have bowled well, put the opposition under pressure and forced errors. Our seamers performed really well and we need them to come back tomorrow and create some more pressure. I reckon the first hour or two tomorrow will be crucial."

Day One: Gloucestershire 124-6 (George Balderson 4-27, Ollie Price 35) v Lancashire.

George Balderson claimed four wickets as Lancashire dominated a heavily rain-curtailed opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

After losing the toss, the home side had plunged to 124 for six off 44 overs by the time the weather brought play to a halt at 2.45pm. Seamer Balderson had figures of four for 27 from 16 overs, including a spell of three for five either side of lunch.

Ollie Price top-scored with 35 on another miserable day for Gloucestershire, who went into the match on the back of innings defeats in their first two Championship games.

Balderson’s contribution was all the more important given that Lancashire lost Ajeet Singh-Dale to injury at the start of the sixth over. The former Gloucestershire pace bowler pulled up in delivery stride clutching the top of his left hamstring and will play no further part in the match.

Ollie Sutton was summoned from a second XI fixture at Leicester to take his place under the new substitute rule introduced into the Championship this season.

Meanwhile, with that leaving the seconds short, new head coach Dan Salpietro was forced into the field during today’s final day at Grace Road. He's taken two catches off the spin of Charlie Barnard as the Red Rose push for victory.

Lancashire head coach Steven Croft, speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, said

On Ajeet Singh Dale: “Absolutely gutted. It’s in the region of his hamstring, and we think he’ll get a scan tomorrow.

“We really feel for him because he’s put in so much work over the winter and first game at Northants put in a really good shift.

“He was really excited to play this game, and unfortunately two overs in something went. But hopefully it’s as good as it can be when it comes to the scan.

“In our eyes, it’s deemed to be a like-for-like replacement. We did have a right-arm opening bowler in Tom Bailey, which we feel is a perfect replacement from our side of things. It’s not someone coming in bowling 10mph quicker or anything like that.

“We asked for Bails to be the replacement, which got denied unfortunately.

“We then had to turn to a left-arm seam-bowling all-rounder, which did get granted to replace Ajeet. That doesn’t fit right and sit well with us from the point of view that he’s (Ollie Sutton) a different skillset.

“I don’t know how it’s got to that conclusion, but we’ve got there in the end and we’ll have to crack on with it.”