Lancashire v Gloucestershire, Rothesay County Championship, Days 1-4

Gloucestershire 212 & 169 defeated Lancashire 134 & 142 by 105 runs.

Gloucestershire 19 points, Lancashire 3.

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Gloucestershire clinched a second consecutive Rothesay County Championship victory in the battle of the Division Two’s bottom two, defeating Lancashire by 105 runs.

The result leaves Lancashire on 100 points in the Division two table, 18 points ahead bottom-placed Gloucestershire who now have 82.

Lancashire resumed the final day on 120-6 needing a further 128 runs to win but Gloucestershire made a dream start when George Balderson edged the third ball of the day from JT Langridge to Ollie Price at second slip. 

Noman Ali swung Sai Kishore for six into the vacant party stand but it was Gloucestershire who were celebrating moments later when Ali was plumb in front to the irrepressible Langridge for 9. 

Mitch Stanley swiftly followed, popping up a bat/pad catch to Kamran Dhariwal at silly mid-off from spinner Sai Kishore.

Rocky Flintoff was the last out for a career-best 65, hitting Langridge to long-off to give the bowler an outstanding return of 5-51 in just his second first-class game.

Steven Croft, Lancashire Head Coach said:

“Very disappointing, obviously a lose at home, and the manner as well. I think within that loss there was some really good stuff. I thought the effort from the bowlers was brilliant.

“Jimmy (Anderson), Baldy (George Balderson), and Mitch (Stanley) at the end running in, with a minimal break between those innings as well. 

“It's pretty clear we're not getting the batting right at the minute. It's not through lack of effort.

“The disappointing thing is we're not learning from our mistakes, really. We're not firing as a unit, whether that be experienced players or inexperienced players.

“A shout out to Rocky (Flintoff) as well though, to get his career-best there in some tough circumstances.

“We don't know what might have been if someone stuck around with him. But, yes, he showed some great fight and character and skill throughout yesterday and today.

“We have to take on the learnings. We haven't got the majority of this four-day season right and we need to make amends to that. 

“The effort is there. We need to start getting it right and learning from those mistakes.”

Rothesay County Championship Division Two
Gloucestershire 212 & 169 v Lancashire 134 & 120-6.
Lancashire require a further 128 runs to win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Day Three
Kamran Dhariwal and Rocky Flintoff each scored their maiden half-century in first-class cricket but two wickets from a third impressive youngster, James Langridge, kept Gloucestershire on course for their second consecutive Championship victory in the battle of Division Two’s bottom two.

Dhariwal’s 66 in the second innings of his first-class debut frustrated Lancashire and left them needing to score an unlikely 248, which would be comfortably the highest total of the match, for their first Championship win since April.

Langridge, a tall left-arm fast bowler making his second appearance on loan from Somerset, then put the skids under the Red Rose run chase with his second impressive new-ball spell of the match to reduce them to 25 for three at lunch.

Flintoff responded positively with an unbeaten 57 off 66 balls - but was in danger of running out of partners when rain set in with 128 runs still required.

Day Two
Will Williams relished his return to Emirates Old Trafford with a career-best six-wicket haul against his former county as the batting problems of the bottom two teams in Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship were exposed on a crazy second day.

Williams, the New Zealand born seamer who spent four seasons with Lancashire before joining Gloucestershire during the winter, took six for 24 as the visitors secured a first-innings lead of 78 – meaning it is now seven matches since the Red Rose strugglers last posted a first-innings total of 200 or more, a bleak run stretching back to May.

But George Balderson, who had already taken four wickets in Gloucestershire’s first innings and top-scored with the bat, dragged Lancashire back into the match with three wickets in his second over.

Balderson ended with four for 23 from a marathon 13-over spell as Gloucestershire struggled to 118 for eight in their second innings, meaning they will resume on the third day with a lead of 196 - Kamran Dhariwal having grafted to a valuable unbeaten 44 in a sunlit evening session.

Lancashire captain James Anderson said:

“I think the game is in the balance, to be honest.

“I don't think the wicket has played as bad as the scores would suggest.

“There's been some really good bowling from both teams. I think both teams could have batted better. We'd be disappointed with their showing, but the situation in the game, I think we're 200 behind with two wickets to get, so we feel like we're well in the game.

“We know we're going to have to play really well in the second innings. We've got two wickets to get in the morning as quickly as possible, and then we've got an opportunity to win a game.

Day One

George Balderson and James Anderson combined with five wickets to give Lancashire the upper hand on the opening day of this Rothesay County Championship match at Old Trafford between the bottom two sides in Division Two.

Gloucestershire, having won the toss, were 164-6 at the close with Daaryoush Ahmed (33 not out) and Sai Kishore (20 not out) providing some late resistance with the highest partnership of the day in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 45.

Anderson, who struck with the second ball of the match in a fine opening nine-over spell of 1-13, finished with 2-33 while Balderson was excellent with his three wickets in the afternoon session putting the visitors in early trouble after most of the morning had been lost to the weather.

Balderson ended the day with 3-35 and also produced a great pick up and throw from mid-on to run out Miles Hammond in the evening session to cap a fine performance on a day where 35 overs were lost to rain.

George Balderson, Lancashire said:

“It was good fun. I think there was a little bit there early doors, especially for the seamers, and then as the ball got a bit softer it got a little bit slower. I think we're pretty happy with where we are in the game.

“I've been bowling nicely at the moment, so I just want to keep that going as much as I can up until the end of the season, see how many wickets I can get and see if I can contribute to a couple of wins.

“I think when you know you're bowling well, you relax and everything just falls into place, and when you're struggling, you have to try and remind yourself of times like this when you're feeling good and what are you doing well.

“So, at the moment I'm just trying to think about what I'm doing in terms of when it's good, because I know there'll be a point at some time where I don't feel great and I want to switch back and look at what I was doing at this moment in time.

“Personal milestones aren't a priority really in terms of our season and where we want to be - and we're disappointed with where we are - but I think going into these last couple of weeks, if a few personal milestones can be ticked then that's a good thing. I’ve never done 50 wickets in a season before.

“Me and Jimmy noticed last week that we were both on the same number of wickets and we were having a little joke about it, but I was thinking he might take me off if I got on a bit of a roll today, but yeah, it's good fun.”