Jennings leads Lancashire to victory over Gloucs

Jennings slashed the first boundary of the day through cover off Matt Taylor and Jones soon showed positive intent too, hitting the left-arm seamer for successive boundaries in the fifth over of the day.

Gabe Bell bowled a tidy spell from the Ashley Down Road End, but when he was replaced by Will Williams another Jennings boundary took the runs needed to below 100.

Gloucestershire made a breakthrough in the 13th over of the day when Jones played defensively to a ball from former Lancashire seamer Williams that left him and edged to second slip where Cameron Bancroft took a comfortable waist-high catch.

At 121-4, Lancashire required a further 81 runs, with Jennings a reassuring presence in the middle. But Gloucestershire thought they had him caught behind off Henry Brookes with the score on 125, but umpire Ian Blackwell had signalled a no-ball.

Soon afterwards, Jennings completed a 138-ball half-century including eight fours. But he lost another partner with the total on 143 as Matty Hurst, on eight, miscued an attempted shot through the leg-side off Bell, who had switched to the Pavilion End, and was caught at mid-wicket.

If Gloucestershire sensed a chance, it was snuffed out by Arav Shetty, who provided positive support for Jennings in a match-clinching stand, which had added 45 precious runs by lunch, taken at 188-5, with only 14 needed and the hard work done.

Still Gloucestershire refused to surrender and the second over after the interval saw Shetty bowled by off-spinner Ollie Price with 10 still required. George Balderson was almost run out taking a quick single to get off the mark, just making his ground at the bowler's end.

A Jennings boundary to fine leg off Price calmed any nerves and four byes down the leg side ended the match at just before 13:55 BST.

It was a contest several seam bowlers could look back on with pride. Lancashire's Balderson and James Anderson had match figures of 9-109 and 7-63 respectively, while Gloucestershire Matt Taylor returned 7-105.

The visitors had every cause for satisfaction at a solid all-round performance marred by the serious injuries to Ajeet Singh Dale (hamstring) and Luke Wells (dislocated shoulder), while Gloucestershire could take some consolation from being a lot more competitive than in their opening two Championship fixtures, which both ended in innings defeats.

Report by ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay.

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