Gloucestershire 212 (Ahmed 51, Balderson 4-44) and 169 (Dhariwal 66, Balderson 4-31) beat Lancashire 134 (Balderson 38, Williams 6-24) and 142 (Flintoff 65, Langridge 5-51) 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.
Noman Ali swung R 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.
This match was a low scoring affair, between two teams who have only accumulated 16 batting points between them this season, and Gloucestershire won the key moments.
Their bowlers reduced the Lancashire top order to 40 for 5 in the first innings and 64 for 5 in the second, and the Gloucestershire lower order twice added valuable runs; 52 for the seventh wicket between Daaryoush Ahmed and Sai Kishore in the first innings and 70 for the ninth wicket in the second by Kamran Dhariwal – on his first-class debut – and Matt Taylor.
The result was tough on Lancashire’s Balderson who took eight wickets in the match, and the Red Rose side now travel to Canterbury to face promotion-chasing Kent while Gloucestershire play Middlesex at Bristol.
