Cricket We were outplayed, admits Glo'sters skipper Bancroft

MAN of the match Tom Hartley produced another career-best performance to propel Lancashire to a hard-earned nine-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham on Friday, and keep alive their hopes of winning promotion back to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.

- By ANDY STOCKHAUSEN

Having previously staged his highest score of 130 and taken 6-116 to put his team in control, the England slow left-armer claimed 5-99 on the final day of an entertaining match at the famous old College Ground as the red-rose county made it two wins out of two in the red-ball format under the new leadership team of interim head coach Steve Croft and captain Jimmy Anderson.

Made to follow-on, Gloucestershire were dismissed for 285 in 98 overs in their second innings, Hartley finishing with match figures of 11-215 after Ben Charlesworth and Joe Phillips had scored 71 and 56, respectively, for the home side. Chris Green weighed in with 2-62 as spin accounted for seven wickets on a surface offering some assistance.