Cricket Gloucestershire forced to settle for a draw

RESOLUTE batting by Lancashire's Luke Wells and Tom Hartley frustrated Gloucestershire’s bowlers and helped ensure that the Rothsay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford ended in a draw on Monday evening.

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The visitors declared on their overnight score of 589 for eight, giving them a lead of 139, and when they reduced the home side to 160 for six half an hour before tea, they looked well placed to beat Lancashire for the first time since 2015.

But Wells and Hartley shared an seventh-wicket partnership of 69 in 28 overs either side of tea and the game ended at 5.53pm when Lancashire were 255 for eight and had a lead of 116 with only eight overs left in the match.

Hartley was caught by James Bracey off Ajeet Singh Dale for 37 but that wicket fell just before players shook hands with Tom Bailey on nine not out and Saqib Mahmood unbeaten on nought.

For Gloucestershire, Tom Price ended the day with three for 52 and Graeme van Buuren took three for 36

Gloucestershire take 13 points from the game to Lancashire's 12 but that hardly reflects the difference in the quality of the cricket played by the sides, particularly on the last two days of the game.