Rain ruins county’s College clash with Anderson’s Lancashire,
NO play was possible for two of the first three days of the Specsavers County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Lancashire at Cheltenham College.
Umpires Jeff Evans and Paul Pollard inspected the pitch before the scheduled start on Wednesday and reported some, but not sufficient, improvement in the damp area caused by water seeping under the covers during Monday evening’s storm.
That storm meant no play was possible on Tuesday as the players arrived to find that the rain had caused some water to penetrate the covers.
There was a wet area on a length at the Chapel End and play was abandoned for the day at 1.45pm amid continued concern that the nature of the pitch had changed.
On day one, Lancashire were on 47 for two in reply to Gloucestershire’s 205.
Saqib Mahmood finished with four for 48, the 22-year-old England Lions seamer claiming the first three wickets of the innings to stem a promising start by the hosts.
There were two wickets each for England star James Anderson and Liam Livingstone, while Miles Hammond top-scored with 82.
Hammond said: “It’s always nice to do well here as I was born only just down the road.
“I loved the battle with Jimmy Anderson, who is ridiculously skilful with the ball and makes it such a test.
“It’s a good pitch, not much different to the ones we usually play on at the Festival, and this is always a fast-scoring ground.
“Both teams have bowled well. David Payne was excellent for us in the final session.”
Payne removed Jake Lehmann, son
of former Australia batsman and coach Darren Lehmann, in an eight-over spell which saw him concede only four runs.
Lancashire also lost Haseeb Hameed to a run out.
Lancashire exercised their right to bowl first on a dry looking pitch, which formed part of a different square to the one used for the annual Festival.
It had some pace in it and provided a good contest between bat and ball. Gloucestershire began solidly with an opening stand of 55 in 25 overs between Cheltenham-born Hammond and skipper Chris Dent, who had made 23 when edging Mahmood through to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas.
During his innings, Dent went past 8,000 first class runs for Gloucestershire.
Mahmood was running the ball across the left-handers from the Chapel End and James Bracey also fell caught behind for four, having played and missed several times.
It was 68 for two from 31 overs at lunch and Mahmood continued where he had left off after the interval, bowling Gareth Roderick for ten to make it 77 for three.
That became 85 for four when Benny Howell fell to a poor shot, caught at cover off Tom Bailey.
But Hammond went to an excellent half-century off 137 balls, with 10 fours, and found a reliable partner in Jack Taylor, making his first Championship appearance of the season.
Together they added 83 for the fifth wicket before Taylor, on 42, edged a catch to slip off leg-spinner Livingstone, who then clean bowled Ryan Higgins with his next ball.
The double blow saw Gloucestershire go in for tea on 182 for six, with Hammond unbeaten on 80.
His major contribution, which spanned 204 balls, ended when Anderson hurried a ball between bat and pad to disturb the stumps.
Graeme van Buuren looked in good touch making 23.
But he was bowled off an inside edge by Mahmood with the total on 205 and without any addition Payne was run out by Anderson’s direct hit attempting a quick single, while Josh Shaw was bowled for a duck by Anderson to end the innings.
When Lancashire replied, Keaton Jennings was dropped on five by Dent at second slip off the impressive Payne with the total on 12.
England opener Hameed was run out by Matt Taylor’s throw to the keeper after Jennings delayed a call for a single to mid-off and Payne earned reward for his accuracy when bowling Lehmann on the back foot for a duck.