County Championship 1996 Lancashire v Gloucestershire Old Trafford, Manchester 30, 31 May, 1, 3 June 1996 ====> REPORT (Day 1, 30 May 1996) Lancashire miss their chances Gloucs (157-5) v Lancs By Charles Randall at Old Trafford THE telephones were ringing almost non-stop yesterday with ticket office enquiries at Old Trafford for Lancashire`s forthcoming Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final against Yorkshire on June 11. Amid the buzz it was easy to forget that Lancashire had a job to do in the championship against Gloucestershire, whose defeat here on Wednesday had presented the Red Rose with the one-day golden goose. Lancashire, without a win in their three championship games, set out eagerly to rectify the situation after rain removed the morn- ing session in the third of what could be seven consecutive days against the same opponents. They had only themselves to blame that Gloucestershire survived the first day as long as they did on a pitch that perhaps flat- tered the bowlers and might have rewarded judicious strokeplay had there been any. Mark Alleyne battled for three hours, though in effect he was dropped five times in two balls, John Crawley fumbling a very difficult short-leg chance that became easier with each of four juggles. When Alleyne reached 24, Steve Elworthy dropped a fast, low slip catch off Glen Chapple he should have held, and Lancashire were given no further opportunities. Peter Martin looked dangerous bowling within himself, though his one wicket was a loosely driven gift from Tim Hancock. Chap- ple, as a clear England prospect, was the pick of the attack. ====> REPORT (Day 2, 31 May 1996) Atherton goes back to basics By Charles Randall at Old Trafford Lancs (134-1) trail Gloucs (270) by 136 runs MIKE Atherton attended to the basics with 65 not out for Lan- cashire, with England`s selection meeting looming today at a hotel in nearby Salford Quays. Thanks to the England captain`s innings, Lancashire at last looked like taking control of this match after they dropped three more catches yesterday, and the bowlers had to fight a stiff cross-wind, which blew the bails off several times and once swept off umpire Kevin Lyons`s panama almost to the boundary rope. Bowling proved an awkward task, and batting became a drudgery on an alarmingly sluggish second-hand Old Trafford strip, but Lan- cashire could anticipate a handy lead as Atherton, Nick Speak and John Crawley nibbled away at run-scoring in a low-key evening. Lancashire`s first big problem was not solved until they dislodged the Mark Alleyne-Jack Russell partnership. When Alleyne finally thin-edged a good ball from Steve Elworthy for 96 in the second over after lunch, he had offered three unaccepted catches and a stumping in his 5.5 hours. Russell massaged an expiring run-rate with occasional pulls and nudges in a stand of 138 with Alleyne in 71 overs. Once, he even toppled over leaving the ball with his distinctive flourish, a no-stroke that had the power and timing of a Hammond cover-drive. ====> REPORT (Day 3, 1 June 1996) Crawley offers quality treat By Charles Randall at Old Trafford Gloucestershire 270 v Lancashire 134-1 JOHN CRAWLEY produced a 70 of real quality for Lancashire here and it would certainly have added fuel to the England debate that followed yesterday`s play. Restricted by rain to half the ration of overs, Lancashire la- boured a few runs past the Gloucestershire total with a mixture of stodge and occasional flashing brilliance, so often the natur- al result of a slow, turning pitch like this. Michael Atherton would have turned up at the England selectors` meeting at a nearby hotel prepared to endorse his team-mate Craw- ley on the evidence of his eyes from 20 yards away. Atherton himself completed an 80 yesterday without managing to sparkle, but Crawley stood out as a class act with rippling drives and cuts that scudded over what, to other batsmen, had been a slow outfield. Crawley`s career before this year had been like a masterplan, etched and coloured in, as a player who used his God-given talent to the full, moving from school and university to senior England level in seamless progression. Having risen to the England side in South Africa, he faded from view after tearing a hamstring in the pre-Christmas third Test at Durban, and his slow-lane start with Lancashire in the chill was especially galling after the county`s pre-season trip to Jamaica, where he proved his fitness and eagerness. His mediocre performance for The Rest against England A at Chelmsford did not help and his championship aggregate of 251 in six innings to date, with no hundreds as embellishment, may not force the selectors` hand for the Test at Edgbaston. Yesterday, he was dropped by Martyn Ball off his own bowling be- fore he added to his overnight 21 - a stroke of luck, so to speak - and with crisp forcing he bucked the trend of the game by reached his fifty in under two hours. Richard Davis, with his left-arm spin, bowled Atherton on the sweep first ball after switching to over the wicket and he pinned down Crawley, eventually having him stumped almost far enough down the wicket to shake his hand. Graham Lloyd drove two sixes off Davis and rushed heartily to 43 off 58 balls, which was this game`s equivalent to total mayhem. Davis, who sent down 29 overs unchanged from the Warwick Road end, had Lloyd caught on the midwicket boundary and after that, Lancashire`s momentum disappeared. ====> REPORT (Day 4, 3 June 1996) Gloucestershire left to ponder bleak spell By Charles Randall at Old Trafford Gloucestershire (270) drew with Lancashire (335-9) SEVEN consecutive days of cricket have passed for Gloucestershire against the same opponents at the same ground, and they have only two one-day defeats and nine championship points to show for it. Yesterday their drizzle-laden Manchester sojourn was concluded by lunchtime, when the match was abandoned through rain, which had allowed just under an hour`s play in the morning. In that time Courtney Walsh had Glen Chapple caught at slip fend- ing off a bouncer and Peter Martin lofted Mike Smith`s slower ball to mid-off. Gloucestershire, with no fixture this week, will have to bite back their frustration and Lancashire, still without a champion- ship win, travel to Chelmsford tomorrow to face Essex without, possibly, four of their best batsmen. Nathan Wood, son of the former England batsman Barry Wood, was pencilled in yesterday for his championship debut in the absence of Jason Gallian, injured, Mike Atherton and probably John Craw- ley, on Test duty. Neil Fairbrother remained doubtful with a sore hamstring. Peter Marron and his ground staff were allowed on to the square yesterday to prepare some usable strips after more than a week of almost ceaseless traffic. Apart from the problems of rain and cold grass-growing temperatures, Marron had no access for nine consecutive days. First England`s Texaco Trophy match was rained over into a second day, as was Lancashire`s Benson and Hedges Cup match against Gloucestershire, which was followed by the county game and Sunday League. That certainly explained why Lancashire had to use the India pitch again, which was six days old and slower than a Bank Holi- day tailback by the time yesterday`s championship game petered out. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by William.Turrell (william@*.chaucer.ac.uk)