By David Green at Old Trafford
First day of four: Lancashire 269-7 v Gloucs
LANCASHIRE, choosing to bat first on a dry slow pitch already taking spin, produced what could yet be a useful score even though John Crawley's elegant 43 was their highest individual innings.
On such a surface, Gloucestershire's seam trio of Courtney Walsh, Mike Smith and Jon Lewis, who prior to yesterday had 142 championship victims between them, rather had their teeth drawn and the main burden fell on Martyn Ball, their lone spinner.
Lancashire's approach was ultra-cautious early on, though openers Paddy McKeown and Nathan Wood both fell to miscued attacking strokes. Crawley, who struck six fours, and Neil Fairbrother were more fluent, putting on 70.
Crawley then drove Mark Alleyne low to mid-off and Ball had Fairbrother lbw. When Graham Lloyd's pull found mid-wicket and Warren Hegg cut Walsh to cover, Lancashire were wobbling at 212 for six.
However, with Ball tired after two long spells, Wasim Akram and Gary Yates prospered until the former was lbw to Bobby Dawson's occasional leg-spin.
Day 2: Gloucestershire are left in a spin
By David Green at Old Trafford
Second day of four: Gloucs (158 & 11-2) trail Lancs (386) by 217 runs
LANCASHIRE kept their title hopes alive while Gloucestershire's faded as they coped poorly on a slow turner, Gary Yates taking four for 64 and Chris Schofield four for 56 to leave the visitors following on 228 runs adrift.
Second time round, in murky light, Yates and Schofield went to work with the new ball, openers Tim Hancock and Rob Cunliffe both falling before the close.
Lancashire, 269 for seven overnight, also owed much to Yates the batsman for his 55 and to Glen Chapple for his 69. Their orthodox, cool-headed play prolonged the innings almost to lunch, consolidating an already strong position.
Courtney Walsh and Mike Smith had early spells but it was John Lewis who broke through, clipping Yates's off stump. Chapple continued the good work, adding 70 with Peter Martin in 26 overs.
Mark Alleyne then called on Bobby Dawson's leg-spin and Chapple paddled a long hop to mid-on, having hit five fours off 99 balls, and Schofield was lbw.
Though Wasim Akram was immediately yorked by Hancock, the Lancashire captain soon summoned Yates's off-spin and the sharply spun leg-breaks of Schofield, the former bowling Cunliffe as he padded out then ending Dominic Hewson's promising innings via a bat-pad catch.
Alleyne and Matt Windows batted comfortably enough until both self-destructed, Windows bowled cutting against Yates's spin and Alleyne miscuing an attempted pull at Schofield. Wasim then returned briefly to flatten Dawson's off stump. The rest offered only token resistance as Gloucestershire lost their last six wickets for 47 and their last four for 16.
Day 3: Close shave gives Lancashire sharp cutting edge
By David Green at Old Trafford
Third day of four: Lancs (386) bt Gloucs (158 & 193) by an innings and 35 runs
LANCASHIRE'S tactic of shaving the pitch was completely successful here as Gloucestershire, who began the day at 11 for two still needing 217 to make their opponents bat again, succumbed once more to the contrasting spin of Gary Yates and Chris Schofield.
The pitch, though eminently suitable for Lancashire's purposes, was far removed from the type of surface the English Cricket Board are trying to promote. It will certainly be marked ``below standard'' but Lancashire are unlikely to incur any penalty.
As it was, the off-spinner Yates took four for 91 and Schofield, the England Under-19 leg-spinner, four for 60, Lancashire taking 23 points from the match to stay in the hunt for their first championship title since 1934.
Yates, playing in his first championship game this season, and the virtually untried Schofield justified the selectors' belief that they could undo Gloucestershire's fragile batting if the ball turned.
Lancashire's seam attack is pretty handy, too, and, despite the unsuitable surface, Wasim Akram picked up two cheap wickets in the first innings and Peter Martin two in the second to make early breaches for the spinners to exploit.
Winning the toss was important for Lancashire. At one point 212 for seven, they seemed to have squandered their advantage. Yates and Glen Chapple, though, made invaluable half-centuries as the last three wickets produced 174 runs.
Gloucestershire - third in the table before this match with two games in hand on Surrey, who led them by 42 points - were badly exposed by conditions which nullified their pace attack of Courtney Walsh, Mike Smith and Jon Lewis.
Martyn Ball, their lone spinner until Bobby Dawson popped up with amateurish if oddly effective leg-rollers, wheeled away gamely enough. In comparison with the Lancashire players, though, Ball lacked a little in accuracy and power of spin.
Gloucestershire can still finish high in the table but with the pitches likely to become drier and less helpful to seam bowlers, Lancashire's better balanced side seem likelier to give leaders Surrey a run for their money.
Play started on time despite overnight rain and in the first over Walsh, the nightwatchman, fended a bouncer to short leg, an incident which the bowler, Martin, could well be reminded of at some time in the future.
Dominic Hewson soon mis-hooked Martin to long leg but then it was time for spin and again Gloucestershire struggled against generous if slow turn. Admittedly, though, Schofield's sharp leg break, which dismissed Mark Alleyne, was perfectly pitched.
Mike Smith, also a nightwatchman, played comfortably enough off the back foot until he squeezed a top-spinner to short leg. Otherwise wickets fell steadily until Gloucestershire lost their ninth wicket at 110 when Jack Russell was yorked.
Ball and Lewis then launched themselves at Yates and Schofield, putting on 83 together, a new Gloucestershire 10th-wicket record against Lancashire. This entertaining, if irrelevant, episode ended when Lewis was caught at long-on.