Lancashire Vs. Gloucestershire LVCC Day Three.

Lancashire take impressive lead into final day at Liverpool.

Gareth Cross achieved the joint-top score
in Lancashire's second innings with 64.

Despite suffering an early collapse in their second innings, Lancashire hold a commanding position going into the final day at Aigburth - leading by 327 runs. As it stands, Gloucestershire would have to score the largest total of any of the four innings in the match so far and as the 2011 season showed us, chasing at Liverpool is a complex endeavour.

The third day was not always an easy one, with the visitors resuming their impressive fifth-wicket stand between Alex Gidman and Benny Howell. This partnership was eventually broken by Simon Kerrigan who finished with figures of 5-68, but by the time Howell had been caught by Karl Brown, Gloucestershire had reached 155, putting the match in the balance.

But thanks to a collapse from Gloucestershire, which saw five wickets fall for 40 runs, Lancashire were able to restore their strength in this Championship encounter, reducing their opponents to 195-9. Without the efforts of Gidman, who was the last man to go for 110, the visitors would have been treading water, but his singular
contribution gave them a fighting chance.

Kerrigan teamed up with his captain, Glen Chapple (3-58), who was still gleaming after passing 900 first-class wickets yesterday, as Lancashire tightened the screw on their West Country adversaries. However, Gloucestershire were not done yet, as they replicated the resilience in Lancashire's last-wicket stand, adding 27 runs to earn their only batting point. 

Now with a lead of 88, Lancashire's position in the match was daunting, but they experienced a rough patch as they embarked on their second innings. Andrea Agathangelou was dismissed first ball on the innings and, perhaps for the better, Lancashire realised that batting had become hard. Brown's efforts to resist these conditions were eventually brought to a close by Liam Norwell, who finished with 3-80, as the hosts found themselves 25-2.

Stephen Moore's poor form was met by a welcome, and aggressive, accumulation of 34, but he too was removed with Lancashire now feeling the pressure. This situation would continue to depreciate, with Simon Katich, who scored 96 in the first innings, being caught first ball. 

The other performer of the first innings, Steven Croft (62), was also removed cheaply, mustering just five runs, as Lancashire limped to 62-6. Suddenly their 88-run lead seemed invaluable and the only comforting fact was that batting continued to get harder, which would bode well for Lancashire in the long-run.

But Lancs were determined to mount a complex total for the visitors and, initially, this was achieved via Ashwell Prince and Gareth Cross. In a stand worth 85, Lancashire enhanced their lead past 200, approaching Gloucestershire's first innings score. Prince and Cross both scored 64 as the hosts accelerated in the evening session in their bid to win the match. 

When Prince was removed at 147-6, the Lancashire faithful feared a collapse may be on the helm, but, now joined by Wayne White, Cross continued his fine form from the Hampshire match as the sixth-wicket stand acquired an equally impressive 67, before Cross was dismissed. 

Of all three Lancashire batsmen to reach fifty, White (52) was the fastest, coming from just 47 balls, as he and Kyle Hogg (8*) closed the day on 239-7. There is a strong possibility that Lancashire will declare overnight, but there is also an outside chance that they will add a few runs in the morning, to ensure that they cannot lose the match.