Lancashire Vs. Gloucestershire LVCC Day Four.

One wicket margin denies Lancashire victory.

Marshall's resistance was crucial in
denying Lancashire victory.

Lancashire fell agonisingly close to achieving their third Championship win of the season, as Gloucestershire finished nine wickets down in their second innings. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 270 this morning, setting Gloucester 359 to win - a total they had no intention of chasing, but their efforts to save the draw were, by the thinest of margins, a success.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Lancashire's decision to bat on this morning for a further eight overs may well have been the difference today. Certainly heavy rain prevented progress on the first and second day, but in terms of what Lancashire could control, this was a mistake they could have avoided.

Perhaps they were fearful of the very real possibility that their opponents may have successfully chased 343, but Lancashire's promotion chances will be hindered if this reluctant attitude plays a further part in the campaign, especially since they were only able to add 16 runs for the time that they affectively wasted.

Wayne White's fine performance with the bat, on the third day, was brought to an early halt this morning when he was dismissed for 61 by Greame McCarter, to his credit playing with a selflessly aggressive tone. Glen Chapple and Simon Kerrigan were removed in quick succession by Benny Howell (2-46) and McCarter (4-95), which gave the home side faith in their bid to take ten wickets on the final day.

The early removal of Chris Dent added to the generally hopeful tone of proceedings at 13-1, as Kyle Hogg forced an edge through to Gareth Cross. For a long time Michael Klinger and Dan Housego resisted the Lancashire bowling attack, but with the last ball before lunch, Kerrigan removed the former for 22, as Gloucestershire entered the pavilion on 50-2. 

Housego departed soon after play resumed, falling in identical fashion to Dent as Hogg claimed his second and final wicket of the innings. This brought Alex Gidman to the crease, a very unwelcome face to the Lancashire players, who watched him score 110 in the first innings. His effort of 46 alongside Hamish Marshall in a stand worth 54 extracted a large amount of time from the afternoon session, as Andrea Agathangelou took his first first-class wicket. 

The fifth-wicket stand was equally frustrating as Marshall (44), now joined by Howell, defied Lancashire any further breakthroughs. Howell faced 89 balls for his score of 17, showing how disinterested they were with chasing down the target. But when he was eventually removed at 150-5 by Kerrigan (2-65), this wicket brought another, as Chapple bowled Gareth Roderick for nought. 

Although the game had now swung back in Lancashire's favour, many feared that it was all too late to expect yet another miraculous turn-around and as long as Marshall was at the crease this would prove to be even harder. Craig Miles fell to Chapple for 12, but Marshall was by far in a way the hero for Gloucestershire, facing 206 balls before he fell to White (1-11).

Lancashire had five overs to take the final two wickets, but this remained to be the case with two balls left, as the the true value of Lancashire's decision to bat at the start of the day was fully appreciated. Agathangelou (2-18) now needed two wickets from two balls and was able to achieve the first half of this challenge by removing McCarter, but Liam Norwell was able to face the last ball of the match successfully to deny Lancashire victory.