Jarvis and Bailey keep Lancashire afloat at Bristol

Michael Klinger (102) and Geraint Jones (88) made 167 runs for the sixth-wicket stand as Gloucestershire recovered against Lancashire on Day Two at Bristol.

The home side managed to acquire a slender first-innings lead of two runs as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 277. Kyle Jarvis (4-67) and Tom Bailey (4-52) both claimed four wickets to help the Red Rose restore parity after this mammoth partnership, one which threatened to take the game away from the Division Two leaders.

The Red Rose fought back incredibly well after tea, claiming the last five wickets for 38 runs before they finished the day on 14/0 after facing the 12 overs which remained in the second day.

Gloucestershire were in trouble after a dismal morning session, stumbling to 72/5, but the experience of Klinger and Jones ensured that the hosts would finish the second day with an equal chance of winning this tightly fought match.

Lancashire wanted early wickets and night watchman Craig Miles was out early in the day to Jarvis when he was bowled for 12, leaving Gloucestershire on 22/3. Gareth Roderick surrendered wicketkeeping duties on the first day, travelling to hospital for a suspected broken thumb, but he came into bat at the top of the order despite this injury scare.

However, he did not look entirely comfortable at the crease and lasted 14 balls before falling for no score to Bailey, edging to Paul Horton at first-slip as Gloucestershire lost their second wicket for the addition of five runs.

Klinger and Ian Cockbain (28) added 45 runs for the fifth-wicket to steady the ship, but the latter lost his off-stump when he shouldered arms to a delivery from Glen Chapple, giving the Lancashire veteran is 976th first-class wicket with the score at 72/5.

The visitors were elated, and rightly so, but this was to be the final moment of success for some time as Klinger and Jones settled in for the long haul. Entering the pavilion at lunch on 89/5, the home fans could not have imagined that their side would manage to achieve a first-innings lead, no matter how big or small it may be, but Klinger’s seventh century for Gloucestershire was one that offered very little to Lancashire in the way of clear cut chances.

He and the former Ashes-winning wicketkeeper enjoyed a sunshine-filled afternoon session, adding a staggering 139 runs to erode Lancashire’s lead at an impressive rate. Jones was the batsman to take the most risk, although as the ball became soft there was very little on offer to counteract the class of Klinger and the enthusiasm of his batting partner.

The pair went along at a similar rate despite the fact that Klinger started his innings much sooner and the race to see which batsmen would reach fifty first was heating up as boundaries were easy to come by. Klinger was the first to reach a half-century in 115 balls with nine fours and Jones followed soon after with a 66-ball fifty, one who which contained seven boundaries.

The closest Lancashire came to breaking this partnership was when Steven Croft had a convincing lbw appeal against Klinger rejected, but apart from that there was very little encouragement for the visitors, who simply waited for the return of the new ball for assistance.

Klinger entered tea needing just three more runs to reach a convincing hundred with his partnership with Jones now worth more than 150 runs. The Australian batsman has been a vital contributor at Bristol when he has been available and Klinger reached a 205–ball century containing 15 fours to go with a thumping six he had hit off Croft in the afternoon session.

Having done so well to reach this milestone, Klinger will have been both pleased with how he had batted and disappointed with how he was eventually dismissed, falling four balls after reaching three figures. Croft had his revenge by removing Klinger for 102 when he picked out Alviro Petersen at deep mid-off, who took a stunning one-handed catch to start a comeback from Lancashire in the evening session.

This proved to be a game-changing moment for both sides as Gloucestershire went on to lose their last four wickets for 31 runs after the dismissal of Klinger. Lancashire had eagerly awaited the return of the new ball and Bailey struck with the final delivery of the 81^st over, as Lancashire saw the back of both Klinger and Jones in the space of four overs.

A fraction of movement off the seam did for Jones, who fell for 88 when he was bowled by Bailey with the score at 246/7. Thanks to a late-order rally Lancashire were able to reach 250, but with the new ball in hand there was no guarantee that Gloucestershire’s tail-enders could replicate their success.

A certain amount of patience was required under the circumstances, but Jack Taylor (1) threw his wicket away when he top-edged a delivery from Bailey to Ashwell Prince at square leg four overs later.

Benny Howell added 19 before he fell to Jarvis, picking out substitute fielder Simon Kerrigan in the deep to leave the home side on 266/9. In a very evenly fought match, fine margins may prove to be decisive and the home side managed to achieve a slender lead with last-wicket pairing Matt Taylor (8) and Liam Norwell (4) adding 11 runs to hand Gloucestershire a tiny advantage of two runs.

The innings came to an end with Taylor chipped the ball in the air to Karl Brown off Jarvis, leaving Lancashire the uncomfortable task of facing 12 overs before the close of play.

Whereas Lancashire bowled a probing line and length at the end of the first day, the majority of deliveries from the Gloucestershire attack were innocuous and this allowed Horton (6) and Brown (3) to enter the pavilion untroubled with the visitors on 14/0.