County Championship 2022 Division I | Lancashire strengthen their hold as Bohannon scores a double-ton

Lancashire will go into the final day against Gloucestershire as clear favourites to seal the game. The home team followed a tried and tested template on Day 3. They made Gloucestershire sweat hard for wickets and piled on the runs. The batters changed gears before the imminent declaration to propel the team to a humongous first innings score.

And in the final session, Lancashire’s bowlers rose to the occasion. They accounted for three of Gloucestershire’s wickets. James Anderson, who failed to get on the wickets column in the 1st innings, provided the first breakthrough. He sent back Marcus Harris on 7. After that, Hasan Ali and Saqib Mahmood took one wicket apiece to leave the opposition struggling at 67/3. Gloucestershire still trails by 237 runs, and avoiding an innings defeat will also be tricky.

Earlier in the day, Lancashire commenced the morning session on the overnight score of 289/3. Josh Bohannon soon reached his 150, with skipper Dane Vilas giving him good company. The duo kept the scoreboard ticking and punished poor deliveries with ease. 

Gloucestershire’s bowlers had no answers to the sublime batting display put on by the overnight batters. Vilas scored 109 off 147 balls, with thirteen hits to the boundary. He was a part of a stunning 203-run partnership with Bohannon.

The afternoon session brought a glimmer of hope into Gloucestershire’s camp as they claimed four wickets. Josh Bohannon returned to the pavilion, but not before smashing his way to a stellar 231 off 467 balls. Bohannon’s grind in the middle ensured that Lancashire took a match-winning lead in the game.

With seven wickets down and a humongous lead of 304 runs in their kitty, Lancashire declared their innings at tea. Danny Lamb remained unbeaten on 41, with four boundaries and two sixes to his name.

Brief scores

Gloucestershire 252/10 (1st innings)

Marcus Harris 67, Chris Dent 52; 

Hasan Ali 47/6

Lancashire 556/7 declared (1st innings)

Josh Bohannon 231, Dane Vilas 109:

Zafar Gohar 135/4

Gloucestershire 67/3 (2nd innings) trail by 237 runs

Miles Hammond 24*

James Anderson 9/1