MATCH REPORT: Hurst century helps Lancashire rebuild in Cheltenham
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Matty Hurst registered a career-best innings of 105 not out to keep Lancashire afloat on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
On a day when a majority of the recognized batsmen played themselves in but failed to go on, the 21-year-old right-hander from Billinge proved the exception to that rule, facing 165 balls, striking 10 fours and 2 sixes and sharing in a revitalizing unbeaten stand of 81 with Chris Green for the seventh wicket as Lancashire reached stumps on 290-6. Hurst surpassed his previous highest score of 104 made against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in May 2024, while Green offered staunch support, reaching the close on 28 not out.
Although Gloucestershire deployed spinners for 43 of the 91 overs possible on a rain-affected day, it was pace bowler Zaman Akhter who enjoyed most success, the England A international claiming 4-64 as the home side took wickets at regular intervals to maintain pressure on their opponents. Making his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, Australian Test spinner Todd Murphy also caught the eye in returning figures of 1-53 from 25 overs.
Charged with the unenviable task of creating wicket-taking opportunities with the Kookaburra ball, Gloucestershire's bowlers were further inconvenienced by the tight hamstring that forced pace fulcrum Merchant de Lange out of the attack after just two overs. His replacement at the Chapel End, Akhter extracted sufficient movement to locate the thinnest of edges and have Luke Wells caught behind for 18 as an opening spell characterised by much playing and missing culminated in Lancashire losing their first wicket with 28 on the board.
With the ball already softening and becoming less responsive, Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft called upon Todd Murphy's off breaks in the fourteenth over, the advent of spin serving to slow the rate of scoring as Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon both treated the Australian Test bowler with the utmost caution. Murphy eventually lured Jennings, who had chiseled a patient 32 from 79 deliveries, into front-foot indiscretion, Miles Hammond taking a superb diving catch at slip to remove the former England opener with the score 75-2 shortly before lunch.
The stage then appeared set for a period of uninterrupted accumulation as Bohannon produced the shot of the day so far, pulling de Lange through mid-wicket for a thunderous boundary to raise three figures. He and Marcus Harris advanced the score to 105-2 without incident and it seemed that only rain could impede northern progress.
Sure enough, a prolonged shower forced the players off and, having finally lost de Lange to injury following a further three tentative overs from the Chapel End, Gloucestershire were glad of an opportunity to regroup. Certainly, the home side profited from a 45-minute break in play, which caused the loss of five overs, striking a crucial blow immediately following the resumption. Without having added to his score of 39, Bohannon succumbed to a loss of concentration, giving Graeme van Buuren's slow left arm the charge and being comprehensively stumped by James Bracey as Lancashire slipped to 106-3.
Lancashire continued to be their own worst enemies thereafter, Hurst surviving a run out chance to Joe Phillips, whose throw from extra cover narrowly missed, following a moment of confusion with Harris. The incident may well have been playing on Harris's mind when he attempted to pull the next ball, only to top-edge a return catch to Akhter and depart for 29 with the score 142-4.
Making his first Championship appearance since September 2023, Phil Salt announced himself with a brace of off-driven fours at the expense of Akhter to suggest a change in tempo. The England T20 international pursuing an Akhter delivery outside off stump and falling to a brilliant one-handed diving catch from Bracey as Lancashire further declined to 160-5. Overcoming the loss of his fast bowling spearhead, Bancroft marshalled his resources with no little skill as Gloucestershire took the session. Lancashire only had themselves to blame.
Sorely in need of a partnership of substance, the red rose county were indebted to Hurst and Balderson, who applied themselves diligently to the task of redressing the balance after tea. Balderson lifted van Buuren over the long-on boundary rope to serve notice of forthright intention, while Hurst went to a workmanlike half century from 96 balls, with 6 fours and a six as the partnership began to blossom, aided and abetted by an old ball and tiring attack.
When Akhter, returning at the Chapel End, located Balderson's outside edge and the dependable Bracey held onto another catch behind, it felt as though Gloucestershire had accrued a bonus. Balderson contributed 26 in a stand of 49, the biggest of the innings so far. With the new ball due in another nine overs and Lancashire occupying uncertain territory at 209-6, the home side again had a spring in their step.
Akhter and Ajeet Singh Dale strained every sinew to make further inroads with the new ball, only to be met by obdurate resistance from Hurst and Green, these two posting a 50 partnership from 91 balls for the seventh wicket and securing a batting bonus point into the bargain.
There was just time remaining for Hurst to go to his hundred via 162 balls, hitting Ollie Price through long-on for four to bring an appreciative Festival audience of more than 2,000 to their feet.