Match Preview: Lancashire vs. Gloucestershire, Rothesay County Championship
Lancashire v Gloucestershire
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two
Tuesday September 8 - Friday September 11, 2026, 10.30am
Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground
Lancashire’s first of three remaining games in the summer pits them against the bottom side in Division Two, Gloucestershire, this week.
That the Red Rose side are just a place above them and out of promotion contention is a major frustration.
A dead rubber in terms of points and prizes for this season? Yes, unfortunately. However, this remains a key fixture with progression in mind.
It has been a forgettable few weeks for Lancashire, who have lost two of their last three Championship matches either side of a rain draw against Worcestershire at New Road.
They could do with a momentum shift quickly to spark a positive end to the summer which can at least give them something to build on when the players return for pre-season training in November.
Both Lancashire and Gloucestershire have won two of 11 matches so far, though the latter are 34 points adrift at the bottom.
Opposition
While Lancashire were beaten by Middlesex at Merchant Taylors’ School in Northwood last week, Gloucestershire beat Derbyshire at Bristol, the visitors bowled out for 105 chasing 319 on Saturday’s final day.
Captained by Australian overseas opening batter Cameron Bancroft, they are coached by Glos legend and ex-England white-ball all-rounder Mark Alleyne.
Incidentally, Mark’s son Max plays football for Manchester City and is currently on loan at Burnley.
Lancashire have signed batting all-rounder Ben Charlesworth from Gloucestershire ahead of 2027, though he has been ruled out for the remainder of this summer because of a hip injury. He has not played since mid-July.
Gloucestershire beat Derbyshire by 10 wickets at Derby during the final week in April, the week after Lancashire had won by four wickets at Bristol.
They also have Indian spinner Sai Kishore as their second overseas player, while ex-Lancashire seamer Will Williams is coming towards the end of his first season with the county and is their leading wicket-taker with 28.
Kishore, the left-arm spinner, took 5-20 on Saturday to bowl Derbyshire out.
Opposition player to watch
Lancashire fans know all about New Zealander Will Williams, or Will Squared as he was nicknamed.
Williams took 128 wickets in all cricket for the Red Rose in three-and-a-half-seasons between mid-2022 and the end of 2025.
He is a skilful bowler perfectly suited to English conditions, and he has made an encouraging start down at Bristol, including a Championship best of 4-48.
Williams turns 34 in October, and he has two more years with his second county after this one.
He is only seven wickets away from 250 in his first-class career.
Previous meeting
Lancashire’s four-wicket win against Gloucestershire came amidst an impressive April for the county, a month which unfortunately hasn’t been matched since.
They won two, drew one and lost one to start the season.
Having drawn at Northampton and won at home to Derbyshire, they headed for Bristol and claimed what proved a bittersweet victory because it was caveated by long-term injuries to Ajeet Singh Dale (hamstring) and Luke Wells (shoulder). They then went on to lose at champions elect Durham to end the month.
At Bristol, George Balderson was excellent for 5-34 as Gloucestershire - inserted - were bowled out for 136 during the opening afternoon. Singh Dale only bowled two overs against his former county before pulling up injured, with injury replacement controversy following.
Lancashire ended up calling up Ollie Sutton from second-team cricket.
Anyway, Keaton Jennings top-scored with 70 in a 240 all out response, with seamer Matt Taylor taking 6-43 for the hosts, who then faired better with the bat second time around.
They posted 305 all out thanks largely to James Bracey’s excellent middle-order 114. Balderson took the new ball and struck four more times, as did his captain Sir James Anderson.
That left Lancashire facing a 202-victory target, which they reeled in having been 46-3. Jennings was to the fore once more with 78, while Josh Bohannon, Michael Jones and Arav Shetty all contributed important scores in the 30s.
What they said
Steven Croft has praised his vice captain Josh Bohannon for handling the disappointment of being left out of the side at Middlesex last week, the head coach saying the top order batter “showed his class”.
Bohannon has had a difficult season, with 333 runs in 10 Championship matches and two fifties.
He made way for Harry Singh at number three.
And Croft said: “It was an incredibly tough decision, senior player and vice captain. But his output of runs has not been what he expects and what we expect.
“There was no one who was more disappointed than him, but he threw his hand up and said, ‘That was fine’ when the decision was made.
“He showed his class in helping the side. There was no qualms in mucking in, carrying the drinks and at nets as well, helping the other batters.
“Credit to this group. We haven’t got the results on the field yet, which I’m sure will come. But when you see them working in the nets and the challenging conversations they are having, I don’t think you can fault them.
“That’s all I can ask for from them as a group.”
How’s Stat!
Lancashire have only lost one Championship match to Gloucestershire since the turn of the century, at Emirates Old Trafford in May 2015.
That’s one defeat in 12 matches at home and away, including four wins.
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