GLOUCESTERSHIRE claimed a second successive LV= County Championship win as they beat Lancashire by 91 runs during an eventful final day at Emirates Old Trafford.

Sixteen wickets fell in a day which saw Geraint Jones’s side set a target of 300 in a minimum of 70 overs shortly before lunch having declared on 275 for nine following the decision to not risk Liam Norwell’s injured finger with the bat.

Lancashire fell to 22 for four before half-centuries for fifth-wicket pair Alviro Petersen and Alex Davies took them to 140 for four in the 33rd over, only to see Davies and then Petersen fall either side of tea for the addition of only eight more runs.

Petersen and Davies hit 63 and 58 respectively, with the latter’s innings including three straight sixes against left-arm spinner Tom Smith.

Lancashire, who retain top spot in Division Two following a first defeat in four, were ultimately bowled out for 208 inside 57 overs as Jones and company built on last week’s win over Essex with a 22-point haul.

Craig Miles led the way with four for 58 and David Payne added three for 31.  

Eight wickets fell before lunch, including the first two in Lancashire’s second innings as they slipped to 11 for two following the departures of openers Luis Reece and Paul Horton.

Reece, who has endured a miserable start to the season, was trapped lbw by Payne and Horton caught behind driving loosely at Miles.

Shortly after lunch, Lancashire slipped further as Ashwell Prince and stand-in captain Steven Croft fell, leaving Lancashire four down and still 278 away from their target.

Prince and Croft were both caught behind off Miles and Payne respectively.

Petersen and Davies steadied the ship and then counter-attacked, with Davies taking a particularly liking to Smith.

He hit 14 off Smith’s first over, including the first six, with the ex-Sussex man conceding 43 off his first five overs.

The visitors were given a significant pre-tea boost when Davies miscued a pull at  medium pacer Kieran Noema-Barnett to mid-wicket.

And when Petersen sliced Payne to cover, leaving the score at 148 for six in the 36th over, the game was Gloucestershire’s for the taking.

Peter Siddle fell shortly afterwards to Norwell, caught behind off a top edged pull, but Jordan Clark and Nathan Buck continued to chase a home win. 

They hit three more sixes off Smith upon his return to the attack as the target dropped below 100. But they departed in the 49th and 50th overs to leave the score at 203 for nine with 97 required.

Buck was caught behind off Norwell and Clark (34) was trapped lbw by Miles, who wrapped up the win by bowling Simon Kerrigan.

Gloucestershire started the day at 206 for three, leading by 230, but they lost six for 69 to force a declaration following Norwell’s injury earlier in the match.

Lancashire’s hopes were boosted with two wickets inside the day’s first three overs.

Peter Handscomb was run out for 76 following a mix-up with Hamish Marshall, ending their fourth-wicket partnership of 134, before Jones was caught at mid-off off Kerrigan’s left-arm spin.

Siddle struck twice to finish with four for 39 in his final appearance as the Red Rose’s overseas player.

Marshall fell eight short of his hundred when he was bowled by a Kyle Jarvis delivery which kept low.