Klinger and Jones lead fight back to parity
8 June 2015
A gritty stand between Michael Klinger and Geraint Jones stopped Lancashire taking control at the Bristol County Ground, and hauled Gloucestershire right back into contention as they looked for a third Championship win of the season.
The pair added 167 in 43 overs, taking Gloucestershire from 72-5 to within range of Lancashire's first innings total. Klinger's century was his seventh in first class cricket for Gloucestershire, and his second in all cricket this season after his T20 hundred against Essex.
Jones made 88, his highest score of the season, as Gloucestershire earned a first innings lead of two runs, scoring 277 in response to Lancashire's 275. At the close Lancashire had reached 14 without loss, a lead of 12.
Click here to listen to Michael Klinger's thoughts at the close of play.
The even nature of the game would have been hard to predict 25 minutes in, because as on the first day the morning session belonged to the fielding side. Lancashire continued with Bailey and Jarvis from the previous evening, and the pair bowled unchanged for a further 12 overs before Faulkner was introduced.
In that time both doubled their wicket tally. Night watchman Miles was bowled by Jarvis for 12, and Roderick, who had surprisingly come in at number five given the discomfort in his thumb on Sunday afternoon, was caught low down at slip by Horton off Bailey without scoring. Given that background it was no surprise that Michael Klinger and Ian Cockbain set about rebuilding the innings from 27-4 with a huge amount of caution.
All the Lancashire bowlers were commendably accurate, with Faulkner's left arm variation causing problems with both swing and angle. A change of ball in the 28th over saw Klinger beaten immediately by Chapple, but the Australian had added 45 with Cockbain when Chapple brought one back from outside off stump and bowled Cockbain, who had shouldered arms, for 28.
Klinger reached lunch on 25, having batted throughout the session, whilst Geraint Jones counter attacked in the closing overs, picking up four boundaries off Chapple, and setting the tone for what was to follow. From 89-5, Gloucestershire's two most experienced batsmen were to claw the side back into the match.
Both found the boundary in the early overs after lunch, with Klinger starting to work the ball more easily into the gaps when the opportunity arose. He brought up his 50 with a trademark glance to fine leg off Jordan Clark. It was his ninth boundary in all, and meant he had doubled his own score in only 27 balls after the resumption.
Skipper Jones was proving a valuable foil, cutting to good effect anything which he could play off the back foot. The growing strength of the stand - and indeed the range of shots being used by both players - was indicated by the use of five bowlers in the first hour of the afternoon session, Klinger driving the occasional off spin of Steven Croft for a straight six.
Jones completed his own 50 off 66 balls with 7 fours, and three boundaries in an over from Faulkner soon had him on the shoulder of Klinger on the scoreboard. The Lancashire grip on the game was being loosened, but Klinger nearly missed out on his century when he aimed an expansive drive at Croft when on 95 just before tea. Fortunately, there was no edge, and a scrambled single off Clark took the Australian to the 24th hundred of his first class career.
It had been a patient one, taking 205 balls, and containing 15 fours and a solitary six. The temptation to attack Croft before the new ball proved his downfall however, holing out to a retreating Petersen at mid on.
As often happens when a big stand is broken, both men follow in quick succession. Lancashire took the new ball as soon as it was available and Jones, having got to 88 in just under three hours with 12 fours, was bowled by Bailey off a thin inside edge.
The match then became the equivalent of a one innings game as the lower order failed to offer prolonged resistance. Jack Taylor mistimed a hook to square leg for 1 to give Bailey his fourth wicket : Jarvis removed Howell for 19 as he got a top edge to an attempted pull, giving a comfortable catch to substitute Simon Kerrigan, and the lead was just two runs when a ball from Jarvis found the shoulder of Matt Taylor's bat and was looped up easily to Karl Brown in the slips.
It left Lancashire 12 overs to bat through until the close, which Horton and Brown saw out without undue alarm.
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