Will Williams takes career-best 6-24 as Gloucestershire build 196-run lead

Will Williams returned to Emirates Old Trafford with career-best first-class figures of 6-24 as Gloucestershire took control against his former county Lancashire. BBC Sport, carrying an ECB Reporters' Network account, reported that Gloucestershire ended the second day on 118-8 in their second innings, holding a 196-run lead in the County Championship Division Two match.

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Gloucestershire resumed their first innings on 164-6 after a rain-affected opening day and reached 212. Daaryoush Ahmed advanced to his maiden first-class half-century, scoring 51 after extending his seventh-wicket partnership with Sai Kishore to 52. James Anderson caught Ahmed at slip, while Matt Taylor struck two sixes during the final-wicket stand.

Lancashire's reply began badly, with the hosts falling to 16-3 by lunch. James Langridge, a 20-year-old left-arm seamer on loan from Somerset, dismissed Matty Hurst and Harry Singh. Williams then had Keaton Jennings caught at second slip after wicketkeeper James Bracey moved up to the stumps.

Rocky Flintoff and Marcus Harris briefly resisted before departing in successive overs, and Williams removed Ben Walkden to leave Lancashire 43-6. George Balderson counterattacked with 39 from 33 balls and dominated a 66-run seventh-wicket stand with Arav Shetty, but Williams dismissed both batters before bowling Mitchell Stanley and trapping Anderson lbw. Lancashire were all out for 134, giving Gloucestershire a first-innings advantage of 78.

Balderson immediately pulled Lancashire back into the contest when Gloucestershire batted again. He took three wickets in his second over, removing Ed Middleton, Ollie Price and Miles Hammond, then bowled Joe Phillips as the visitors slipped from 12-3 to 27-4. Balderson completed a 13-over spell with 4-23, adding to his first-innings figures of 4-44 and his team-high score with the bat.

Stanley dismissed Bracey, while Walkden removed Ahmed and Kishore with catches at mid-wicket. Walkden then held another catch in the same position when Anderson dismissed Williams, the 22nd wicket to fall during a dramatic day. Kamran Dhariwal remained unbeaten on 44 and will resume with Gloucestershire's last two wickets, while both sides received three points from the match to that stage.