Lancashire continue losing sequence at Bristol

Gloucestershire remained on course for a clean sweep of the domestic one-day honours with a five-wicket National League first division success over Bristol. But Lancashire now look set for relegation, just a year after they were crowned champions.

The County Ground has been a graveyard for Lancashire's ambitions this season. They were beaten there in the Benson and Hedges Cup and NatWest Trophy semi-finals and never seriously threatened to break their losing sequence this time.

Gloucestershire eased to their target of 158 with 6.3 overs to spare and know they will be the champions if they win their last two games, a floodlit encounter with Sussex at Hove tomorrow and a home match with Northamptonshire on September 17.

Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne said: "We've had a busy schedule, but we've got some nice momentum going into the Sussex match and are just focussing on what we've got to do. Two more wins will give us the title, it's as simple as that."

Lancashire captain John Crawley elected to bat first when he won the toss, but his side were quickly in trouble against the new-ball pairing of Mike Smith and Ian Harvey.

Smith was in typically economical mood as he dismissed Mark Chilton and Sourav Ganguly in an unbroken nine-over spell of 21-3.

With Andy Flintoff and John Crawley falling to James Averis, Lancashire had slumped to 45-4 in the 19th over.

Neil Fairbrother and Graham Lloyd revived hopes with a stand of 56, but the innings fell away again once Fairbrother had been bowled by Martyn Ball's off-spin, as he looked to work the delivery on the leg-side.

Lloyd was caught behind for 46 off Alleyne, having hit three fours in his 62-ball innings. And although Chris Schofield managed 30 from 38 balls before he was bowled by Harvey, there was little else resistance from the tail-end.

As so often in one-day cricket this season, Tim Hancock and Kim Barnett got the Gloucestershire reply off to a good start with a stand of 64 in 16 overs.

Hancock was caught one-handed at cover by Fairbrother off Gary Keedy for 44 and Barnett was then run out by Schofield's direct hit from mid-on for 22.

That left Gloucestershire on 73-2 in the 20th over, but any hopes Lancashire had of snatching back the initative were quickly ended by Harvey.

The Australian all-rounder cracked six fours in his 30-ball innings of 34 before he was bowled, swinging across the line at Keedy.

Jeremy Snape fell lbw to Ganguly for 20 and Matt Windows was bowled by Glen Chapple for 18.

But that was the end of Lancashire's success as Alleyne and Jack Russell compiled the winning runs.