Ollie Price 253* drives Gloucestershire to record heights

Ollie Price scored a career-best 253 not out and became only the third Gloucestershire batter in history to score a double-century against Lancashire to help his side take a 139-run first-innings lead in the Rothesay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.

Replying to the home side's 450, the visitors were 589 for eight at the close and their total is the highest in first-class matches between these sides. However, barring collapses on this flat pitch, the game looks very likely to end in a draw shortly after tea tomorrow.

None of which should detract from the achievement of Price, who reached his 200 with a cover-driven two off John Turner 40 minutes into the evening session and was congratulated by his elder brother Tom, with whom he put on 72 for the seventh wicket.

Ollie Price had faced 358 balls and hit 28 fours to reach his landmark and follows in the illustrious footsteps of Charlie Barnett and Wally Hammond in making a double-century against Lancashire. Hammond was the last to achieve this feat in 1938 and also hit two other double hundreds against the Red Rose.

But it was hard day in the dirt for Lancashire's bowlers. Tom Bailey took two wickets during the day, George Balderson collected his second wicket of the innings and Tom Hartley finished with two for 149 from 44 overs In the morning session, Gloucestershire scored 112 runs in 29 overs for the loss of Miles Hammond, who lost his middle stump to Bailey when he was three runs short of his century.

That dismissal ended Hammond's 203-run partnership with Ollie Price, who had reached three figures two overs earlier with a single off Bailey. Price had faced 208 balls and hit 14 boundary fours on the way to his century and was 114 not out at lunch, when Gloucestershire were 296 for three.

Lancashire took three more wickets during the afternoon but could not prevent their opponents ending the session just 17 runs in arrears on first innings.

Cameron Green was bowled by a fine ball from Bailey for eight, James Bracey was caught at slip by Keaton Jennings off Luke Wells for 44 and Graeme van Buuren was caught by a diving Marcus Harris off Balderson for 13. But Price was unbeaten on 181 at tea after a 35-over session in which Lancashire had used seven bowlers.

The evening session was dominated by Ollie Price reaching his double century but his brother Tom was eventually dismissed by John Turner for 32 when he could only glove a well-directed bouncer into the hands of Jennings at slip. In the final hour of the day, Price and Zaman Akhter and Price flogged the tiring bowlers to all parts, Akhter making 25 before he was bowled by Hartley.

Gloucestershire's huge first-innings total means that all three visiting teams to Old Trafford have scored over 490 in their first innings this season and none have yet been required to bat a second time.