Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day one)

Gloucestershire 164-6: Ahmed 33*; Balderson 3-35, Anderson 2-33

Lancashire: Yet to bat

Bonus points: Lancashire 2pts, Gloucestershire 0pts

Match scorecard

Three wickets from George Balderson gave Lancashire a slight edge after a rain-hit day of their match with Gloucestershire.

Balderson took 3-35 to move one clear of James Anderson on 47 Championship wickets for the season, while his captain claimed 2-33 from an impressive 19-over stint.

In a meeting of the bottom two sides in the country, visiting captain James Bracey had decided to bat first in testing conditions and Gloucestershire were in trouble at 119-6.

But they found a battling partnership of 45 from Daz Ahmed, who top scored with 33 not out and Sai Kishore, unbeaten on 20, to get them to stumps at 164-6 with 35 overs lost to the weather.

Play began on time and it only took Anderson two balls to strike as he had makeshift opener Ed Middleton caught behind for two.

The 44-year-old should have had a second shortly after but Ben Walkden put down Joe Phillips at second slip.

But after seven overs, rain arrived and play did not begin again until after lunch in which time Gloucestershire had advanced cautiously before Balderson struck twice in three balls.

He bowled Phillips for eight with a ball that nipped back and then had Ollie Price caught behind for 29 to make it 45-3.

After further showers, Balderson then claimed his third when he had stand-in captain Bracey caught behind for 21 to leave the score at 69-4.

Youngster Kamran Dhariwal hit Anderson for successive fours to begin the final session, but the man with 708 Test wickets had his man not long after, having him caught behind for 20 with a dismissal so typical of the former England bowler.

It was only his second wicket of a day when he beat the bat countless times and could have easily picked up four or five.

However, when Miles Hammond was run out for 19 by a direct hit from Balderson at mid-on in attempting a quick single off Anderson, Gloucestershire were in danger of being bowled out on day one.

But after another rain interruption five runs later, Ahmed and India spinner Kishore emerged in soft evening sunshine to add 40 more without any further wickets to change the complexion of the contest.