PAUL Horton continued his impressive start to the season yesterday – but Lancashire lost four wickets after tea to hinder their progress towards Gloucestershire’s 388 during day two at Emirates Old Trafford.

The opener, 32, posted his 15th LV= County Championship hundred to help the Division Two leaders responded to 388 with 276-6 from 81 overs.

Although this was his first three-figure score of 2015, he added 134 not out off 242 balls to 71 and 67 not out in the win against Kent a fortnight ago and 49 in last week’s draw at Northants.

Horton shared a third-wicket partnership of 134 inside 28 overs with Ashwell Prince, who made 57.

And all of this has come on the back of a difficult winter for the right-hander, who was hoping to be the club’s captain this year, only to miss out to Tom Smith.

There has been some talk amongst the Red Rose membership that Horton’s disappointment at not being named as Glen Chapple’s replacement would affect his form.

But he has answered those questions emphatically by moving beyond 300 Championship runs for the season.

Horton was particularly strong on the drive yesterday in good batting conditions, and he marked reaching three figures off 150 balls shortly before tea with a pointed celebration towards the members’ pavilion.

Horton and Prince came together inside the first hour of the afternoon following the departures of Luis Reece and Alviro Petersen as Lancashire slipped to 73-2 after 24 overs.

Reece was caught behind off a bottom edge as he aimed a pull at Liam Norwell and Petersen was bowled by Craig Miles.

Horton and Prince, good friends off the field, have been Lancashire’s standout performers with the bat this season, with the latter the division’s leading run-scorer with 434.

Lancashire’s progress was checked somewhat after tea by the loss of Prince, Steven Croft, Alex Davies and Jordan Clark, leaving them at 265-6 in the 76th.

Prince was caught behind off Miles before Croft, who shared 40 with Horton for the fourth wicket, and Davies fell in successive balls in the 68th over – Croft lbw to Kieron Noema-Barnett’s medium pace and Davies run out from point.

Clark was then lbw offering no shot to Norwell.

Earlier, Gloucestershire added 66 to their overnight 322-7, with Kyle Jarvis taking two of three wickets to fall to finish with 4-121. Jarvis is the division’s leading wicket-taker with 22.