LANCASHIRE were on the wrong end of an entertaining final day of their LV= County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Emirates Old Trafford today, losing by 91 runs.

The Red Rose county’s unbeaten start to their Division Two campaign is over following two wins and a draw as they failed to chase down a target of 300 in a minimum of 70 overs.

A top-order collapse hurt them as they slipped to 22-4 inside nine overs either side of lunch, and they were eventually bowled out for 208 inside 57 overs.

Despite defeat, their haul of seven points has helped them retain top spot in Division Two ahead of Sunday’s match against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

A partnership of 118 inside 25 overs between fifth-wicket pair Alviro Petersen and Alex Davies, who both hit fifties, through the majority of the afternoon gave Lancashire hope.

Davies even hit three straight sixes off left-arm spinner Tom Smith before falling in the last over before tea for 58, caught pulling Kieran Noema-Barnett’s medium pace to mid-wicket.

That left the score 140-5 in the 33rd and severely undermined their chances.

It was the first of three wickets to fall for 25 as Petersen sliced left-arm seamer David Payne to cover for 63 and Peter Siddle top-edged a pull at Liam Norwell behind to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick.

At 165-7 in the 41st over with almost 30 overs remaining, Lancashire continued to chase the win.

Jordan Clark and Nathan Buck hit Smith for three more sixes upon his return to the attack as they took the target below 100.

But both fell in successive overs, the 49th and 50th, as the hosts slipped to 203-9.

Buck was caught behind off Norwell and Clark trapped lbw by Craig Miles for 34.

Miles then wrapped up the Gloucester win by bowling Simon Kerrigan.

Earlier, Lancashire openers Luis Reece and Paul Horton were the last two of eight wickets to fall before lunch.

Reece was trapped lbw by Payne and Horton caught behind off Miles – 11-2 in the fourth over.

Australian overseas seamer Siddle (4-39) took two of six wickets to fall in Gloucestershire’s second innings as they could only advance from 206-3 overnight to 275-9.

They had to declare the innings because Norwell was not fit to bat due to a finger injury sustained earlier in the match.