Day Four
Lancashire and Hampshire played out a high-scoring Specsavers County Championship draw at Emirates Old Trafford - the players shook hands at 4.50pm to confirm the result when the visitors declared on 237-5 in their second innings, leading by 277.
Opener Joe Weatherley’s unbeaten 126 off 260 balls, which saw him bat through the whole day, represented his maiden first-class hundred.
Lancashire took 11 points from the match and Hampshire 10.
This draw means that both sides leapfrog Yorkshire to leave the White Rose second bottom in Division One after they suffered a seven-wicket defeat to leaders Surrey at Scarborough.
At the start day four here, James Vince’s side resumed on 66-2 – a lead of 106.
An attritional morning saw Hampshire add only 69 as bowlers continued to work hard.
All-rounder Jordan Clark made the breakthrough in the 12th over of the day – Sam Northeast bowled for 10.
Lancashire had an early lbw decision against Weatherley adjudged not out. In all, he batted for six and a quarter hours, with Hampshire’s second innings starting late on day three.
This was his second century for the county, with his first coming against Kent in the Royal London One-Day Cup. What he would do for a repeat in the final at Lord’s on Saturday!
The 21-year-old had scored three first-class fifties heading into this game, including one against Surrey two rounds ago.
First innings centurion Rilee Rossouw will be heading into that aforementioned final with 120 not out and a single behind him - lbw Jordan Clark on day four.
After tea, Weatherley and Ian Holland (26 not out) batted through, sharing an unbroken 73 for the sixth wicket to advance from 164-5 following the departure of Rossouw.
Lancashire have yet another relegation battle next up when they welcome Yorkshire to Emirates Old Trafford at the end of July for the first of two vital Roses clashes.
That will be their final Championship match at the venue this season as the club will be relaying the outfield ahead of next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup and the Ashes Test.
With the Vitality Blast on the horizon, Hampshire will have to wait until August 19th to play Championship cricket again when they will take on Nottinghamshire at home.
For now, though, their attention will turn towards Lord’s when they will welcome Dale Steyn, who was rested from this fixture.
Liam Dawson will also be back amidst his stint with the England Lions, for whom he taken eight wickets in three List A clashes with the A teams of India and the West Indies over the last week.
Day Three
Lancashire and Hampshire look destined to play out a high-scoring Specsavers County Championship draw at Emirates Old Trafford.
Despite centuries from Alex Davies (115) and Dane Vilas (134), the hosts could not overtake Hampshire’s first innings total of 451, finishing with 411.
The visitors then reached stumps on 66-2 second time around – 106 runs ahead.
The Red Rose county, who have found runs hard to come by this summer, put in a solid performance on a flat pitch as the batsmen continued to dominate.
Then, a wicket apiece for Tom Bailey and Graham Onions kept the visitors in check with time running out for them to build on their slender lead and force a win.
Jimmy Adams was trapped on the crease by Onions as he fell lbw for four. Following on from his century on the opening day, Hampshire captain James Vince was then strangled down the leg-side off Bailey for 18.
Lancashire began the day on 140-3, still 311 runs in arrears. But Davies and Vilas put immediate pressure on the Hampshire bowlers.
Vilas reached a 114-ball half-century with six fours. The pair kept the scoreboard ticking over and brought up their 100 partnership.
Davies notched his maiden first-class ton of the summer and the fourth of his career off 176 balls, but he was only able add 15 more before needlessly gifting Rilee Rossouw a catch at gully off Ian Holland (208-4).
The wicket of Davies brought all-rounder Jordan Clark (81) out to the middle to join Vilas, and the 27-year-old played a perfect supporting role, allowing the South African to advance impressively.
In the opening over after lunch, Vilas reached his fourth century for Lancashire off 169 balls having hit two consecutive boundaries and 16 in all.
The fifth wicket pair looked to bat their side into the lead, but Vilas was trapped lbw by Kyle Abbott having faced 216 balls and hit 20 fours.
Clark, who shared 112 with Vilas, was left to marshall the tail with Lancashire still 131 runs behind, and a seventh wicket partnership of 58 with Arron Lilley boosted their cause.
But Lancashire, in the search for quick runs with the follow-on now out of the equation, lost their final three wickets for 17 runs as Stephen Parry and Bailey both fell for six. Sandwiched in between, Clark fell was run out by Vince.
South African seamer Abbott was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers with figures of 3-89.
Day Two
Alex Davies led the recovery for Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford as he finished the second day of their crucial Specsavers County Championship match against Hampshire unbeaten on 78.
Replying to Hampshire’s first-innings 451, Lancashire closed on 140-3 as Davies posted his highest score of the Division One season so far, surpassing a previous best of 71.
However, Hampshire, boosted by a Rilee Rossouw century, will still be the happier at the halfway stage of a clash between two struggling teams. A couple of early wickets during the third morning will really see them in the driving seat.
With club captain Liam Livingstone on England Lions duty and veteran West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul missing for compassionate reasons, Lancashire’s batting order has suffered a huge dent.
In reply to that 451, Lancashire got off to a familiar start as they lost an early wicket. England opener Keaton Jennings gloved Gareth Berg behind for four to leave his side 7-1 before tea.
Hampshire are without South African pace bowler Dale Steyn as they have decided to rest him prior to their Royal London One-Day Cup final against Kent at Lord’s on Saturday.
Haseeb Hameed’s off-stump was sent cartwheeling by Fidel Edwards as he departed for 13 early in the evening.
Hameed’s poor run of form continues having now been out three times in a row offering no shot, and he averages just seven in his seventh appearance this summer.
Rob Jones followed for just a single, as he too had his off-stump uprooted by Kyle Abbott as the score slipped to 70-3 in the 25th over.
Despite the loss of wickets, wicketkeeper-batsman Davies remained positive by playing some crunching shots all around the ground. The 23-year-old reached a mature fifty off 87 balls with 10 fours.
Dane Vilas – the stand-in captain for Livingstone – supported Davies and will aim to continue their unbroken 70-run alliance deep into the third morning.
Earlier, Rossouw crafted his 19th first-class class century as he finished the Hampshire first innings unbeaten on 120 off 189 balls.
Resuming the second day on 302-6 and with Rossouw (54 not out) and Ollie Rayner unbeaten, Rayner failed to trouble the scorers as Graham Onions had him trapped in front for a 24-ball duck.
The wicket of Rayner gave Onions (5-96) his second five-wicket haul of the season after taking 6-55 at Trent Bridge against Nottinghamshire in mid-May.
However, the hosts couldn’t capitalise on the early wicket as they toiled in heightened Manchester temperatures.
A 67-ball 49 from Berg ensured Lancashire’s bowlers felt the burn as the ever-increasing lead grew. Abbott and Edwards hung around with Rossouw – adding 61 for the last two wickets.
Day One
James Vince hit 103 to put Hampshire in control after day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford, closing on 302-6.
On a perfect morning for cricket, captain Vince won the toss and elected to bat first.
He may have been questioning his decision momentarily when opening partner Joe Weatherley edged the 19th ball of the morning behind for a duck to give Dane Vilas a routine catch off the bowling of four-wicket seamer Graham Onions.
At 7-1, it was time for the visitors to knuckle down and rebuild after the early setback. Both Vince and new man Jimmy Adams did exactly that as the pair batted positively to put pressure on the Lancashire bowlers.
Despite getting off to a flyer, Vince did give a chance, albeit a difficult one, on 20 – hitting the ball hard to Steven Parry who couldn’t cling on at extra-cover.
Vince’s eyes lit up when Vilas introduced the spinner as he upped his strike rate before moving to his half-century off 66 balls, hitting six fours and a six in the process.
The pair brought up the hundred partnership off 140 balls and Hampshire reached lunch on 113-1.
The afternoon session began the same way as the morning – Hampshire losing an early wicket.
Whatever Onions had for lunch had him fired up and ready to go. The 35-year-old sent the middle stump of Jimmy Adams (44) cartwheeling with the fourth ball after the interval.
Sam Northeast supported his skipper nicely and the pair put on 50 in 61 balls before Vince swept Parry to the boundary for four to bring up his century off 131 balls which included 15 fours and a six.
Vince was only able to add three more runs before Parry bowled a ball which pitched on middle and leg and turned to hit the top of off stump. This left Hampshire 187-3.
Resuming on 207-3 after tea, Tom Alsop and Northeast looked to press on and put their side in a commanding position.
Alsop gave a chance when he was on seven, hitting the ball quickly past Keaton Jennings - who got fingertips to it at fifth slip.
This drop went on to cost the Red Rose county only eight runs as Alsop dragged on for 15 to give Onions his third of the day, leaving his side 216-4.
Northeast departed four overs later as he was caught by Rob Jones at fifth slip off the bowling of Jordan Clark for 41.
The visitors lost a late wicket as Onions claimed his fourth after he had Ian Holland caught behind for 24.
Onions couldn’t find a fifth before stumps and finished the day with figures of 4-64. Rilee Rossouw and Ollie Rayner were the not out men at the close on 54 and 0 respectively.
