Day One

Words by Jamie Bowman, ECB Reporters Network

An opening stand of 115 between makeshift opening partnership Phil Salt and George Balderson saw Lancashire take charge on day one of their LV=Insurance County Championship Division One clash with Hampshire at Southport.

A Red Rose side, who have yet to win this season and minus the likes of Luke Wells, Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood and James Anderson, seemingly faced a tough task as they took on the visitors, who lie joint-second in the table with three wins from their opening six games.

But after dismissing the visitors for just 142, helped by three wickets apiece for Tom Bailey and Will Williams, Salt and Balderson made light work of Hampshire’s much-vaunted bowling attack as the Red Rose powered their way to 139 for one at the close, trailing Hampshire by three runs. 

The host’s decision to bowl first on a hot and hazy morning was quickly justified when Fletcha Middleton edged Williams to wicket keeper Salt, playing his first red ball game for over a year, without scoring, before Joe Weatherley was brilliantly caught by George Bell at gulley for 15 off Bailey.

Williams, especially, bowled superbly during the opening hour as Lancashire took advantage of helpful conditions and a pitch offering bounce, but there was a degree of fortune about their next wicket which saw Nick Gubbins adjudged lbw off a Jack Blatherwick delivery that looked to have pitched outside leg.

If the arrival of James Vince at the crease offered the visitors hope it was quickly distinguished when an unplayable last ball before lunch from Williams clattered into the skipper’s stumps to leave Hampshire 57 for four at the interval.

Following the break, Hampshire’s middle order could do little to stem the tide with Ben Brown skying Bailey to Josh Bohannon for six, Felix Organ caught down the leg side by Salt off Williams for two and Liam Dawson caught well at third slip by Tom Hartley to give Bailey his third wicket.

That left Hampshire 76 for seven and in danger of humiliation until Keith Barker launched a typical counter-attack full of powerful blows that saw the Lancashire-born all-rounder put on 58 for the eighth wicket with Mason Crane before Barker was bowled by Hartley for 44.

Only eight more runs were added to the total with Crane last man out top edging a pull to Bailey off Blatherwick for 18 after Kyle Abbott was well caught on the boundary by Williams off Hartley for two.

Taking their cue from Barker’s approach, Salt and Balderson immediately went on the attack, scoring boundaries at will and reaching 50 in just the tenth overs as England’s Salt enjoyed his first ever outing at the top order for Lancashire and took full advantage of being dropped by Middleton in Barker’s opening over while on four.

Mohammad Abbas, Barker and Abbott all toiled away but it took the introduction of Dawson to finally make the breakthrough when he got a beauty to turn through Balderson’s gate and dismiss the all-rounder for 51.

Salt was joined in the middle by Bohannon and the pair safely steered Lancashire to 139 for one at the close with the former unbeaten on 76 and the latter 12 not out.

Day Two

Words by Ken Grime, ECB Reporters Network

Lancashire still hold the upper hand after two days of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at Southport, leading by 113 runs as they hunt a first red ball victory this season, but Hampshire have fought back hard after a poor first day to keep their hopes alive.

The visitors were indebted to a career-best six wicket haul by Felix Organ after Phil Salt had struck his first century for Lancashire with Daryl Mitchell and George Bell contributing significantly to the hosts first innings 374 to give the home side a huge 232-run lead.

A determined unbeaten second wicket partnership between Fletcha Middleton (44 not out) and Nick Gubbins (45 not out) then helped take 95 runs off that advantage as Hampshire closed on 119 for one in their second innings.

Salt, 76 not out overnight, moved on steadily through the first hour to reach his fifth first-class century and first for Lancashire off 132 balls with 14 fours, adding 74 with Josh Bohannon for the second wicket as the home side built on their three-run advantage at the start of play.

Hampshire produced a much more cohesive bowling performance today, bowling a tighter line and length, and Keith Barker and Mohammad Abbas were unfortunate not to have anything to show for their endeavours from the opening exchanges.

Instead it was Kyle Abbott who made the breakthrough when Josh Bohannon on 39 edged to Liam Dawson who took a good diving catch at second slip.

That was to be the unfortunate Dawson’s last contribution of the day. Moments later the left-arm spinner stationed at third slip sustained a facial injury when the ball was inadvertently deflected by Middleton diving for a catch at second slip. Dawson left the ground immediately to receive stitches for a badly cut upper lip.

Hampshire skipper James Vince turned to Organ and the off spinner rewarded his captain with a career-best six for 67 – his first wickets this season in red ball cricket – removing Salt with his second delivery when the Lancashire wicketkeeper edged to second slip for 103. Buoyed by that success Organ bowled Dane Vilas for six and had Rob Jones caught at midwicket for 18 from the last ball before lunch, with Lancashire 260 for five and ahead by 118.

Mitchell, who despatched his first three deliveries from Organ for two fours and a straight six, joined forces with Bell after the break with a punishing 76-run partnership for the sixth wicket that extend Lancashire’s lead just short of the two hundred mark.

Bell, picked for the first time as a specialist batter, produced a fluent, fearless, innings of 45 that bore all the precociousness of youth, and it took a decent ball from persevering Mohammad Abbas to trap the twenty-year-old lbw midway through the afternoon

That dismissal saw Hampshire hit back, claiming the last five Lancashire wickets for 38 runs. Mitchell, who produced a classy, chanceless innings of 68 fell lbw to Abbott before Organ cleaned up the tail to restrict the home side’s lead to a much lower figure than looked likely when Bell and Mitchell were in tandem earlier.

Day Three

Words by Ken Grime, ECB Reporters Network

Lancashire have a first LV= Insurance County Championship win of the season in sight after bowling Hampshire out for 371 in their second innings and reaching 48 for two in pursuit of their 140-run target.

A three-wicket morning burst by George Balderson allowed the hosts to steadily work their way through the six remaining wickets but they were held up by a fine, determined, innings of 87 from visiting skipper James Vince on a hard-fought third day at sweltering Southport.

Hampshire meanwhile can take great credit for the way they fought back from a disastrous first day to put themselves in with a chance of turning the game around.

The South Coast side were 119 for one, trailing by 113 runs when play resumed, and Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins made steady progress through the first 75 minutes, adding 39 runs to take their second-wicket partnership into three figures until Balderson’s intervention reshaped the nature of the morning session.

The Lancashire all-rounder produced a startling 23-ball spell of three for 6, trapping Gubbins lbw for 62, bowled Middleton for a career-best 77 with a delivery that kept a little low, and three balls later had Ben Brown caught behind for a duck.

James Vince rallied his troops with some sumptuous drives to take Hampshire ahead shortly after the break, before a moment of controversy saw George Bell claim his maiden first-class wicket. Liam Dawson attempted a reverse sweep against the off spinner and was clearly disappointed to be given out caught behind for 26, the batter gesticulating his displeasure as he walked off.

There was little debate when Will Williams trapped Felix Organ in front for 4 with Hampshire 252 for six and only 20 ahead.

But Vince and Keith Barker dug in to produce a determined alliance that had added 40 runs before Barker edged a drive off Tom Bailey to Daryl Mitchell to first slip for 18.

Mason Crane provided further solid support to help Vince take the Hampshire lead into three figures after tea before he edged Jack Blatherwick to Rob Jones at slip for 22.

Running out of partners, Vince hit out only to perish to a catch at deep square leg off Mitchell, but his superb effort had given Hampshire something bowl, especially when Kyle Abbott added 23 more to the total before being last out to an outstanding catch by Williams at third man.

Chasing a target of 140, Lancashire made a nervy start losing Salt for 3 and Balderson for 2 to Mohammad Abbas and Barker respectively and it could been three if Vince had held on to a late chance at slip when Dane Vilas edged off Abbott.

But Lancashire are clear favourites to score the remaining 92 runs required tomorrow morning.

Day Four

Words by Ken Grime, ECB Reporters Network

Lancashire made short work of scoring the 92 runs they required to clinch a six-wicket victory against Hampshire in just over an hour’s play at sunny Southport.

A half century by Red Rose captain Dane Vilas steered his side to a first LV= Insurance County Championship victory of the season before lunch and extend Lancashire’s unbeaten record in the competition to 14 games over the last twelve months.

Lancashire take 22 points from the game to move on to 68 points from six games and advance their Championship ambitions while for Hampshire the defeat and three points received have put a dent in their title hopes with 82 points from seven matches.

Starting the day on 48 for two, Vilas and Josh Bohannon successfully negotiated the opening overs from Mohammad Abbas and Keith Barker before both settled to play a more expansive game.

Once Vilas blazed Barker emphatically through cover for four and Bohannon did likewise off Felix Organ in the following over, the outcome looked to be in little doubt, even when Organ snaffled Bohannon for a well-made 37 from an edge to Vince at slip.

By then just 47 runs were required and that reduced quickly once Daryl Mitchell had hammered Kyle Abbott over extra cover for six and Vilas, having reached a 73-ball fifty, pulled Organ over midwicket for six more.

Mitchell departed for 14 to a legside glance off Abbas taken by wicketkeeper Ben Brown, but Rob Jones (14 not out) struck three consecutive fours off Organ before Vilas hit the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 64.

Lancashire travel to Championship leaders Surrey next, while Hampshire host Middlesex at Utilita Bowl.