Worcestershire Vs. Lancashire LVCC day two.

Katich leads Lancashire response.

Katich raced to his fourth century of the
season from just 86 deliveries. 

Simon Katich closed the second day of Lancashire's Championship visit to Worcestershire unbeaten on 104, matching Moeen Ali's score from the previous day.

The Australian veteran raced to his fourth century of the campaign from just 86 balls, smashing 14 fours and 4 sixes, to put Lancashire in a commanding position on 271-5 at the end of a rain-interrupted day. 

Katich has now also passed 1,000 First Class runs this season, with one of the strongest batting averages in either division.

The visiting captain, Glen Chapple, fell in the first over of the day, edging down the leg-side to Oliver Cox off Graeme Cessford for a duck.  

This allowed Lancashire's openers, Luis Reece and Paul Horton, to get the innings going, now that the night-watchman had been removed. The former led the visitors response, as the second wicket accumulated 50 runs in next to no time.

Horton (30) soon caught up but fell playing the first agricultural shot of the day, sweeping to Alan Richardson at long-leg, giving Moeen Ali his first and only wicket of the day.

Reece continued to prove his worth at the top of the order, raising the bat for his third successive half-century from 84 deliveries just before the lunchtime interval, but after the break he was unable to add to his score of 59, edging to Ali off Richardson.

Not for the first time this season, Lancashire's overseas talents dominated proceedings, as Ashwell Prince teamed up with Katich to mount 92 runs for the fourth wicket. Initially led by Prince, the partnership accelerated, but Katich was soon level, as the two batsmen competed for half-centuries.

It was Prince who won the race, scampering through for a single to bring up an 85-ball fifty, but Katich progressed to this milestone in style, smashing a six into the building site, achieving a fifty thirty balls faster than his partner.

After the pair had reached fifty in successive balls, Lancashire also attained their first batting point, but this was shortly followed by the dismissal of Prince (52), who was caught by Thilan Samaraweera. 

Katich continued his onslaught on the Worcestershire attack, bludgeoning James Leach for 24 in one over, as new batsman, Andrea Agathangelou, enjoyed viewing from the non-strikers end.

The Australian's second fifty took just 31 balls, and were it not for the removal of Agathangelou (14) on the stroke of tea, the afternoon session would have been painful for the hosts.

Light rain had lingered in the players absence and upon the resumption, umpires Cowley and O'Shaugnessey decided that, with just a handful of overs bowled in the final session, conditions were insufficient to play on.