Lancashire facing final-day battle with Yorkshire

Lancashire will have to battle hard on the final day of the Roses clash at Headingley after a strong bowling performance brought the visitors back into contention against Yorkshire.

Neil Wagner claimed another four wickets (4-71) in Yorkshire's second innings of 236, helping the visitors to take three wickets for eight runs at the start of the day, as Lancashire were eventually set 349 to achieve an unlikely fourth win in the Specsavers County Championship to retain their place at the top of the table.

The visitors reached 41/1 in 23 overs, before bad light brought play to a premature conclusion, with Haseeb Hameed (16*) and Luke Procter (6*) fighting hard to resist the imposing Yorkshire seam attack in threatening overcast conditions, with the floodlights in operation for most of the third day.

After being bowled out cheaply for 196 in their first innings, the Red Rose surrendered a lead of 112 runs, but a strong morning session with the ball saw Lancashire restrict their hosts to 89/6, with Wagner finishing the match with eight wickets. Lancashire's bowling forces were depleted, owing to the fact that Tom Bailey had picked up a side strain, one that will keep him out of action for the next two months.

Adil Rashid (34), who made a vital 88 in Yorkshire's first innings to help the home side recover, played another key knock for the Tykes, adding 41 runs with Tim Bresnan (29) and 74 runs with Liam Plunkett (57), as Lancashire were made to chase the largest total of the match.

On a cold and overcast day, the task for any batsmen was an unenviable one. Prodigious swing and poor light offered hope to Lancashire's seamers, who were able to make significant early inroads despite the absence of Bailey. Returning to the crease on 44 not out, Adam Lyth hit the first ball of the day for four, but the next ball he was then bowled behind his legs by Wagner, who sent the Yorkshire opener's leg-stump flying at 81/4.

Tom Smith (2-20) continued his superb spell with the ball from yesterday, striking in his third over of the day to force nightwatchman Steven Patterson (1) into a thin edge behind to Steven Croft, as both of Yorkshire's overnight batsmen returned to the pavilion in quick succession. Six balls later, Wagner's aggressive bouncer had Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale (7) caught at short-leg by Hameed, leaving his side in trouble at 89/6.

With Yorkshire only managing to extend their lead to 201 by this stage, further wickets would have brought Lancashire back into the frame of being able to win the game comfortably, but another determined innings by Rashid led the home side to a much more imposing score. Initially supported by Bresnan, Rashid backed up his half-century in the first innings with a very gritty innings, withstanding Wagner's aggression and the atmospheric assistance on offer for Smith and a wicketless Kyle Jarvis.

Luke Procter was brought into the attack for the first time in the match and after making an economical start, he forced Bresnan to edge to Liam Livingstone at first slip, with Bresnan showing degree of frustration at his dismissal, suggesting the ball had not carried to the slip fielder. While Rashid continued to play a much more sensible hand, Plunkett accumulated runs in his usual manner, dispatching anything on a length down the ground to help boost Yorkshire's lead into a dangerous territory.

Starting the afternoon session on 154/7, Rashid and Plunkett were able to add 50 runs in 76 balls for the seventh wicket, a partnership that became increasingly frustrating from Lancashire's point of view, after they had taken three wickets for eight runs in the morning session. Another bowling change reaped success for the Red Rose, with Croft taking a good diving catch off Simon Kerrigan to account for Rashid (34) at 204/8, after he and Plunkett had added 74 runs in 23 overs.

Plunkett (57) continued to play his naturally aggressive game, an approach that proved very effective for Yorkshire, with his seventh boundary guiding him to an 80-ball fifty. The allrounder smashed Kerrigan (2-36) down the ground for six the ball after reaching his half-century, but the next ball he failed to connect with another slog and was caught well at deep extra cover by Alviro Petersen.

Procter brought the innings to a close when he comprehensively bowled Jack Brooks for five, finishing with figures of 2-30, as Yorkshire were bowled out for 236, setting Lancashire a sizeable target of 349 runs. Conditions continued to make bowling friendly for the seamers, particularly with the new ball, forcing Smith and Hameed to navigate a tricky spell at the start of Lancashire's run chase.

Having survived this difficult patch to reach tea at 21/0, Smith then gifted his wicket in tame circumstances, driving Patterson (1-18) to Jack Leaning at short cover, as he fell for 15 not long after the interval. Hameed (16*) and Procter (6*) then battled hard in the testing conditions, before the umpires came together and decided that the light was too bad to continue playing. 

Closing on 41/1, Lancashire will have to bat long and hard to survive a testing Yorkshire attack on the final day, with the White Rose hoping to take Lancashire's remaining nine wickets to claim back-to-back Roses victories.

Lancashire collapse as Yorkshire take control of Roses encounter

A devastating collapse in Lancashire's first innings allowed Yorkshire to grab the upper hand on the second day of the Roses match at Headingley in the Specsavers County Championship.


Lancashire were dismissed for 196 inside 61 overs, losing seven wickets for 46 runs inside 25 overs. Liam Livingstone continued his superb season for the Red Rose, finishing unbeaten on 60 to take his championship average to 81.25, but a relentless bowling display from Yorkshire left the visitors in disarray.


Forfeiting a first-innings lead of 112 runs, Lancashire edged their way towards 200 and a batting point, with Livingstone's fourth half-century of the season being the only significant contribution. 

A ninth-wicket partnership with Kyle Jarvis (33) worth 48 runs was the biggest of the innings, with Lancashire sliding from 46/0 to 92/7 in the afternoon session. Yorkshire then reached close of play on 77/3, extending their lead to 189 runs, with Adam Lyth leading the charge with an unbeaten 44.


Yorkshire's final wicket was collected by Neil Wagner, who struck with his fifth ball of the day, finishing the innings with 4-75. After ending a frustrating ninth-wicket partnership by removing Andrew Hodd at the end of the first day, Wagner had Steven Patterson (45) caught by Tom Smith at second slip, as Yorkshire posted 308 after falling to 29/4 on the first morning.


With the match still very much in the balance at this stage, Lancashire responded to their early breakthrough with the ball with a strong first-wicket stand between Smith (26) and teenager Haseeb Hameed. Smith, who made his first championship appearance for more than 12 months last week against Surrey, led the Lancashire response well, with the visitors in a strong position after the first hour.


However, the day turned sour for the Red Rose, as wickets continued to fall regularly and without a great deal of cost to the Yorkshire seamers. First Smith drove Patterson to Gary Ballance at point and then Tim Bresnan had Hameed caught by Lyth at second slip for 17.


Lancashire's third wicket fell for the addition of 13 runs when Luke Procter (6) was trapped lbw by a typically fiery Jack Brooks (2-39), who claimed a wicket either side of lunch to leave the visitors struggling at 68/4. The loss of Alviro Petersen - also lbw to Brooks - suggested that Lancashire were in for an uphill struggle, but few would have predicted that they would then find themselves 92/7 in the afternoon session.


After losing Petersen (8) cheaply, Karl Brown was then out for a duck, edging Patterson to Hodd in attempting to leave the ball, as Lancashire lost their fifth wicket for the addition of just 23 runs. Skipper Steven Croft (14) showed signs of launching a rearguard action alongside Livingstone, but his wicket made the score 91/6 when he edged to Jack Leaning off Bresnan (2-50).


Tom Bailey - who was off the field during Yorkshire's second innings - fell for a six-ball duck when he guided a leg-side bouncer behind to Hodd, with Lancashire now facing the imminent prospect of having to follow on. Thankfully, Livingstone played another crucial innings for Lancashire, reaching fifty for the fourth time this season to guide them beyond the follow on, smashing Adil Rashid out of the ground for a colossal six in doing so.


Livingstone initially found solace from Wagner, as they added 36 runs for the eighth wicket. However, Rashid was responsible for taking all three of Lancashire's remaining wickets, accounting for Wagner with his very first ball of the game. Wagner played across the line and was pinned on the crease after being struck on the front leg, falling for an entertaining 12.


Jarvis was then on hand to offer Livingstone support, helping Lancashire to add 48 runs for the ninth wicket, taking them beyond the follow on and towards a potential batting point. Seven boundaries in an innings of 33 from 28 balls made Jarvis an invaluable contributor, with Livingstone adding seven fours of his own on his way to a 73-ball half-century.


Jarvis failed to resist temptation after enjoying a purple patch against Rashid and was stumped by Hodd at 174/9, coming down the wicket in search of another boundary to the England leg-spinner, who hit a precious 88 to rescue Yorkshire yesterday. Rashid finished the pick of the Yorkshire bowlers, claiming 3-37, as he had Simon Kerrigan (6) out lbw, leaving Livingstone stranded on 60 not out.


After a dejecting first innings, Lancashire need to pick themselves up fast in order to turn the game around, but Yorkshire had no intention of letting their enemies back into the game so easily. Lyth and Alex Lees showed conviction at the top of the order to add 41 runs for the first wicket, navigating a hostile opening spell from Wagner and Jarvis.


Lancashire found their first breakthrough when Smith claimed his first championship wicket for more than 20 months, as he had Lees caught behind by Croft for 17. Smith gave a vastly-improved account with his bowling today, starting with five consecutive maidens to halt Yorkshire's progress and assist Wagner, who continued to plug away with an unfriendly length.


Soon the New-Zealander had a wicket of his own, forcing Leaning to edge to Smith for 4 at 54/2 and Wagner (2-35) struck again two overs later to remove Ballance (8) who edged behind to Croft at 70/3. 

Yorkshire reached stumps without suffering any further setbacks, opting to send Patterson in as night watchman, with Lyth leading the second innings, as he returned to the pavilion unbeaten on 44, helping to extend Yorkshire's lead to 189 runs heading into the third day.

Wagner and Jarvis shine in Roses clash at Headingley

Wickets from Kyle Jarvis (4-74) and Neil Wagner (3-70) ensured that Lancashire and Yorkshire contested an entertaining and even first day at Headingley, with the hosts closing on 301/9.

Lancashire rattled through Yorkshire's top order, reducing the White Rose to 29/4 inside the first hour of the day after refusing to toss, but a mammoth partnership between Adil Rashid (88) and Tim Bresnan (69) restored balance to the match, as they added 136 runs for the sixth wicket.

Jarvis had figures of 3-12 after removing Alex Lees and Gary Ballance without scoring, while Wagner had to work hard for his wickets, exercising a great deal of short bowling to frustrate the home fans for long periods. After regaining control in the evening session with a 75-run stand between Andrew Hodd and Steven Patterson (41*), Wagner collected a wicket with the final ball of the day, removing Hodd for 40 after a superb catch by Liam Livingstone.

Tom Bailey (1-48) struck with the fourth ball of the day when he had Adam Lyth (4) caught behind by Steven Croft - standing in for Alex Davies - who was not fit to play in the Roses match due a knee injury sustained on Friday in the Twenty20 match against Durham. 

Both of Yorkshire's opening batsmen were back in the pavilion in the space of nine deliveries, as Jarvis had Lees caught by a juggling catch from Karl Brown at third slip and the Zimbabwean paceman struck again in his third over to account for Ballance, who edged to Tom Smith at second slip, leaving Yorkshire on 14/3.

Jarvis, who claimed career-best match figures of 11-119 in Lancashire's innings victory over Surrey last week, then added his third breakthrough when he had Jack Leaning caught by Smith for 10 at the end of the 12th over. After adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket with Rashid, skipper Andrew Gale (36) was hit on the foot and trapped plumb lbw by Wagner at 74/5.

Rashid and Bresnan guided Yorkshire to lunch without losing any more wickets and their partnership frustrated the visitors, who failed to claim a wicket throughout the entire afternoon session. The pair added the first 50 runs of their 136-run partnership in 99 balls, with Rashid reaching his 35th first-class fifty in 86 deliveries.

The partnership between Rashid and Bresnan continued to build as the afternoon session progressed, with Lancashire struggling to extract any noticeable assistance from the wicket, as the older ball became ineffective. They were also hampered by the fact that Jarvis left the field temporarily with a shoulder problem, leaving them short of a frontline seamer.

After scoring 157 against Lancashire at Old Trafford the last time the two teams met in 2014, Rashid was eyeing back-to-back centuries against the Red Rose county, with the England leg-spinner bringing up the hundred-partnership with Bresnan in 175 balls. Bresnan replicated Rashid by reaching his half-century at a marginally slower pace of 113 deliveries, hitting eight boundaries in the process.

Yorkshire reached their first batting point on the stroke of tea, entering the interval on 201/5, with Rashid and Bresnan's partnership worth 127 runs. Tea came at a good time for Lancashire, who enjoyed two breakthroughs in quick succession after the break, as Simon Kerrigan (1-49) forced Rashid to offer Luke Procter a simple catch at short cover, a tame ending to an otherwise chanceless innings.

Procter was in action again in the next over when he held on to a catch at mid-on off Jarvis, who had his fourth wicket when Liam Plunkett (3) fell at 215/7. Lancashire were once again in control of the game with these two quick wickets and Wagner made it 226/8 when Bresnan edged behind to Croft for 69.

Given the strong position Lancashire found themselves in with this wicket, the close of play scoreboard reflected a much more even day, with Hodd and Patterson adding 75 runs for the ninth wicket to restore parity to the match. The duo played eye-catching strokes to renew the confidence of the home crowd, who spent much of the day jeering at Wagner for bowling short, an approach that allowed Lancashire to stem the flow of runs, as pitching the ball up often resulted in easy runs for the Yorkshire tail.

The fifty-partnership arrived after 74 balls with boundaries arriving at regular intervals during a sun-drenched evening session. Yorkshire were preparing to reach close of play in the ascendancy, but Wagner continued to plug away with an aggressive approach and claimed a wicket with the second ball of the final over to remove Hodd for 40.

Hodd, who received his county cap before the start of play, attempted to help a delivery from Wagner down to fine leg, but Livingstone held on to a terrific diving catch fielding at leg-slip, sending Lancashire into the dressing room in good spirits after two substantial and frustrating partnerships.

Preview: Yorkshire v Lancashire - Specsavers CC

Lancashire will travel to Headingley for the 275th first-class Roses match on Sunday, entering their Specsavers County Championship encounter with Yorkshire as the leaders of the first division.

Ashley Giles' side collected their third County Championship win of the season when they beat Surrey by an innings and 96 runs inside three days, their third successive victory at Emirates Old Trafford in the four-day contest, after beating Nottinghamshire and Hampshire.

Aside from the mammoth margin of victory against Surrey, there were several individual positives to draw from the match. Tom Smith made his first Championship appearance in more than 12 months following a potentially career-ending back injury, scoring 59 at the top of the innings and sharing partnership with Haseeb Hameed worth 99 runs.

The standout performances came from Kyle Jarvis, who claimed his best figures in a Lancashire shirt (6-70) before finishing the game with his best ever match figures, claiming 11-119 against Surrey, who were bowled out for 107 in their second innings.

There was also a superb century from Alviro Petersen who hit 105 from only 108 balls to demoralise the Surrey bowlers, with Jarvis and Simon Kerrigan adding 63 runs for the final wicket, as Lancashire made 394 in their first and only innings.

The current two-time county champions have started the season strongly, beating Surrey by an innings earlier this month, but four draws in five matches means that Yorkshire are in fourth place, 19 points behind their rivals.

Lancashire welcomed the return of Jos Buttler in their defeat to Durham Jets in the NatWest T20 Blast, but the England wicketkeeper-batsman will not take part in the Roses match, with Giles insisting that he rests after a gruelling winter schedule, followed by his recent commitments with Mumbai Indians.

The last time these old rivals met in the four-day contest, it was Yorkshire who claimed the bragging rights. A magnificent double-hundred from Adam Lyth (251) and a brisk 159 from Adil Rashid saw Yorkshire score 610/6 declared in their first and only innings at Old Trafford, with Lancashire slipping to an innings and 18-run defeat on their way to relegation in 2014.

In the reverse fixture, Lancashire enjoyed a much more even share of a rain-affected draw at Headingley, with Smith taking 5-49 in helping the Red Rose to finish the match in the stronger position.

Yorkshire 12-man squad: Andrew Gale (c), Gary Ballance, Tim Bresnan, Jack Brooks, Andrew Hodd (wk), Jack Leaning, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth, Steve Patterson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Will Rhodes.

Lancashire 12-man squad: Steven Croft (c), Tom Bailey, Karl Brown, Alex Davies (wk), Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Jarvis, Simon Kerrigan, Liam Livingstone, Alviro Petersen, Luke Procter, Tom Smith, Neil Wagner.

Guptill knock in vain as Durham hammer Lancashire

Lancashire Lightning suffered yet another heavy defeat in the NatWest T20 Blast despite a scintillating 72 from 46 balls by debutant Martin Guptill, as Durham cruised to a six-wicket win with five overs to spare.

Chasing a modest target of 150, Durham reached 151/4 after 15 overs, with Phil Mustard’s devastating innings of 46 from just 18 balls leaving a significant dent in Lancashire’s chances of defending 149/8.

Guptill hit ten fours and one six, scoring an eye-catching fifty on his Lancashire debut, but the defending champions suffered another humbling defeat on home soil, after being beaten by Derbyshire Falcons in their opening Twenty20 match at Old Trafford.

Lancashire were in a strong position after Guptill’s thrilling knock at 106/4, but the innings fell apart when he departed. Just 43 runs were added in the final seven overs, with the hosts losing five wickets for 26 runs.

Made to bat first, Lancashire’s new signing made an exhilarating start at the top of the innings, with Alviro Petersen (8) falling in the third over to Usman Arshad after being caught by Paul Coughlin on the square-leg boundary at 24/1. Karl Brown then fell to the next ball for a golden duck, edging behind to Mustard, as Arshad (3-30) made early inroads for the visitors.

This wicket brought together Guptill and Jos Buttler, with the Mumbai Indians teammates hoping to turn the innings around after two quick wickets. Guptill hit three boundaries in the fourth over, displaying expert timing and an eye for picking the gaps in the powerplay, while Buttler played his trademark ramp shot to find the fence in the first six overs.

The Old Trafford crowd were hoping to see fireworks from Buttler, who signed a new three-year contract earlier today, but he was the third wicket to fall when he skied a delivery from Arshad to Paul Collingwood, who had to take a good catch over his head, making good ground to remove Buttler cheaply for 10 off eight balls.

Lancashire were in a good position after six overs at 57/3 and Guptill continued to make an impressive debut, adding 60 runs for the third wicket with captain Steven Croft. The pair added 50 runs in 39 balls, with Guptill’s first and only maximum bringing up the fifty-partnership with Croft, as the Kiwi batsman smashed Scott Borthwick to the longest boundary over mid-wicket.

A 34-ball fifty with eight boundaries represented a tremendous effort for Guptill, who was eyeing the next milestone, as boundaries continued to flow for him and Lancashire. It took a moment of brilliance from Borthwick on the mid-wicket boundary to hold on to a stunning catch off Barry McCarthy (3-23), who claimed the prized scalp of Guptill, as he departed for 72 from 46 balls.

When Guptill fell, Lancashire’s innings capitulated, as wickets and the run rate continued to fall. Collingwood (0-26) and Borthwick (0-27) returned economical figures to restrict Lancashire’s progress in the middle overs and McCarthy returned with two more wickets to leave the score on 121/7 at the end of the 17th over.

Croft stumbled his way to 21 from 24 balls before edging behind to Mustard and Alex Davies (6) fell two balls later when he mistimed his shot to Mark Stoneman at mid-off and Arron Lilley was run out by a direct-hit from Collingwood for two, as three wickets fell in quick succession to rip the heart out of Lancashire’s innings.

Neil Wagner thumped a hefty six over the leg-side boundary during his knock of nine from six balls, but he fell to very the next ball attempting to repeat the shot, picking out Graham Clark on the boundary off Coughlin (1-40).

Stephen Parry (6*) and Kyle Jarvis (9*) added useful late runs to set Durham 150, although there was a clear sense that Lancashire’s total was well below par and the ease with which Durham reached victory justified this assumption.

Mustard’s belligerent start inflicted a big blow to Lancashire’s chances, as the aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman hit four fours and one six, scoring 23 runs off the first over bowled by Lilley. He continued his fierce stance at the crease, becoming only the second English cricketer to score 3,000 runs in English T20 cricket after Darren Stevens.

Stoneman played his part, thumping Jarvis for a maximum during his innings of 13 from five balls, but Neil Wagner (2-25) made an immediate impact, forcing Stoneman to guide his shot down to Jarvis at third man at 43/1. Mustard hit his third maximum in the following over and was approaching a lightning fifty, but his innings came to an end when he was caught by Guptill off George Edwards for 46 from 18 balls, with Durham reaching 73/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Mustard’s innings gave Durham a terrific platform to edge ever closer to victory, with Clark – Jordan Clark’s brother – hit 36 from 27 balls, backed up by an unbeaten 34 from Michael Richardson. Clark slashed Parry for two huge sixes in the space of three balls over mid-wicket, with Wagner returning to claim his second wicket when he had Clark caught by Davies on the leg-side boundary at 108/3.

Edwards (2-38) had Ryan Pringle bowled for 9 when he tried to ramp the fast bowler to the boundary at 129/4, but Richardson and Keaton Jennings (6*) stood firm, taking Durham to their target with 30 balls and six wickets to spare. Richardson hit Wagner to the boundary at the end of the 15^th over, resigning Lancashire to back-to-back defeats at Old Trafford, with the defending champions already facing an uphill struggle to kick-start their campaign.

Lancashire travel to Headingley on Sunday for their Roses clash against Yorkshire, entering this fixture as the current leaders in the first division, before they host Yorkshire in the T20 Blast at Old Trafford next Friday. 

Buttler signs new three-year deal with Lancashire

Lancashire and England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has extended his stay at Emirates Old Trafford until 2019 by committing to a three-year contract with the Red Rose County.

Buttler, who is expected to make his first appearance of the season for Lancashire when they take on Durham in the T20 Blast this evening, was recruited by Lancashire in 2013, with a view to becoming a regular in the England Test side.

Buttler has made 15 Test appearances, but his place in the side has since been surrendered to Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow, which means Lancashire are likely to benefit from Buttler's extended availability, as he attempts to stake his claim for selection.

Lancashire will travel to Headingley, home of the current County Champions, as the leaders of Division One, but Ashley Giles has said that Buttler will not be selected for this match, opting to allow Buttler to rest after his IPL commitments with Mumbai Indians.

Buttler said: "I've really loved my time at Emirates Old Trafford and I'm looking forward to the next three years with Lancashire County Cricket Club. I hope to repay the faith shown in me and to help Lancashire win trophies in all competitions."

Renowned for his unique flamboyance and shot selection, as well as his fast hands through the ball and brutal timing down the ground, Buttler has revolutionised the one-day game and is responsible for all three of England's fastest centuries in ODI cricket, with the quickest of these coming in 46 balls against Pakistan last year.

Lancashire's Director of Cricket Giles, said: "Jos is one of the most talented crickets in the game and we are really pleased to have him at Emirates Old Trafford for at least the next three years.

"He has the ability to take games away from the opposition in all formats. Jos is a great guy to have in the dressing room too and his experience at international level really benefits the squad."

Buttler's last appearance for Lancashire coincided with the Club lifting the NatWest T20 Blast trophy at Edgbaston last August and Giles will be hoping that Buttler will be able to turn Lancashire's fortunes around, after they were comfortable beaten by Derbyshire Falcons in their opening T20 fixture, with New Zealand's Martin Guptill set to make his Lancashire debut against Durham.

Despite his rare availability for Lancashire, Buttler has made some impressive contributions. His scintillating innings of 71 not out from 35 balls inspired Lancashire to a last-ball win against Yorkshire in front of a packed Headingley crowed last season, helping the Lightning to earn a crucial victory in their bid to progress from the North Group.

He then hit 53 off 37 balls in the quarter-final against Kent at Canterbury, as Lancashire advanced to Finals Day in dramatic circumstances. Both sides made 142 in 20 overs, but it was the visitors who reached the semi-finals by virtue of losing fewer wickets.

Preview: Lancashire Lightning v Durham Jets - NatWest T20 Blast

Both Jos Buttler and Martin Guptill are expected to play for Lancashire Lightning against Durham Jets in the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Twenty20 superstars have fulfilled their IPL commitments with Mumbai Indians and are due to feature on Friday evening, as Lancashire look to bounce back from a hefty defeat against Derbyshire Falcons in their opening T20 fixture last week.

Buttler's last appearance for Lancashire coincided with Ashley Giles' side lifting the NatWest T20 Blast trophy at Edgbaston last summer, but the exciting wicketkeeper-batsman is due to play a substantial amount of cricket for Lancashire in all formats this season, in the hope of recapturing his place in the England Test team.

Despite his appearance for Lancashire this Friday, Giles has decided to rest Buttler for Lancashire's four-day trip to Headingley, stating that Buttler has been playing and travelling for too long and that Buttler and Lancashire would benefit from him taking a break.

Guptill - who is ranked the third-best Twenty20 batsman in the ICC rankings - is expected to make his debut for Lancashire after signing as an overseas player for the first six matches of the competition. The New Zealand batsman has scored 4,741 runs in Twenty20 cricket at an average of 35.11 and is renowned for his belligerent, hard-hitting approach at the top of the order.

He was the first New Zealand batsman to score a double-hundred in a One-Day International and he also holds the record for the highest score in a World Cup match, after scoring 237 not out against West Indies last year.

Lancashire started the defence of their Twenty20 crown in disappointing fashion, as they were beaten by nine wickets on home soil, with Derbyshire chasing down 132 inside 14 overs. However, the Red Rose have enjoyed scintillating form in the County Championship and will begin their Roses clash against Yorkshire as the leaders of Division One.

Durham also started their T20 campaign with a comfortable defeat, failing to chase a mammoth target of 226, as they were beaten by 36 runs at New Road last Friday. Phil Mustard, who featured on two occasions for Lancashire last season as cover for an injured Alex Davies, top-scored for Durham with 64 from 49 balls.

These two sides met recently in the four-day campaign, with Durham earning a convincing 73-run victory over Lancashire. It was, and remains, the only defeat Lancashire have suffered in five County Championship matches, with three victories taking Giles' side to the top of the table after many predicted that they would be flirting with relegation.

Lancashire 15-man squad: Steven Croft (c), Karl Brown, Nathan Buck, Jos Buttler, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies (wk), George Edwards, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jarvis, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Stephen Parry, Alviro Petersen, Neil Wagner.

Durham 13-man squad: Mark Stoneman (c), Usman Arshad, Scott Borthwick, Graham Clark, Paul Collingwood, Paul Coughlin, Keaton Jennings, Calum MacLeod, Barry McCarthy, Phil Mustard (wk), Ryan Pringle, Michael Richardson, James Weighell.

Jarvis haul helps Lancashire obliterate Surrey inside three days

Kyle Jarvis claimed his best ever match figures (11-119) in first-class cricket to help Lancashire record an empathic innings and 96-run victory over Surrey inside three days to send them top of Division One of the Specsavers County Championship.

The Zimbabwean fast bowler, who claimed his best figures in a Lancashire shirt in Surrey's first innings (6-70) took another five wickets (5-49) in the second, as the visitors were bowled out for 107 on Day Three, suffering their third defeat of the season. 

Lancashire, meanwhile, recorded their third victory in five matches, with all three wins coming at Old Trafford. It is the first time since 1952 that Lancashire have won all three of their opening four-day matches at home, sending them top of the table, ahead of Warwickshire by 18 points.

A terrific last-wicket partnership between Jarvis (35) and Simon Kerrigan (32*) worth 63 runs pushed Lancashire to 394 all out on the third morning, before Jarvis and Lancashire ripped through Surrey, who were bowled out for 107 in their second innings inside 38 overs. Surrey's capitulation saw the visitors lose their final seven wickets for 45 runs, as the Division Two champions were beaten in little more than seven sessions.

Surrey started their second innings without Rory Burns, who made 92 in Surrey's disappointing first innings, after the opening batsman suffered a minor concussion while fielding. Tom Curran (53) stepped up to the mark and opened for the visitors, having never batted higher than seven in a Championship match before. He made a valiant half-century, but was the final Surrey wicket to fall the ball after reaching his fifty, as Lancashire completed a huge victory.

Lancashire started Day Three needing to score eight runs in two overs to secure a fourth batting point, a task that they made light work of as Kerrigan flicked a boundary down to fine leg to take the home side to 351/9 at the start of the 110th over. Boundaries continued to flood in for Lancashire, much to the disgust of Surrey, who had fought back well in the evening session of the previous day.

Textbook strokes from the Lancashire tail-end batsmen helped the Red Rose county to record a fifty partnership in only 63 balls, adding 52 runs in 58 deliveries before Lancashire were bowled out for 394. Kerrigan has now been involved in three last-wicket stands to have reached fifty runs or more against Surrey in as many attempts, after sharing fifty partnerships with Jarvis at The Oval at James Anderson at Old Trafford last season.

Lancashire's number eleven was unbeaten on 32 when Jarvis departed to Meaker for 35, with the Surrey paceman collecting figures of 4-78 in his first appearance of the season. Having added crucial runs inside the first hour of the day in entertaining fashion, Jarvis then came to the party with his bowling, as utter carnage ensued either side of lunch.

Curran opened the batting for Surrey for the first time in four-day cricket, stepping in for Burns, but

Tom Bailey and Jarvis were causing the 21-year-old and Arun Harinath (16) all sorts of problems. Repeating his early scalp from the first innings, Bailey forced Harinath to edge behind to Alex Davies, as Surrey lost their first wicket at 27/1.

Starting their second innings already one wicket down, Surrey needed a master of his art to come to the crease and deliver a mammoth innings. It is fair to say that there was a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Sri-Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara when he walked out to the crease, but Neil Wagner re-wrote the script, removing Sangakkara with only his fourth ball.

Wagner (2-17) forced the Sri Lanka batsman into a horrible leading edge, sending the ball looping to Jarvis at mid-off, as Sangakkara was out for 8 following his four-ball duck in the first innings. Surrey made it to lunch on 58/2 - effectively three wickets down - and with so much time left in the game it was hard to see how they could escape the chasm they were in.

Perhaps it was this lack of belief that had ripped the heart and soul out of their second innings after lunch, as they lost their remaining seven wickets for 45 runs, courtesy of a devastating and relentless spell from Jarvis after the interval. His first victim, Jason Roy, fell to Jarvis' second ball after lunch after being trapped lbw for 9 at 62/3 and Ben Foakes was out two balls later for a duck, edging a flashy drive behind to Davies and handing Jarvis his eighth wicket of the match.

A double-wicket maiden was then followed by the wicket of James Burke, who became the fifth Surrey batsmen to fall for a duck in the match, top-edging a pull shot to Liam Livingstone, who had to make good ground to take a catch over his head, running backwards from first slip. Jarvis demolished Surrey's middle order after lunch, with these three wickets in the space of eight balls erasing any small hopes the visitors might have had for salvaging a draw from the match.

Bailey (2-22) played his part in the carnage, removing Steven Davies (5) when he swatted at a wider delivery and edged behind to namesake Alex, a terrible shot in the circumstances, although leaving the ball would have only delayed the inevitable. This was the fourth Surrey wicket to fall in the space of 21 balls after lunch, with makeshift opener Curran stood at the other end in utter disbelief, as wickets continued to tumble.

Skipper Gareth Batty showed early determination, but a quicker ball from Jarvis worked its way through his defences and he was bowled for 3, as Surrey's misery continued. With this wicket, Jarvis became the first Lancashire bowler to take 10 wickets in a match against Surrey since Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 10-154 in 1999 at The Oval. He also had his best match figures for Lancashire and required just one more victim to have his best match figures of all time.

Sure enough he had Mathew Pillans (4) out lbw in his next over, with Surrey slumping to 84/8 and Lancashire needing only one more wicket to seal a mammoth victory. Curran was able to bat on long enough to record only his third first-class fifty in 103 balls, adding 23 runs for the final wicket with Meaker (2*), but Curran was the final Surrey batsman to fall, as he was caught by Luke Procter off Wagner the very next ball.

With this wicket, Lancashire sealed an innings and 96-run victory inside three days, sending them top of the table ahead of their Roses clash against Yorkshire at Headingley on Sunday. Before that, Lancashire will face Durham Jets in their second NatWest T20 Blast match of the season on Friday, with Jos Buttler expected to play his first game of the season for Ashley Giles's side.

Masterful Petersen puts Lancashire ahead of Surrey

Alviro Petersen's 40th first-class century propelled Lancashire into a strong position on the second day of Surrey's visit to Old Trafford in the Specsavers County Championship.

The South-African batsman passed 14,000 first-class runs, hitting 105 from 108 balls in a thoroughly entertaining innings, as he shared a mammoth and swift partnership with captain Steven Croft (42) for the fourth wicket worth 148 runs in 29 overs. Petersen's near-perfect timing and strength through the leg-side saw the Proteas batsman hit 16 boundaries on his way to his fourth hundred for Lancashire in 104 deliveries, helping the Red Rose to reach stumps in relative control on 342/9.

Prior to Petersen's belligerent innings, Tom Smith (59) marked his return to Championship cricket with a half-century, sharing a 99-run partnership with teenager Haseeb Hameed (44) to lay the foundations for a strong day with the bat for Lancashire, who ended the second day with a healthy lead of 151 runs.

Surrey endured an initially frustrating day in the field after the visitors were bowled out for only 191 yesterday evening, with Kyle Jarvis claiming his best figures in a Lancashire shirt (6-70) to put the Red Rose in the ascendancy, despite an admirable 92 from Surrey opener, Rory Burns. Lancashire  then squandered a strong start following Petersen's dismissal at 263/4, losing six wickets for 68 runs in the evening session to let Surrey back into the game, although they certainly finished the second day as the happier of the two teams.

Resuming on 16/0 at the start of the day, Lancashire made watchful and competent progress in the morning session, as Smith - playing in his first Championship game for Lancashire since the start of last season - showed no sign of incompetence at the crease, negotiating a disciplined opening spell from Tom Curran (3-64), who led a severely weakened Surrey bowling attack in the absence of Ravi Rampaul and Mark Footiitt. 

The Lancashire openers made slow but assured progress to reach the fifty partnership after 21 overs, excelling in sun-bathed conditions at Old Trafford. After the first hour of play yesterday, Surrey found themselves four wickets down with Kumar Sangakkara and Steve Davies both back in the pavilion without scoring. In comparison, Lancashire did not look like losing a wicket all morning and they were able to reach lunch on 90/0 after Smith had reached a momentous half-century.

Regular boundaries ensured that Lancashire continued to edge away at Surrey's below-average first- innings total, with Smith marking his return to Championship cricket with his first fifty for Lancashire since August 2014, when he hit 57 against Yorkshire. The allrounder scored a single off his 130th ball and the final ball of the morning session to send the hosts into the interval with their confidence soaring, while Surrey entered the break in low spirits after failing to take a single wicket in the morning session.

The visitors had a sudden change in fortunes after lunch, claiming three wickets for 16 runs in the space of nine overs to restore a degree of balance to the game. Smith (59) fell soon after lunch to Surrey skipper Gareth Batty after being hit on the pad, receiving a heartfelt applause from the Lancashire faithful, who were delighted to see the Club's former captain return to action with a half-century.

Luke Procter (2) gave Surrey their second breakthrough three overs later when he horribly misjudged a delivery from Curran, opting leave a straight ball that sent two of his stumps flying, although this wicket came as a welcome reward to Curran, who had toiled away all morning without success. Hameed, who had already registered two fifties this season, came close to another, but his 159-ball marathon came to a halt when he played-on to Stuart Meaker (3-59) for 44, with Lancashire stumbling ever so slightly at 115/3.

Three wickets for the addition of 25 runs since lunch had given Surrey renewed optimism, but their enthusiasm was quickly put to rest by Petersen, who played yet another confident innings to give Lancashire complete control by the time tea arrived. Petersen's counterpunch, following the three quick wickets, helped the hosts to add 97 runs in the space of 21 overs, with captain Croft adding useful support to his cause.

Batty (2-67) felt the full extent of Petersen's confidence at the crease, with the Proteas batsman thumping the Surrey skipper for a huge six into the upper tier of the stands, setting the tone for what proved to be a belligerent innings in the confines of four-day cricket, as he hit Batty for three more boundaries in the next over.

Petersen's positive strokeplay helped him and Croft to add 50 runs for the fourth wicket in only 79 balls, a welcome relief to the home fans after a particularly circumspect start from the top-order batsmen. Croft followed suit with a six of his own off Batty over mid-wicket, taking Lancashire to within 15 runs of Surrey's first-innings total.

A fourth half-century in seven innings arrived for Petersen when he hit his eighth four, with the South-African's 63-ball fifty guiding Lancashire to a thoroughly positive afternoon session. Lancashire took the lead before tea and continued to build on their advantage, with Petersen hitting three more boundaries before the interval to take the score to 219/3.

An unbroken partnership worth 97 runs between Petersen and Croft continued to flourish, with the hundred-partnership coming up in 131 balls in the first over after tea. Boundaries continued to flow for Petersen, who raced to his fourth century for Lancashire at an expeditious pace of 104 deliveries, with his 16th boundary taking him to a truly brilliant ton.

Petersen's timing through the leg-side, stylish cover drives and ruthlessness against the spinner had left the Surrey bowlers utterly dejected, but his expert innings came to an end when Meaker extracted a thin edge to Ben Foakes, sending Petersen back to the pavilion for 105 from 108 balls, with Lancashire motoring to 263/4 with a lead of 72 runs.  

Another flurry of wickets helped Surrey to edge their way back into the contest, with four wickets falling for the addition of 30 runs including the dismissal of Petersen. Croft fell in quick succession to Petersen when he was judged lbw to Curran for 42 and Alex Davies (13) handed Meaker his third breakthrough soon after when he was superbly caught by sub-fielder, Matt Dunn, at square-leg.

Surrey then claimed two wickets in the same over when a misunderstanding between Liam Livingstone and Tom Bailey (1) resulted in both batsmen being stranded at the same end, with the latter being run out cheaply courtesy of a horrible mix up. After taking Lancashire to their third batting point, Livingstone fell to the second ball of Curran's new spell, edging behind to Foakes for 23 at 319/8.

Neil Wagner (13) was then trapped lbw sweeping across the line to Batty forcing Kyle Jarvis (15*) and Simon Kerrigan (4*) to dig in before close of play, taking Lancashire to 342/9 with a healthy lead of 151 runs, with the Red Rose hoping to score eight runs in two overs tomorrow morning to secure a fourth batting point.

Jarvis rips through Surrey on rain-affected first day

Kyle Jarvis (6-70) claimed his best figures for Lancashire as Surrey were bowled out for 191 on the first day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.

Rory Burns made a resilient and vital contribution of 92, but the Surrey opener was the only batsman to resist the Jarvis and Lancashire onslaught, before he was the final wicket to fall to Neil Wagner (3-52) in the evening session.

Lancashire, who entered this fixture on the back of a heavy defeat to Derbyshire in their opening NatWest T20 Blast fixture, put their dismay behind them and enjoyed a superb day with the ball, despite a lengthy rain delay, which caused 20 overs to be lost.

Jarvis's opening ten-over spell of 4-32 helped Lancashire to reduce the Division Two champions to 40/5 in the morning session, with Burns sharing essential partnership with the Surrey tail to help his side to recover. In reply, Lancashire reached 16/0 in the 12 overs that remained in the first day, with Tom Smith (7*) replacing Karl Brown at the top of the order, alongside Haseeb Hameed (5*), making his first Championship appearance for Lancashire since the start of the 2014 season.

Having won both of their two games at home this season, losing the toss on both occasions, Lancashire were not too disheartened when Gareth Batty decided to bat first on a sunny morning in Manchester. The hosts made a buoyant start when Tom Bailey encouraged prodigious away swing to force Arun Harinath (5) into an edge behind to Alex Davies at the end of the fifth over, but after that it was Jarvis who dominated proceedings.

His first and perhaps most important breakthrough of the day came when Sri Lankan legend, Kumar Sangakkara - who recorded 12,400 runs in Test match cricket - was trapped plumb lbw after being struck on the back pad by Jarvis with late swing, falling for a four-ball duck at 20/2. Jarvis struck again three balls later when Steve Davies failed to commit to a drive and edged behind to his namesake, as Jarvis recorded a double-wicket maiden in the eighth over.

Jarvis struck again in quick succession to remove England one-day batsman Jason Roy, when his checked drive into the leg-side was horribly mistimed and the ball looped to Luke Procter at mid-on, as he departed for two at 26/4. Having shown early promise, Ben Foakes was the next Surrey batsman to feel the wrath of Jarvis, who had his fourth wicket when he was bowled for 13 by the Zimbabwean paceman, as Surrey slipped to 40/5.

By the time Smith came on for his first bowl in Championship cricket for more than a year, Jarvis had already taken four huge wickets, giving Lancashire another terrific start on home soil after victories against Nottinghamshire and Hampshire. Burns, who had looked on in despair at this top-order collapse, added 36 runs before lunch with James Burke, as he sought to rebuild the innings with his busy and strong leg-side approach.

Respite arrived for Surrey when persistent rain arrived moments before the afternoon session was due to get underway, with this delay causing 20 overs to be surrendered. Play started again at 3.30pm, but Surrey continued to find life difficult against their promotion rivals, as Jarvis returned after the frustrating delay to remove Burke for 31.

Having added 64 runs for the sixth wicket with Burns, the young allrounder edged to Liam Livingstone at first slip, supplying Jarvis with his fifth breakthrough and consequently his first five-wicket haul in Division One of the the County Championship. Not content with his belligerent haul, Jarvis had his sixth victim two overs later when Tom Curran (10) edged behind to Davies at 114/7, as Burns continued to be bereft of long-term support.

Burns progressed to a vital half-century in 123 balls, with Surrey still a long way off recording their first batting point, reaching 126/7 at tea. Leading by example to the rest of his side, captain Batty offered Burns an able batting partner, as they added 68 runs for the eighth wicket to frustrate Lancashire.

The hosts had an opportunity to break their partnership and remove the dangerous Burns when he was on 71, but Alviro Petersen failed to hold on to a sharp chance at leg slip off Wagner. Burns capitalised on his good fortune, hitting Wagner's next two balls to the boundary to record a fifty-partnership with Batty, as he went in search of his ninth first-class century.

Wagner and Lancashire finally forced a breakthrough, removing Batty for 21 when he got a thick edge to Smith at second slip, as Wagner claimed the last three wickets of the innings. Wagner struck two wickets in the space of three balls, removing Mathew Pillans off-stump to send him back to the pavilion for no score.

Surrey were indebted to Burns' lone resistance, but he was the final Surrey wicket to fall when he shuffled across his stumps to Wagner and was judged lbw, falling for a brilliant 92 after batting for over four hours to help his side to reach a respectable total. Lancashire endured a watchful spell of 12 overs at the end of the day, with Smith opening the batting with Hameed in his first Championship appearance for more than 12 months, as the hosts reached stumps on 16/0.