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.
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