19-year-old debutant Matthew Parkinson took two wickets in his first five overs on debut for Lancashire to inspire a strong bowling performance for the Red Rose against Warwickshire at Emirates Old Trafford.
The leg-spinner took 2-39 from 18 overs, helping Lancashire to reduce the visitors to 94/6, as both Kyle Jarvis (2-48) and Tom Smith (2-18) took two wickets in two balls to rip through Warwickshire's experienced and dangerous top order.
Lancashire were complete control of the match after captain Steven Croft (100) completed his 11th first-class century to help the hosts to reach 308 in their first innings, sharing a partnership worth 143 runs with Karl Brown (61). However, an unbroken partnership between Tim Ambrose (48*) and Keith Barker (57*) worth 108 runs left the game finely balanced at stumps, as Warwickshire recovered from losing both captain Ian Bell and Rikki Clarke for golden ducks.
Although his debut will largely be remembered for his efforts with the ball, young Parkinson had a memorable introduction to county cricket, with his nine runs proving crucial in Lancashire's effort to pursue a third batting point. Parkinson would later claim two big wickets, including former England batsman Jonathan Trott (3) and the ever-dependable opener, Varun Chopra (59).
His first over for Lancashire was also put on hold when it was only three balls old, as persistent and unsettling noises from the PA system at the ground forced the umpires to call an early tea interval, deciding that the noise would have been too distracting for the batting side.
Croft and Brown resumed the second day of this Specsavers County Championship match approaching respective milestones after adding 105 runs for the fifth-wicket to help Lancashire close on 196/4. Lancashire secured their first batting point in the fourth over of the day, before Brown reached back-to-back fifties in four-day cricket for the Red Rose in 123 balls.
It would have been fitting for Brown to have seen Croft to his century, given the that the pair had spent so long together at the crease, but Brown felt the wrath of the new ball, as Barker (2-40) trapped him lbw for 61, with the score at 234/5. This breakthrough came with to the sixth delivery of the new ball, but Croft was able to persevere for long enough to reach his first Championship century of the season in 199 deliveries, with nine fours and one six.
However, the captain survived just two more balls before he was the latest victim to the new ball, edging Clarke down the leg-side to Ambrose, the second wicket to fall in the space of 15 balls. Arron Lilley made a brief stay at the crease, adding 12 runs to the total before he was unfortunate to be dismissed by a terrific reaction catch from Boyd Rankin (2-67), who plucked Lilley's drive to leave Lancashire on 253/7.
As has often been the case in the Championship this season, Livingstone did not look out of place whatsoever at number seven and his unbeaten 34 from 57 balls proved vital in helping the Red Rose to reach their third batting point. Neil Wagner (5) followed in the same manner as Croft, strangled down the leg-side, this time off Oliver Hannon-Dalby (1-46), who struck with his sixth ball of the day.
Lancashire reached lunch on 278/8, after Warwickshire had taken four wickets for 43 runs with the new ball, but Livingstone and the tail-enders were able to see the home side beyond 300. Jarvis (8) became Rankin's latest victim when he was trapped lbw at 289/9, with the possibility of Lancashire having to settle for only two batting points.
Parkinson then added 9 to help push Lancashire to 308, before he was bowled by Jeetan Patel (3-87), leaving Livingstone stranded on 34 not out to give his already healthy average an additional boost. Warwickshire made a solid start through Chopra and Andrew Umeed (18), as the opening partnership added its first 50 runs in 77 balls, with both Wagner and Jarvis enduring frustrating but probing spells.
Finally, Jarvis found the breakthrough in his seventh over, forcing Umeed to edge to Smith at second slip at 54/1. The Zimbabwean paceman then had the prized wicket in his pouch, as the Bell's edge fell into the hands of Livingstone at first slip, with Jarvis taking two wickets in as many deliveries to restore Lancashire's faith in a seemingly slow and flat pitch.
Having removed the Warwickshire captain for a golden duck, Lancashire went in search of removing another of England's former batsmen in Trott, hoping that Parkinson would provide the answer. However, with Parkinson only three balls into his opening spell, the tannoy system at the ground continued to make an unsettling and loud noise, which forced the umpires to take the players off the field for an early tea.
Chopra reached a competent half-century in the early stages of the evening session in 62 balls with eight boundaries, but he was to be one of two quick wickets to fall to the wristy leg-spin of Parkinson. The England Under-19 spinner first had Trott - a handsome first wicket - caught by Livingstone at slip for 3, with only his ninth ball, before Chopra gloved an attempted sweep, which looped into the gloves of Croft.
90/4 became 94/6 in next to no time when Smith repeated Jarvis' feat before tea, as the former Lancashire captain struck twice in two balls to remove Sam Hain (8) and Clarke (0). Hain edged behind to Croft to give Smith his first Championship wicket for Lancashire at Old Trafford since his return from injury and he struck again the next ball when he trapped Clarke lbw for a golden duck.
Given the dominant position Lancashire found themselves in in the early stages of the evening session, the home side will no doubt be disappointed that Barker and Ambrose were able to add an unbroken partnership worth 108 runs to help Warwickshire recover. Not for the first time this season, Barker - born in Lancashire - rescued Warwickshire from a capitulation, ably supported by the experienced and level-headed approach from Ambrose.
Parkinson finished his first 14-over spell with figures of 2-29, but Barker in particular started to show signs of launching a resistance, lofting Lilley for six to help him reach a 72-ball fifty with seven fours. The hundred-partnership came in the penultimate over of the day in 171 balls, as Ambrose and Barker helped the Bears to reach stumps on 202/6, trailing the Red Rose by 106 runs.
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