Hameed wins Player of the Year Award for Lancashire

Teenager Haseeb Hameed capped a remarkable summer with Lancashire by receiving the Player of the Year Award at the club's annual dinner on Thursday night.

The 19-year-old opening batsman, who is set to make his England debut against Bangladesh this winter, enjoyed an incredible campaign with the Red Rose, scoring 1,198 runs at an average of nearly 50. Hameed was named the Young Cricketer of the Year at the Asian Cricket Awards earlier this week, but missed out on the equivalent award at the PCA dinner to Ben Duckett.

Hameed could be the only person to represent Lancashire against Bangladesh in the Test series next month, with James Anderson being ruled out of the tour due to a reoccurring injury to his shoulder. Jos Buttler will captain the side in the ODI series, but there is no guarantee that he will feature in the longer format, either instead of or alongside Jonny Bairstow.

After grabbing the attention of the international selectors from a very early stage in his career, Hameed validated his temperament and consistency against Division One opposition this summer. Centuries in both innings against former county champions Yorkshire demonstrated the two sides to his game and he followed that up by becoming the youngest Lancashire player to receive a county cap since the war.

Rob Jones won the Champagne Moment of the Year Award for his century celebration against Middlesex.

In a disappointing season for Lancashire in all formats, Hameed's emergence at the top of the order will be considered one of the shining lights in an otherwise frustrating campaign for Ashley Giles' side. Two other recipients from the gala dinner were Liam Livingstone and Rob Jones, who - like Hameed - have also come through the Lancashire establishment in a consolidating season.

Livingstone, who made 70 on his first-class debut, went on to score a century against Somerset at Taunton in the next match, with his season haul of 815 runs in four-day cricket and eye-catching displays in white-ball cricket earning him the Young Player of the Year Award. Jones, meanwhile, received the Champagne Moment of the Year Award for his century celebration against champions Middlesex in the final home game of the season.

A potentially match-saving hundred was celebrated by Jones - playing in only his third first-class match for Lancashire - with a flurry of punches towards the dressing room. Veteran Alviro Petersen, who made Lancashire's highest ever score in the Twenty20 format of 103 not out against Leicestershire, was given the One-Day Award, while Kyle Jarvis was rewarded for claiming over 50 wickets in red-ball cricket with the Championship Player of the Year Award.

Buck leaves Lancashire for Northamptonshire

Fast bowler Nathan Buck has decided to join Northamptonshire on a three-year deal after leaving Lancashire at the end of the 2016 season.

The former Leicestershire seamer joined Lancashire in September 2014, but he spent most of his first full season with the club on the sidelines due to injury. Buck, 25, took 12 wickets in the NatWest T20 Blast for the Red Rose county this summer at an average of 17.17 and he played a key part in both one-day competitions.

However, with one year left on his contract, Buck and Lancashire have mutually agreed to part company. Head Coach and Director of Cricket, Ashley Giles, said: "I would like to thank Nathan for his efforts over the past two years and wish him well for the future."

Buck featured in three County Championship matches this season, but only managed to take two wickets at an average of 105.00, as Lancashire narrowly avoided relegation from Division One. His performances in the One-Day Cup were much more impressive, with his eight scalps in the 50-over contest coming at 26.75.

Durham spare Lancashire blushes after Warwickshire defeat

Lancashire avoided relegation on the final day of the season despite suffering a hefty defeat against Warwickshire at Edgabston by 237 runs.

The Red Rose county were indebted to Durham, who beat Hampshire by six wickets at Southampton, which allowed Lancashire to survive their third successive relegation by the slim margin of 10 points. Lancashire were bowled out for just 109 in their second innings, having been dismissed for 152 first time around, but Surrey-bound Durham duo Mark Stoneman (137) and Scott Borthwick (88) guided their side to victory in their final appearances for the county to relegate Hampshire by chasing 296.

Overnight batsman and nightwatchman Simon Kerrigan (10) batted longer than any other Lancashire player, surviving nearly two and a half hours and 117 balls, but the visitors suffered a massive defeat to leave them with an uncomfortable wait before the end of the Hampshire v Durham match. Riki Clarke (4-20) and Jeetan Patel (3-46) were the chief destroyers for Warwickshire, as they secured their first win at home all season to maintain their first-division status.

Warwickshire showed all of their experience against a relatively young and inexperienced Lancashire side, with the visitors coming into the final day of the season on 28/3 chasing a mammoth target of 347. A miraculous victory on the final day, or even a draw, would have been enough for Lancashire to secure their place in Division One for another season, but their fifth defeat of the season meant that eyes turned to events in Southampton.

Hampshire set Durham 296 to win, knowing that only a victory would keep them up, declaring on 245/9 before lunch. Durham, who were already safe from relegation, were ruthless in their pursuit, with Stoneman's century and 88 from Borthwick leaving Durham supporters with conflicting emotions, due to the fact that both players will be playing first-class cricket at The Oval next summer.

Kerrigan and Haseeb Hameed started the day with promise, denying Warwickshire a breakthrough until nearly an hour had passed, but key wickets continued to fall and by lunch Lancashire's cause became nigh on impossible. The patient and resilient approach demonstrated by Hameed (27) all season made the 19-year-old opener a crucial scalp for Warwickshire and when he edged Chris Wright to Clarke at second slip, the reaction shown by fans and fielders alike demonstrated their relief. 

Crucial innings from Steven Croft against the likes of Nottinghamshire and Hampshire earned Lancashire valuable draws in the latter stages of this season, but he was unable to contribute another gritty knock for his side, nudging Clarke's first ball of the day to Sam Hain at short-leg for 1. With the captain and teenage Test opener in waiting both in the pavilion, a dejected Lancashire were left with an unenviable task and a relentless Warwickshire capitalised on their despondency to claim the last five wickets shortly after lunch.

While Kerrigan reached a century of deliveries, Liam Livingstone (7) edged Patel to Jonathan Trott at slip, as Lancashire reached lunch on 72/6. Kiwi spinner Patel struck either side of lunch, taking his season tally to 69 scalps with the wicket of Kerrigan, with his resilient rearguard coming to an end after 142 minutes at the crease. The nightwatchman feathered Patel to Clarke at slip at 73/7 shortly after the resumption and Jordan Clark followed when he was bowled by Rikki Clarke for 8.

Clarke wrapped up the innings by removing Tom Bailey (1) and Kyle Jarvis (4) to finish with four wickets, but not before Arron Lilley hit four boundaries and a six off Patel in an unbeaten run-a-ball 27 to take Lancashire beyond 100. Lilley finished the innings as Lancashire's joint top-scorer with Hameed and the tenth wicket worth 26 runs proved to be the highest of the second innings. 

Lancashire fell to 83/9 when Bailey was bowled for 1 by Clarke, who then had Jarvis held by Ian Westwood at short-leg to end proceedings and confirm Warwickshire's safety with a resounding victory. A potentially nervous wait for Lancashire was relatively comfortable, due to the efforts of Stoneman and Borthwick, as Durham wrapped up a six-wicket win to end the season on a high.

Lancashire destiny resting with Durham heading into final day

Lancashire's Division One safety will likely be decided by the outcome of Durham's visit to Hampshire after the Red Rose endured another tough day at Edgbaston against fellow relegation contenders Warwickshire.

The visitors slumped to 28/3, chasing a fourth-innings target of 347, after Warwickshire declared their second innings on 279/7. Warwickshire, who have not won at home all season in four-day cricket, look well set to end that drought after claiming three late wickets in 18 overs before close of play, while Lancashire are on course to end the season without a win away from Old Trafford in the County Championship.

Lancashire, who are hoping to avoid the ignominy of three successive relegations, will be hoping that Durham can continue their impressive recovery against Hampshire at Southampton, with either a draw or a Durham win preventing the Red Rose from joining Nottinghamshire in the second division. 

After avoiding the follow-on, Durham rallied to fall 50 runs short of Hampshire's first-innings total of 411, with Michael Richardson left stranded on 99 not out when his side were eventually bowled out for 361. Hampshire then fell to 176/7 in their second innings attempting to set Durham a target on the final day, with the hosts leading by 226 runs at the Ageas Bowl. 

Warwickshire resumed on 12/0, having already extended their first-innings lead from 67 to 79 on the second evening, with Tom Bailey (1-62) striking an early breakthrough in the fourth over of the day when he had Alex Mellor (6) out lbw offering no shot. Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott recovered from this early blip by recording only the second fifty-partnership of the match, as Warwickshire started to take their lead into a dangerous territory for Lancashire, who were dismissed for 152 in their first innings.

Two boundaries in the space of three balls from Trott (42) brought up the fifty-partnership in just 67 deliveries, before Jordan Clark (1-30) ended their stand with his fourth ball of the day. Overnight batsman Westwood departed for 34 in the same way as his opening partner, offering no stroke to Clark having been hit on the knee role in front of middle stump, as Warwickshire progressed to 74/2.

Arron Lilley then had Trott bowled with the second ball of his spell in the final over before lunch, ripping the ball between bat and pad to knock out the off-stump. Regular boundaries for Ian Bell and Sam Hain ensured that Warwickshire continued to build a sizeable lead, as they added a further 38 runs for the fourth wicket.

Kyle Jarvis (1-50) broke the partnership when he had Bell bowled for 31, but with multiple Warwickshire batsman making contributions, Lancashire were facing a daunting prospect when their turn to bat arrived. Lilley (3-56) trapped Hain lbw for 30, as another of Warwickshire's batsmen failed to offer a shot, before Rikki Clarke was also struck on the pad by Simon Kerrigan (1-55) for 20.

Keith Barker (23) handed Lilley his third victim when he became the fifth lbw casualty of the innings, the final wicket to fall in Warwickshire's second innings at 234/7. Tim Ambrose top-scored for Warwickshire with an unbeaten 59, reaching his half-century in 103 balls, as he found solid company in Jeetan Patel. The Kiwi off-spinner enjoyed a late cameo of 23, hitting both Lancashire spinners for straight sixes after Steven Croft failed to gather the ball for a stumping off Lilley.

This late hitting allowed Warwickshire to declare on 279/7 with a lead of 346 runs and Lancashire's efforts before close of play meant that the hosts would enter the fourth day with a strong chance of victory. Rob Jones fell in the third over of the run-chase when he was wrapped on the pads by Barker (1-11) and Lancashire slipped to 26/3 in the closing stages of the day when Luke Procter (7) and Karl Brown (4) followed to a buoyant Warwickshire bowling attack.

Patel (1-13) had Procter lbw in the tenth over and Brown recorded another single-figure score, edging behind to Ambrose off Chris Wright (1-2). Lancashire will start the final day of the season on 28/3, with Haseeb Hameed (11*) and nightwatchman Simon Kerrigan (0*) at the crease, but the Red Rose will be depending on Durham to do them a favour. 

Lancashire safety in question after Edgasbton capitulation

Lancashire's Division One status is hanging in the balance after they were dismissed for 152 by Warwickshire on the second day of their visit to Edgbaston, in what could prove to be a winner takes all clash.

Keith Barker (4-30) led the Lancashire demolition to hand Warwickshire a handy first-innings lead of 67 in a low-scoring affair at the bottom of the first division, after the hosts were bowled out for 219 on the first day by the visitors. Captain Steven Croft top-scored with 45, sharing 55 runs with Jordan Clark (34) to help Lancashire recover from falling to 35/0 to 39/4 in the morning session, but batting continued to be difficult for the Red Rose.

Bad light and heavy rain saw the final session of the day washed out, but Lancashire will now be keeping an eye on events at Southampton, as Hampshire pursue victory against a Durham side who are already safe from the prospect of relegation. Should Lancashire lose, they would need Durham to hold on for a draw and they will start tomorrow needing 19 more runs to avoid the follow-on after Hampshire scored 411 in their first innings.

Overnight batsmen, Haseeb Hameed and Rob Jones, survived nine overs prior to the close on the first day and Lancashire were 15 minutes away from surviving the first hour of the second day unscathed, but a damaging spell left them on the back-foot. Hameed (17) was first to fall and the first of three Lancashire players to be out lbw, as Rikki Clarke (1-24) trapped the teenager in front attempting to play into the leg-side.

Having batted nearly 19 overs without losing a wicket, Lancashire lost both opening batsmen in the space of five balls, as Jones (8) fell in the next over to Chris Wright when he too was struck on the pad. Wright struck again at the start of his next over to remove Karl Brown (1) cheaply at 37/3 - the third lbw decision in 14 deliveries - and Luke Procter (1) followed soon after, driving and edging Barker behind to Tim Ambrose.

Croft and Liam Livingstone were able to pull Lancashire away from trouble with a positive partnership and Livingstone's temperament in particular was well suited to the situation. A series of purposeful strokes saw Lancashire recover to 79/4 on the verge of lunch, but the pair were unable to reach lunch before the fifth wicket arrived.

Livingstone's counterpunch and a sequence of well executed sweeps from Croft kept the scoreboard moving in the right direction, but Livingstone was forced to leave the field at lunch in a contentious manner after slapping Oliver Hannon-Dalby to Barker at mid-wicket, as he fell for 21 two balls before lunch was due to be taken.

Croft and Clark added a crucial stand worth 55 runs in 18 overs after the resumption, as Lancashire attempted to reduce the deficit, but Warwickshire made the most of their promising display in the morning session by ultimately claiming a hefty lead in a low-scoring contest. Clark punished anything that was overpitched from Barker, while Croft continued to favour sweeping against Jeetan Patel (2-42).

They achieved a fifty-partnership in 95 balls, the highest partnership of the match so far, but the last five wickets fell of 18 runs. Barker claimed the first of three lower-order wickets to finish with 4-30, claiming the prized scalp of skipper Croft on 45 when he was bowled at 134/6.

Clark took the aggressive route by slapping Patel for a huge six over deep mid-wicket, but Arron Lilley fell two balls later attempting to replicate this shot, only to be bowled by the off-spinner for 4. Tom Bailey took four wickets of his own on the first day, but he was unable to inspire with the bat, as he followed soon after without scoring, prodding Patel's spin to Ian Bell at leg-slip, the third wicket to fall in five overs.

Barker then wrapped up the innings, taking his Championship tally to 58 wickets for the season, as he  bowled a defiant Clark for 34, before removing Kyle Jarvis (3) in the same manner. Warwickshire extended their first-innings lead from 67 to 79 runs before bad light brought a halt to proceedings, with heavy rain causing 33 overs to be lost at the end of the second day.

Bailey wickets put Lancashire in control against Warwickshire

Lancashire enjoyed a strong opening day to their visit to Edgbaston, as they bowled out Warwickshire for 219 to give them the upper hand in their fight to avoid relegation from Division One. 

Tom Bailey (4-52) played a key role in the Warwickshire demolition, while Kyle Jarvis (1-54) took his first-class tally to 50 wickets with the scalp of Ian Bell. Sam Hain (52) hit a vital half-century to give the hosts a respectable total, but Jordan Clark (3-20) continued to take key wickets, including former England batsman Jonathan Trott, as the Red Rose took a huge step towards avoiding three successive relegations.

The visitors then consolidated their advantage by reaching close of play unscathed on 14/0, knowing that a draw would be sufficient to secure their first-division status. Lancashire entered the final match of the season with a six-point cushion over Warwickshire and their second bonus point confirmed that a seven-point draw would deny the Bears the opportunity to overtake Lancashire, which would leave the Bears in a worrying position, especially if Hampshire hammer home their strong showing from the first day after they made 370/6 against Durham.

Lancashire made an excellent start to the day on a green surface in overcast conditions when Bailey struck with the fourth ball of the match, trapping Ian Westwood lbw for no score. Alex Mellor led the Warwickshire counterpunch with a series of well-timed drives down the ground during his eye-catching knock of 27, but his innings failed to develop into a long-term threat for Lancashire, as he edged a drive off Bailey to Liam Livingstone at first slip on 43/2.

Warwickshire were hopeful of a third-wicket revival between two of England's most successful batsmen in recent times and Bell and Trott certainly showed initial signs of their class with flowing shots through the covers. However, Trott - who reached 1,000 runs for the season for the seventh time in his career - started to get into a rut, particularly when Simon Kerrigan was introduced, and pressure started to build at both ends.

Kerrigan's sharp turn and Clark's variation kept both Bell and Trott (25) guessing and eventually an unplayable ball from Clark did for Trott, who edged an away-swinging delivery behind to Steven Croft after the experienced duo had added 37 runs together in an attritional partnership. Warwickshire's plight continued after lunch, although Bell looked to get his side moving after a sedated return from the interval, as he hit back-to-back boundaries off Bailey.

Bell threatened to take the match away from the visitors, but Jarvis secured 50 Championship wickets for the second season in a row when he had the Warwickshire captain out lbw for 37 with his third ball after lunch. After removing the home skipper, Jarvis then played an instrumental role in the field in the next over, running out Tim Ambrose for a four-ball duck to reduce Warwickshire to 105/5.

The Zimbabwean's direct-hit saw Ambrose fall comfortably shy of his ground, although the Warwickshire wicketkeeper was slow setting off for a single from the non-strikers end after Hain's call. It was therefore crucial that Hain kicked on after these two quick wickets, as he went on to achieve only his second fifty of the summer.

The last time that Hain reached a half-century, he converted it into 135 against Hampshire in July, but it was not the sort of day or pitch on which batsmen could easily prosper. Clark backed up the wicket of Trott by removing his namesake Rikki Clarke (16) with the third ball of a new spell, forcing the Warwickshire veteran to swivel in his crease towards the leg-side, only to find himself hit on the front pad dead in front of middle stump at 142/6.

Clark's second wicket in four overs confirmed two bonus points for Lancashire, a big step in their bid to avoid relegation and they continued to enjoy a strong showing with the ball after capitalising on the opportunity to put Warwickshire into bat. Hain reached tea on 46 after hitting three fours in the penultimate over of the session, progressing to fifty in 109 deliveries shortly after the resumption.

Hain and Keith Barker resisted Lancashire's post-tea onslaught with confidence, adding 40 runs for the seventh wicket either side of the break, but Luke Procter (1-39) claimed a deserved breakthrough at 182/7. The key wicket of Hain (52) came when he became the fourth Warwickshire batsman to be given out lbw, playing on the back foot to Procter, who was rewarded for his economical performance in the first session against the likes of Trott and Bell.

Barker (22) soon followed when he had his middle stump pegged back by Clark, who finished with figures of 3-20 from nine overs. Jeetan Patel (26) took Warwickshire beyond 200 with three quickfire boundaries in the 74th over, but Bailey returned with the second new ball to wrap up the innings with four wickets to his name.

After forcing Chris Wright (4) to edge behind, Bailey then had Patel held on the cover boundary by Haseeb Hameed, as he finished with 4-52. Hameed and Rob Jones (2*) then negated a potentially unnerving nine overs before the close in the fading light, although England-bound Hameed (4) was offered a life on 1 when he was shelled by Clarke at second slip with a routine edge off Barker in the fifth over.

Preview: Warwickshire v Lancashire - Specsavers CC

Lancashire will be without Alviro Petersen for their final match of the season, as they travel to Edgbaston for a vital meeting with Warwickshire.

Petersen, who has scored 1,134 Championship runs this season, has returned home to South Africa for personal reasons, leaving Lancashire with a hole to fill for Tuesday's trip to Birmingham, with both teams still relegation candidates heading into the final round of matches.

The Red Rose county enter this match on the back of a hard-fought draw against budding county champions Middlesex, with Rob Jones scoring a maiden first-class hundred to steer Lancashire to within 11 points of confirming their first-division status. 

The success of young Jones at the top of the order has been timely, especially now that Petersen has left the country, but the 20-year-old batsman picked a good time to register his first century for Lancashire when they found themselves 6/4 and 32/5 against a Middlesex side vying to upset Yorkshire's plans to record three successive County Championship titles.

Jones could also be facing a hefty responsibility next season after Lancashire's teenage opening batsman Haseeb Hameed was selected for the winter tour to Bangladesh in the same week that he received his County Cap. Warwickshire's absence in the last round of matches allowed Lancashire to take a valuable six-point lead over their upcoming opponents and Lancashire also have the added advantage of winning more matches over the course of the season.

With that in mind, both teams will be keen to extinguish any chances of joining Nottinghamshire in Division Two next summer, although Lancashire are without a win in their last 10 attempts in red-ball cricket. Matthew Parkinson claimed 5-49 on his Lancashire debut when the sides last met in June at Old Trafford, but a rearguard from Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott ensured that the match ended in a draw.

Buoyant from their One-Day Cup success against Surrey, the Bears will be hoping to record their first win since the start of July when they beat Surrey by ten wickets at Guildford inside three days. Dougie Brown's side might have been further away from the prospect of relegation had they been able to win at Taunton at the start of September, but they were unable to capitalise on bowling Somerset out for 95 in their first innings, as they suffered a 31-run defeat chasing 184 to win.

Warwickshire, who were champions back in 2012, are still not safe from relegation, although a victory against Lancashire would preserve their first-division status despite an indifferent season. Lancashire, meanwhile, would settle for a seven-point draw, as a maximum haul of 13 points for a draw would still see Warwickshire finish below Ashley Giles' side on virtue of games won.

In addition to Petersen's absence, Lancashire are also without Jos Buttler from their match against Middlesex, as the England ODI captain rests ahead of the tour to Bangaldesh and latterly India this winter. Varun Chopra, who was due to leave Warwickshire at the end of the season, has joined Essex earlier than expected, meaning that the Bears are without his experience at the top of the innings.

Warwickshire 13-man squad: Ian Bell (c), Tim Ambrose (wk), Keith Barker, Rikki Clarke, Sam Hain, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Ateeq Javid, Alex Mellor, Jeetan Patel, Josh Poysden, Jonathan Trott, Chris Wright, Ian Westwood.

Lancashire 13-man squad: Steven Croft (c&wk), Tom Bailey, Nathan Buck, Jordan Clark, Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Jarvis, Rob Jones, Simon Kerrigan, Danny Lamb, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Luke Procter.

Hameed selected for Bangladesh tour

Lancashire's teenage prodigy Haseeb Hameed has been named in a 17-man England squad for the Bangladesh tour starting next month.

If selected, Hameed will be the youngest England Test debutant since Adam Hollioake in 1997, with his stellar form attracting the attention of national selectors from a very early stage in his career.

19-year-old Hameed has broken several records in a remarkable season for Lancashire, reaching 1,000 runs in his twelfth match by scoring centuries in both innings against county champions Yorkshire.

The Bolton-born opening batsman has scored 1,154 runs in red-ball cricket at an average of 52.45 this season and he was awarded his county cap during the Middlesex fixture this week, making him the youngest player to receive this honour for Lancashire since the war.

Hameed has been selected alongside fellow Lancastrian James Anderson, as well as Jos Buttler, who will captain the ODI side after Eoin Morgan's decision not to travel due to safety concerns. 

Northamptonshire's Ben Duckett is also included in the 17-man squad after an incredible season in all formats and a particularly special triangular series with the England Lions in which he made scores of  168, 61 and 220. The left-handed batsman has registered four centuries in the County Championship this season, returning 1,338 runs in 16 games for Northants in the second division.

Surrey spin duo Zafar Ansari and veteran Gareth Batty are also travelling to Bangladesh, with the latter last playing for England 11 years ago.

England Test squad: Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Gareth Batty, Staurt Broad, Jos Butler, Ben Duckett, Steven Finn, Haseeb Hameed, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Petersen to miss final Lancashire game

Alviro Petersen will miss Lancashire's final match of the 2016 season against Warwickshire at Edgbaston after returning home for personal reasons.

The South-African batsman is in the last year of a two-year contract at Old Trafford, although he does have the option of a third year, should he wish to accept it. Petersen has previously stated that staying with Lancashire for another year would be difficult for him and his family, as the former Test cricketer awaits the arrival of his second child.

Petersen has scored 1,134 runs in the County Championship this season and his form in the T20 Blast nearly earned Lancashire a place in the knockout stages, including a club record score of 103* against Leicestershire.

An 11-point draw against Warwickshire would guarantee Lancashire's first-division status, after a hard-fought draw with Division One leaders Middlesex at Old Trafford this week. Petersen has made nine fifties and three centuries this season in red-ball cricket, including a high score of 191 at Lord's.

Lancashire earn valuable draw against Middlesex

Lancashire took a huge leap towards surviving the drop in the first division by earning a nine-point draw against title-chasing Middlesex in the final home game of the season.

Middlesex set the Red Rose an unlikely target of 309 from 44 overs and Jos Buttler made an entertaining 26 from 14 balls with a plethora of trademark ramp shots, but Lancashire settled for a draw, finishing on 80/1.

Overnight batsmen Dawid Malan (87) and John Simpson (74) batted for the entire morning session to deny Lancashire a victory that would have guaranteed their first division status, as they went on to share 151 runs for the fifth wicket. Simon Kerrigan finished with match figures of 10-166 after pulling Lancashire back into contention with a flurry of wickets after lunch, as Middlesex lost four wickets for 19 runs in their search for quick runs to set Lancashire a target.

The visitors declared on 225/8 and when Buttler opened the batting, it suggested that Lancashire were interested in pursuing 309 runs to win at a rate of more than seven runs per over, particularly when the England ODI captain started ramping Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones. But, once he fell, first-innings centurion Rob Jones and England-bound Haseeb Hameed both made 25 to steer Lancashire to the close with a valuable draw.

Both Malan and Simpson reached half-centuries in the morning session, as Kerrigan's search for an early breakthrough continued to be thwarted by their stoic approach. Simpson made the most of a dropped catch by Buttler on 8 when he edged Kyle Jarvis in the opening stages of the final day and this proved to be as close as Lancashire came before lunch.

Malan - who reached a 128-ball fifty before the break - was well on his way to reaching three figures when he edged an innocuous delivery from Kerrigan behind to Buttler, as Middlesex reached 206/5. From that moment on, the Division One leaders threw the bat in order to set Lancashire a possible fourth innings run-chase, but Ashley Giles's side were content with a draw given that they found themselves 6/4 and 32/5 in their first innings.

The decision to promote Roland-Jones initially reaped rewards for Middlesex when he clobbered Kerrigan for a straight six, but the left-arm spinner struck with his next ball, having taken his first-class tally beyond 300 wickets yesterday evening. Roland-Jones mistimed and skied Kerrigan to Jones in the covers and skipper James Franklin followed for a two-ball duck in the same over when he picked out Steven Croft on the long-off boundary.

Simpson capitalised on being dropped by Buttler to reach his eighth fifty of the season in 150 deliveries before lunch, but his wicket made it four wickets for 19 runs inside five overs. Luke Procter (1-41) bowled Simpson for 74 when he shuffled across his crease and had his leg-stump uprooted, with Middlesex declaring soon after his departure.

Buttler gave Lancashire early hope with his typically eye-catching approach, hitting his first ball for a boundary and taking 13 runs from his first six balls at the crease. By the time the wicketkeeper-batsman fell for 26, he was responsible for all of Lancashire's runs, including a scooped six into the pavilion.

His cavalier tact was entirely contrasted by Jones, who scored a maiden first-class century in Lancashire's first innings, playing a crucial role in earning the Red Rose a hard-fought draw. Buttler's cameo came to an end when a leading edge off Finn (1-20) flew to Nick Compton in the covers, with this wicket ending any remote interest Lancashire had in chasing 309.

For the rest of the match, Jones and Hameed kept Middlesex at bay with an unbeaten 54-run partnership, with a nine-point draw taking Lancashire above Warwickshire ahead of their meeting at Edgbaston in the final round of matches. With Durham beating Surrey, one of three teams will join Nottinghamshire in the second division next season out of Lancashire, Warwickshire and Hampshire.

For Middlesex, an 11-point draw means that they enter their match against Yorkshire in a strong position, knowing that the White Rose would need to beat them to stand any chance of achieving their third successive title. Somerset will also head into the final round of matches with a chance of lifting silverware after beating Yorkshire inside three days by ten wickets at Headingley.

Jones maiden hundred upsets leaders Middlesex

Rob Jones (106*) became the youngest Lancashire player to carry his bat for 81 years with a maiden first-class century, as Division One leaders Middlesex lost their hold over the encounter at Emirates Old Trafford.

Jones - who batted for nearly seven hours - shared crucial partnerships with Liam Livingstone (53) and Tom Bailey to steer Lancashire beyond the follow-on after they had slipped to 6/4 and 32/5 on the second evening, with Simon Kerrigan taking his first-class tally above 300 wickets with a late flurry on the third day.

Livingstone and Jones extended their overnight partnership from 70 to 106, as Livingstone made his ninth fifty of the season, before Bailey made a career-best 53. Lancashire finished on 259 with two valuable batting points and if they are able to draw this match, it will mean that they start the final game of the season against Warwickshire with a six-point lead over the Edgbaston outfit.

However, Lancashire will now be hoping that they can go on to achieve a miraculous comeback after Kerrigan's antics in the evening session, with the left-arm spinner taking his match haul to seven wickets after claiming three wickets in his first six overs, with Middlesex closing on 72/4 with a 140-run lead.

Lancashire resumed their first innings on 102/5, as the heavy rain from yesterday evening was soaked up by the excellent drainage at Old Trafford. A special day for Jones started with him bringing up a maiden first-class fifty in 151 deliveries, as he and Livingstone added a hundred-partnership in 235 balls to lead Lancashire towards the follow-on target of 178.

Livingstone's naturally free-scoring approach allowed the defiant Jones to continue with his more attritional approach, as he achieved his ninth score of fifty or more this season with eight boundaries in 117 balls. The ball after reaching his half-century, Livingstone tried to repeat the shot that took him to fifty, attempting to guide the ball along the floor through the slips, but a quicker delivery from Steven Finn (4-71) caught the edge and flew to Ollie Rayner at second slip.

Having added 106 runs with Jones for the sixth wicket, Lancashire were still 40 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on, but another vital stand with Bailey ensured that the hosts made Middlesex bat again. Jones deferred from his patient approach on his way towards three-figures, lofting Rayner back over his head for the first of two maximums, although his second six proved to be more memorable.

By the time lunch arrived, Jones and Bailey had already added 30 runs for the seventh wicket and their overall partnership worth 92 runs confirmed a tremendous rally from Lancashire after a devastating top-order collapse left them facing a potential innings defeat. Despite taking the new ball, Middlesex were unable to take four wickets before Lancashire could reach 178, with Jones and Bailey adding a fifty-partnership in 184 deliveries.

Lancashire's first batting point meant that Ashley Giles' side moved above Warwickshire in the table by virtue of number of wins, a huge advantage given that the sides meet in the final round of matches. Bailey injected a surge of runs with two successive boundaries off Tim Murtagh, twice pulling the Irishman to the fence on his way to a maiden first-class fifty and a new career-best score.

He reached fifty in 125 balls with his eighth boundary, before Finn took two wickets in two balls to remove both Bailey and Kyle Jarvis (0). Rayner was once again called into question in the slips when Bailey edged Finn on 53, before Jarvis nicked a rising delivery to Nick Compton to gully for a golden duck.

Kerrigan survived the hat-trick ball and accompanied Jones on his way to a momentous century, one that the 20-year-old celebrated in memorable fashion. Jones, playing in only his third match for Lancashire, smashed Rayner for an even bigger six and he turned to the dressing room with euphoric delight, punching the air several times to show his joy.

Finn claimed his fourth victim when he had Kerrigan (10) trapped lbw shuffling across his stumps, while Rayner (1-62) ended the innings at 259 when he bowled Toby Lester for 1, leaving young Jones unbeaten on 106. Jones was the youngest player to carry his bat for Lancashire since Cyril Washbrook in 1935 against Worcestershire and his innings brought the home side back into contention despite surrendering a first-innings lead of 68.

Sam Robson made a purposeful start to the Middlesex second innings, hitting Bailey for two boundaries in the first over, but Jarvis (1-24) struck with his fourth ball of the innings to remove Nick Gubbins for a five-ball duck, with Livingstone holding on safely at first slip. For the rest of the day, Kerrigan continued to cause Middlesex problems with his left-arm spin, with the 27-year-old repeating his feat from the first innings by taking a wicket with his very first ball.

Kerrigan sent Robson (26) on his way with a plumb lbw appeal, forcing the opening batsman to play across his stumps and trapping him on the back pad to leave Middlesex on 36/2. Two days after renewing his contract at Old Trafford, Kerrigan enjoyed an evening session flurry, removing Compton (10) and Stephen Eskinazi in the same fashion to give Lancashire a slim chance of achieving victory on the final day against the Division One leaders.

Both Compton and Eskinazi (4) were trapped lbw in the space of four overs from Kerrigan, who at one stage had figures of 3 for 3 in 5.3 overs. Compton's departure handed Kerrigan 300 first-class scalps and the wicket of Eskinazi left Middlesex on 55/4 with a lead of only 123 runs. David Malan (20*) and John Simpson (7*) ensured no further losses before stumps, although Livingstone had a emphatic lbw appeal against Simpson turned down off the final ball of the day.

Yorkshire's ten-wicket defeat against Somerset means that Middlesex will almost certainly extend their slender lead at the top of the table ahead of their meeting with the Tykes in the final round of matches. It also means that Middlesex will be desperate not to lose tomorrow, but Lancashire will be vying for their first victory in nine attempts in their pursuit to avoid a third successive relegation from the first division.

Middlesex inch closer to title after strong day at Old Trafford

Middlesex made a significant leap towards achieving a first County Championship title in 23 years with a damaging bowling display on Day Two against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Division One front-runners restricted Lancashire to 102/5 after they had posted 327 in their first innings, as 12 wickets fell on an action-packed second day before rain brought a halt to proceedings. A ferocious new-ball spell from Toby Roland-Jones (4-24) saw Lancashire stumble to 6/4 in the eighth over, before Rob Jones (42*) and Liam Livingstone (31*) added an unbroken stand worth 70 runs to lead the Lancashire resistance.

Lancashire had enjoyed a tremendous bowling performance of their own on the second morning, claiming the final eight Middlesex wickets for 79 runs, with seven of those wickets coming in the morning session. Simon Kerrigan (4-80) finished with four wickets the day after renewing his Lancashire contract until 2018, while Kyle Jarvis (3-70) and Tom Bailey (2-72) also contributed to a strong performance, as Middlesex squandered their platform of 248/2.

However, Lancashire were soon on the back foot after lunch, losing England-bound Haseeb Hameed for a nine-ball duck. England's newly elected ODI captain, Jos Buttler, later departed for 16 to leave the Red Rose 32/5, before Jones and Livingstone's rearguard spared Lancashire's blushes. Middlesex's victory charge was held up by bad light and the threat of rain, although with Yorkshire heading for a heavy defeat against Somerset, the visitors will be confident of extending their slender gap at the top of the table ahead of the final round of matches.

Dawid Malan (53) became the fourth Middlesex batsman to reach fifty in the first full over of the day, reaching this milestone in 109 deliveries, but both overnight batsmen were soon back in the pavilion. Malan and Stephen Eskinazi (4) fell in the space of six balls to commence Lancashire's comeback with the ball, as Bailey struck the early breakthrough in forcing Malan to play-on, knocking his leg-stump out of the ground.

Eskinzai then followed in the next over to Jarvis, who claimed his third wicket of the innings when he got one to nibble off the seam and remove the off-stump. Bailey struck again three overs later, encouraging John Simpson (5) to edge to Steven Croft at second slip, as Lancashire seized a second bowling point to leave Middlesex on 272/6. The visitors then lost their fourth wicket of the morning for 37 runs when Ollie Rayner edged Kerrigan's first ball of the day to Livingstone at slip for six, with captain James Franklin guiding his side to a third batting point with one ball to spare in the 110th over.

Kerrigan claimed another scalp soon after when he bowled Roland-Jones for 17 with one that kept low, responding strongly after being hit for a straight six by the Middlesex seamer. Croft (1-19) added to the Middlesex plight, forcing a brilliant one-handed catch from Jones at short-leg to remove Tim Murtagh (4), before Kerrigan wrapped up the innings by bowling Steven Finn for two.

After claiming the final seven Middlesex wickets for 65 runs in the morning session, Lancashire's ecstasy was thrown into sharp relief when their top order collapsed in the face of a rampant new-ball burst from Roland-Jones. Hameed recorded a rare duck when he edged Roland-Jones to Rayner at second slip in the fourth over, before Luke Procter's drive off Murtagh (1-24) flew to Eskinazi in the gully to leave the score at 3/2.

Alviro Petersen (3) followed in the next over - the eighth over of the innings - in controversial fashion, when he was judged caught behind down the leg-side off Roland-Jones, although the South-African batsman suggested that the ball had deflected off his pad as he dragged himself off the pitch in a disconsolate manner. Lancashire's agony continued as 6/3 became 6/4 two balls later, with skipper Croft losing his off-stump to give Roland-Jones his third wicket in 21 balls.

Buttler led a mini revival with three boundaries in the same over off Murtagh, twice driving the Irish pace bowler through the covers, before ending the over with a straight drive towards the pavilion. Jones responded with consecutive boundaries in the next over to suggest that Lancashire were building a vital partnership, but Buttler strangled down the leg-side to Simpson off Roland-Jones at 32/5, as the England wicketkeeper was unable to drag the Red Rose out of the mire.

A new-ball spell of 4-18 in 6.1 overs from Roland-Jones had left Lancashire facing an uphill struggle, but newly-elected opening batsman Jones and Livingstone guided the hosts to close of play with a crucial partnership. The duo occupied the crease for 25 overs with gritty application, although the miserable overhead conditions made their cause all the more difficult.

Middlesex were forced to bowl an over of spin from Rayner before the umpires decided to call an early tea due to bad light at 57/5 and the partnership between Jones and Livingstone continued to blossom after the interval. When the evening session started, 45 overs were still due to be bowled in the day, although bad light and the threat of rain meant that a total of 28 overs were lost from the day's play.

Jones - playing in only his third first-class game for Lancashire - brought up the fifty-partnership with Livingstone in 81 balls with a sumptuous straight drive down the ground and the 20-year-old is on course for a maiden half-century after reaching stumps on a new career-best score of 42 not out. Lancashire still trail by 225 runs heading into the third day, with the follow-on target of 178 being the primary objective for the home side, as they strive to avoid relegation from the first division.

Lancashire toil as Middlesex batsmen prosper

Division One leaders Middlesex enjoyed a commanding performance with the bat on the opening day of their trip to Lancashire, as three of their batsmen made half-centuries at Emirates Old Trafford.

Sam Robson (77) and Nick Gubbins shared 127 runs for the opening stand either side of lunch, before Nick Compton (56) and David Malan added 97 runs for the third-wicket to consolidate the platform laid out by the Middlesex openers. 

The visitors reached 258/3 at the close after Gubbins (69) - who scored a double-hundred against Lancashire at Lord's earlier this season - took his season tally to 1,191 runs. Malan then steered Middlesex to stumps in a strong position with 49 not out, as he approaches his sixth fifty of the campaign.

Opting to put Middlesex into bat in overcast conditions, Lancashire enjoyed probing opening spells from Kyle Jarvis (2-54) and Tom Bailey in the first hour of the day without making any breakthroughs. Robson and Gubbins negated a difficult passage in the match, before opening up and entering lunch in a healthy position at 93/0.

Gubbins was the instigator of the increase in tempo, hitting two boundaries through the covers in quick succession off Bailey on his way to an 89-ball fifty. The Middlesex openers shared a fifty-partnership inside 18 overs, before Gubbins went on to achieve his eleventh half-century of the season shortly before the lunch interval.

Lancashire returned after lunch - with England-bound Haseeb Hameed donning his County Cap - but Middlesex continued to thrive. The hundred-partnership came up between Robson and Gubbins just after the break, before bad light briefly halted their progress due to the floodlights not being available, owing to the fact that they hadn't cooled down enough from the morning session.

Robson came back fighting after this disruption in play to reach his seventh half-century of the season in 111 deliveries with eight fours, but both openers fell in a short space of time in a profitable post-lunch spell for Lancashire. Gubbins mistimed a pull shot off Jarvis to Alviro Petersen at mid-wicket, before Robson flashed a drive to Liam Livingstone at slip off Simon Kerrigan (1-63), who signed a two-year deal with Lancashire this morning.

Lancashire continued to cause problems after lunch, with Steven Croft's off-spin nearly forcing Compton to play-on, while Toby Lester encouraged Malan to edge wide of Livingstone at slip. Middlesex secured their first batting point just before tea, entering the interval on 204/2, with England exile Compton becoming the third Middlesex batsman to reach a half-century in the match in the early stages of the evening session.

Compton hit a lofted six down the ground off Kerrigan on his way to a 119-ball fifty, before Jarvis returned with the new ball to earn Lancashire a crucial bowling point in the context of their fight to avoid relegation. Jarvis struck with his third delivery with the new ball, removing Compton's off-stump at 248/3, but bad light curtailed the opening day with six overs remaining.

With Yorkshire being dismissed for 145 by Somerset at Headingley, Middlesex will be hopeful of extending their slender one-point lead ahead of the final round of matches, as they pursue their first Championship title since 1993. Lancashire, meanwhile, are one of four counties involved in a relegation battle, along with Hampshire, Warwickshire and Durham.

Preview: Lancashire v Middlesex - Specsavers CC

Lancashire have named Jos Buttler in a 13-man squad for their final home match of the season against Division One leaders Middlesex at Emirates Old Trafford.

Middlesex have a slender one-point lead over Yorkshire at the top of the table, as the southern county pursue their first County Championship title since 1993. The Red Rose county are facing an entirely different prospect, with the possibility of relegation still looming over them heading into the depths of the season.

Ashley Giles' side are five points clear of eighth-place Hampshire with a game in hand, while Nottinghamshire became the first county to be relegated from the first division when they were beaten by Middlesex by five wickets in the last round of matches. Hoping to avoid three successive relegations from the first division, Lancashire also have a game in hand over Warwickshire, their final opponents in the 2016 season at Edgbaston.

The sides contested a high-scoring draw when they last met at Lord's at the end of June, with Alviro Petersen (191) and Nick Gubbins (201*) prospering on a flat batting track. Gubbins shared a 208-run partnership with Stevie Eskinazi, who scored a maiden first-class hundred in only his third appearance for Middlesex, but idyllic batting conditions and a final-day washout made any chance of a result impossible.

Their last meeting in Manchester at the end of the 2014 season saw Lancashire and Middlesex go head-to-head in a relegation battle, but the hosts were unable to force the victory they required to survive the drop. Since then, Middlesex have enjoyed a resurgence in red-ball cricket, finishing runners-up to Yorkshire last term and they are now marginal favourites to lift silverware after winning three of their last five matches since the draw against Lancashire at The Home of Cricket.

Yorkshire's temporary lead at the top of the table came after an emphatic 228-run win over Durham, while Middlesex relegated Notts to depose the aspiring three-time county champions. Buttler returns to the Lancashire side for the first time since breaking his thumb against Worcestershire in the T20 Blast, relieving skipper Steven Croft of his wicketkeeping duties at an important juncture in the season.

Lancashire 13-man squad: Steven Croft (c), Tom Bailey, Jos Buttler (wk), Jordan Clark, Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Jarvis, Rob Jones, Simon Kerrigan, Toby Lester, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Alviro Petersen, Luke Procter.

Middlesex 14-man squad: James Franklin (c), Nick Compton, Stephen Eskinazi, Steven Finn, Nick Gubbins, Ryan Higgins, Dawid Malan, Tim Murtagh, Ravi Patel, Harry Podmore, Ollie Rayner, Sam Robson, Toby Roland-Jones, John Simpson (wk).

Playing for England 'Would be a dream come true’ - Hameed

Talented and humble in equal measure; Haseeb Hameed could be about to realise a lifelong ambition of playing at the highest level of the game. Should he be selected for the winter tours to Bangladesh and India, the Bolton-born batsman has the opportunity to open the batting for England 88 days shy of his 20th birthday, making him the youngest player to represent England in Test cricket since Ben Hollioake debuted against Australia in 1997 alongside his brother, Adam.

Both James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff were capped at the age of 20 and Hameed could be the first Lancashire teenager to play for England after a staggering 12 months under Ashley Giles at Emirates Old Trafford.

With most young cricketers, there is an argument in favour of letting them develop at county level before they are put in front of the quickest and most skilful bowlers in the world. However, after just 12 County Championship appearances in 2016, Hameed defied his tender age to become Lancashire’s youngest player to reach 1,000 runs in a season, achieving several other records in an eye-catching summer for the Red Rose county.

Despite breaking the record for England’s highest score in One-Day Internationals, Alex Hales appears to have fallen out of favour at the top of the order alongside captain Alastair Cook in red-ball cricket, with the Nottinghamshire batsman averaging just 18 across the four-match series against Pakistan this summer.

There are other candidates; South African Keaton Jennings, who is the leading run-scorer in the four-day contest this season, qualified to represent England in March. Nick Gubbins has also topped 1,000 runs for Middlesex this campaign, while Mark Stoneman has made the switch from Durham to Surrey in order to pursue his international aspirations.

Lancashire’s teenage maestro admits that playing and mastering Test cricket for England is his primary ambition, with the extra responsibility of international cricket being the perfect test for his sink-or-swim attitude.

Hameed has represented England at Under-15, 17 and 19 level and was captain of the Under-19 side.

“If I was to get the nod, that would be a dream come true,” said Hameed. “I have always dreamed of playing for England. I’ve always felt that I develop quicker by being challenged. I’m sure that if I were to go out there [Banglasdesh] it would be a massive challenge, but hopefully I’ll be better for it.

“Obviously, Test cricket is the pinnacle of cricket. I don’t know if youngsters still see it in the same way in this day and age, but I know a lot of people who play Test cricket, or even one-day cricket, that still regard Test cricket as the highest point within their career and the one that they want to master,” he added.

There are few sterner measures of a batsman’s credentials than playing against Yorkshire and Hameed – a player of incredible maturity and consistency – scored hundreds in both innings of the meeting at Manchester. It was the first time this had been achieved by a Lancashire player in a Roses encounter and it helped Hameed to reach 1,000 runs for the season quicker than Michael Atherton, who was 21 when he achieved the same feat for the Red Rose in 1989.

Dubbed ‘The Bolton Wall’ for his unshakeable conviction at the crease, Hameed battled hard for over five hours in the first innings against Yorkshire for 114, before scoring the fastest of his four hundreds this season in just 124 balls, an innings that showed his versatility after being branded as a red-ball specialist.

Hameed said: “The Yorkshire game was a special occasion. It was my first Roses game at home and it’s always nice to be able to play in front of a big crowd. It’s not just about them being Yorkshire. It’s the fact that they’re the current two-time champions and they’re going for three back-to-back championships. It’s not just about them being the old enemy; they’ve also got a really good side.

Hameed could become the fifth-youngest Test debutant for England this winter.

“To be able to back my first innings with my second innings, which was a different hundred in terms of the way I had to play, and if you look at Hampshire the week before that was the complete opposite where we were batting out for the draw. To be able to score runs in that contrasting manner was really pleasing for me and I would definitely say that was my proudest moment so far for Lancashire," he added.

Having made his First Team debut in August last year against Glamorgan, Hameed has already scored 1,386 runs at an average of 51.33, achieving a score of fifty or more on eleven occasions this season. The innings that showcased his potential was undoubtedly the home fixture against Surrey at Old Trafford last September, with his gritty 91 saving a draw for Lancashire, who were in pursuit of back-to-back promotions to the first division at the time. This was only his third match for Lancashire, but the immediate signs were promising.

Hameed ended his search for a maiden first-class hundred this season against Warwickshire, with another of Lancashire's rising stars, Liam Livingstone, also scoring a century in the second innings at Old Trafford. The 19-year-old batsman admits that he was relieved to record his first ton, with the responsibility of representing Lancashire providing the perfect incentive to rise to the challenge of playing against Division One opposition.

Commenting on his maiden century against Warwickshire, he said:"It was a massive relief as much as anything because I had got a few fifties before then and one of the frustrating things for me was not being able to go on and get that first hundred, so to be able to tick that off was pleasing and I think that helped me moving forwards. To be able to do it against a really good attack in Warwickshire was pleasing.

Hameed signed a four-year deal over the winter and has scored 1,129 runs at 53.76 this season.

"You’ve got to embrace the challenge because of your age and opening the batting for Lancashire. It is a massive club with a massive history and there is a lot of responsibility with that. You know that teams are going to come hard at you and target you, so you’ve always got to enjoy it."

Hameed hopes to broaden his scope outside of the red-ball format after reaching such an accomplished level already for Lancashire. His strong technique is something that his father encouraged from a young age, with family playing a key role in his development through the age groups at Lancashire. With a desire to play for club and country in all three formats, Hameed is aiming to build on mastering the basics by continuously adding strokes to his repertoire, in order to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Joe Root and Virat Kohli.

"I’m confident that as long as you’ve got the basics right that you can add to your game and you can develop from there. I know that it might look like I’m airing towards the more traditional side of the game, but it is slightly easier to go from being a solid red-ball player and adding shots to your game so that you can use them to be successful with the white ball, as opposed to the other way around.

"I’ve got a massively supportive family who love cricket. We’ve always been a cricket-mad family. I’ve got two older brothers that my dad worked extremely hard behind, but they weren’t quite able to make it to this level for various reasons. That inspired me to make it at the highest level and I’ve always had that belief that hopefully one day I will make it and be successful."

With Lancashire attempting to avoid the ignominy of three successive relegations from the first division, Hameed's consistency at the top of the order could prove vital. Former club captain, Tom Smith, looks unlikely to feature again this season due to a tight hamstring and Lancashire are without a distinguished opening partner for their 19-year-old prodigy. 

Lancashire start their final home game of the season against Middlesex on Monday 12th September, before travelling to Edgbaston for the last game of 2016 against Warwickshire.