Lancashire record historic comeback to stun Somerset

A miraculous turnaround saw Lancashire record their first Championship win of the season as they overcame being bowled out for 109 on the first day to beat Somerset by a hefty margin of 164 runs at Old Trafford.

Somerset collapsed to 130 all out on the final day after being set 295 runs to win, but four wickets from Ryan McLaren inspired victory for the Red Rose county after centuries from Liam Livingstone and Alex Davies brought the hosts back into contention.

Lancashire started the day with a lead of 254 runs after McLaren and Stephen Parry's overnight partnership of 44 runs ensured the home side had three more wickets in hand. The pair went on to add 77 runs for the eight wicket, before the final three Lancashire batsmen fell for seven runs.

South-African all-rounder McLaren proved instrumental towards the latter stages of the match, using the swinging conditions to his advantage to finish with figures of 4-37 and a match haul of 8-103 after scoring 45 alongside Parry (44).

In reply to Lancashire's 463 all out, Somerset capitulated, with James Hildreth top-scoring with 43 and veteran Marcus Trescothick (36) the only other significant contributor to a dismal second innings for the visitors.

Just five balls were bowled on the fourth morning before a brief rain delay saw five overs lost, with Lancashire pushing for a possible declaration to force victory. McLaren and Parry brought up their fifty partnership soon after the resumption and set about bolstering the overnight lead into a substantial target.

Parry achieved a career-best score, smothering Craig Overton for successive boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking under grey skies and floodlit conditions. McLaren reached 45 before Lewis Gregory (5-74) had the all-rounder caught by Dean Elgar at mid on, with Lancashire on 456/8.

Kyle Jarvis (0) did not last long, falling to an impressive diving catch in the covers by Jack Leach off Tim Groenewald (1-87) before Gregory proceeded to dismiss the other overnight batsman at the end of his next over, edging behind to Davies to become the third wicket to fall in the space of 13 balls.

A tantalising finish was on the cards when Somerset were asked to chase 295 runs in a minimum of 77 overs, but a rampant bowling display from McLaren, James Anderson and Jordan Clark chiefly dented any hopes of a victory for the visitors, who went on to suffer their second four-day defeat in was many attempts.

Somerset's run chase started brightly and Trescothick was given a potentially crucial life when he was  only on 6, as Davies jumped across Livingstone at first slip and failing to hold on. The visitors went to lunch on 29/0 and there was a feeling this missed opportunity could cost Lancashire, but no more runs were added after the interval before Elgar (8) was bowled by Jarvis, starting a devastating spell of bowling.

Lancashire claimed seven wickets for 78 runs in the afternoon session, with captain Tom Abell the next to depart for a 16-ball duck, edging McLaren's eighth ball of the innings behind to Davies down the leg side. 

Trescothick kicked on from his lifeline to hit seven boundaries and used his experience as a former Test opener to keep Somerset in with a chance of winning the match, but when he fell for 36 at 78/3 to a good low catch from McLaren off Anderson at second slip, there were significant doubts about the likelihood of Somerset chasing 295.

Anderson (2-30) had beaten the bat of both Somerset openers before lunch for no reward, but he bagged his second wicket when he bowled Steve Davies for 3. Crucial wickets continued to tumble after lunch, with Peter Trego (7) edging Jordan Clark (3-12) to Livingstone, before Hildreth fell for a defiant 43 when he was trapped lbw by McLaren at 103/6.

Josh Davey became the seventh casualty of the session when he too was pinned on the crease by McLaren for 2, sending Somerset to tea on 107/7 with little hope of rescuing the match. After being bowled out cheaply in their first innings, Lancashire went on to secure one of the greatest victories and certainly one of biggest comebacks in history, as Somerset's tail offered little resistance to Lancashire's bowlers.

There were still 37 overs left for Lancashire to finish the job, but it reality the home side needed only eight more overs to secure a 19-point win. Gregory (4) followed the example of Trego by edging Clark to Livingstone for a smart and instinctive catch at slip, while Leach took a swing at a rising delivery from Clark two overs later and was held at third man by Haseeb Hameed.

Fittingly, it was McLaren who wrapped things up for Lancashire with his fourth victim, bowling Groenewald for a duck to bowl Somerset out for 130 and secure an emphatic 164-run win, a margin that could hardly have been comprehended after the Red Rose were skittled for 109 on a crazy first day.

Livingstone's heroics with the bat ensured he made a winning start to his tenure as stand-in skipper on home soil, while Somerset remain rooted to the bottom of the Division One table after being beaten by Essex in their first game.

Lancashire 109 & 463: Livingstone 168, Davies 130, McLaren 45 & Gregory 5-74

Somerset 278 & 130: Hildreth 43, Trescothick 36; McLaren 4-37, Clark 3-12, Anderson 2-30

Lancashire (19 pts) beat Somerset (5 pts) by 164 runs

Magnificent Livingstone leads from the front

A career-best 168 from Liam Livingstone has given Lancashire a chance of pulling off an unlikely victory on the final day of their Championship clash with Somerset at Old Trafford.

The stand-in skipper shared a mammoth 245-run partnership with Alex Davies, who hit his second ton of the season and his first on home soil to take the hosts to a strong position after they were dismantled for 109 in their first innings.

Livingstone later shared 86 runs with Rob Jones (35), but when both batsman fell in a mini collapse of four wickets for 25 runs either side of tea, it took a sturdy stand from Ryan McLaren (34*) and Stephen Parry (22*) to hold the innings together and steer Lancashire to close on 423/7 with a reasonable lead of 254.

The overnight pairing of Davies and Livingstone had already added 129 before the end of the second day, with Lancashire stumbling to 32/2 when they came together. By lunch they had taken their partnership 235 with both batsmen achieving centuries in a vital morning session for the Red Rose.

For Davies it was his second century of the summer and another crucial contribution after Haseeb Hameed made another single-figure score, while Livingstone's maturity from the first innings was on show once again, as he thrived with the responsibility of playing a captain's innings.

The 150-partnership helped Lancashire to overturn Somerset's first-innings lead 169 runs, as both Davies and Livingstone continued to score freely against the seamers. Davies started the day 22 runs shy of his first hundred at Old Trafford, having been dismissed for 99 in 2015 against Kent.

Although Livingstone scored marginally quicker, it was the wicketkeeper-batsman who reached three figures first in 218 balls with 13 fours. It was not long before Livingstone made his case for international selection with a brilliant hundred and his first as Lancashire captain.

Not content with sneaking a quick single, Livingstone pulled off a trademark shot on one leg, whipping the ball over the mid-wicket boundary to bring up a century in 192 balls with his second six. Lancashire went to lunch in a healthy position on 258/2, with Davies and Livingstone hoping to kick on and extend the lead further, but Somerset had other ideas as Lewis Gregory had Davies trapped lbw for 130.

With a partnership of 245 runs at an end, it was down to Jones to support Livingstone in a bid to steer Lancashire towards safety. Livingstone reached a career-best score - beating the 140 not out he made for England Lions over the winter - in sharing a strong stand of 86 with Jones, who was looking to prove himself after shouldering arms and falling without scoring in the first innings.

He hit five boundaries in a guided and calculated innings, with Livingstone reaching his 150 in 279 balls with his 18th boundary. The partnership looked as though it would last until tea, but two very important breakthroughs came before the break in one over from Craig Overton (2-87).

Jones was wrapped on the pads by the towering paceman for 35 and Dane Vilas fell in the same manner three balls later without scoring, as Lancashire lost a batch of wickets to restore balance to the match.

Livingstone will have been disappointed to fall soon after tea, becoming the third wicket to fall for just five runs, as he advanced and skied Jack Leach straight to Dean Elgar at mid-off, falling for a brilliant 168 at 360/6. McLaren and Jordan Clark adopted a watchful approach to help Lancashire rebuild after the flurry of wickets either side of tea, putting on 19 runs in just under 12 overs before a rush of blood to the head cost Clark his wicket.

The all-rounder jumped down the wicket to Leach (2-88) and was stumped for 5, leaving McLaren and Parry with the task of holding the innings together and building a stronger lead. Whether Lancashire intend to go after victory tomorrow is unclear, but with the threat of rain before lunch on the final day, an unbroken stand of 44 runs from the eighth-wicket pair represented huge relief for the home dressing room.

McLaren and Parry batted a further 18 over without ever looking to be in any real danger from Somerset, with one or two half-hearted lbw appeals from Gregory. Lancashire closed on 423/7 with a lead of 254 runs, with the possibility of rain helping the home side's prospects of saving a draw after their collapse on the opening day, while Somerset will hope the rain stays away and a final-day run chase is on the cards.

Davies and Livingstone lead Red Rose comeback

A spirited partnership between Alex Davies (78*) and Liam Livingstone (57*) boosted Lancashire's hopes of rescuing a positive result out of their match against Somerset at Old Trafford.

The pair added an unbroken stand worth 129 runs for the third wicket to see the home side to close on 152/2, trailing by 17 runs, after a frustrating morning session with the ball saw Somerset take total control.

South-African Dean Elgar carried his bat for more than six hours to finish unbeaten on 113 - outscoring Lancashire's entire first innings effort of 109 on the first day - with Jack Leach (52) registering a maiden fifty in a 96-run stand with the opening batsman.

The overnight partnership helped stretch Somerset's lead to 169 and two early second innings wickets threatened to end the game inside two days, but Davies and Livingstone stood strong to give their side a fighting chance of salvaging the match from a seemingly hopeless position.

With 18 wickets falling on the first day, Lancashire were hoping to claim the final two wickets quickly and overturn a minimal lead, but it soon became clear the pitch and overhead conditions were totally different to the first day.

By contrast only four wickets fell in the entire second day, but it took some time for the first batsman to fall as Elgar and Leach made Lancashire toil. Elgar passed 10,000 first-class runs in the early stages of the day, with Leach providing trusty company to help advance the overnight score of 153/8 into a dangerous territory.

Ryan McLaren failed to hold onto a tough chance at third slip with Elgar on 85 and the Proteas batsman made the most of his life by reaching three figures before lunch. Leach had issues with the odd short ball from Kyle Jarvis, but otherwise he made an accomplished Number 10 batsman and his free-scoring approach kicked in the closer he came to a maiden fifty.

The milestones eventually arrived in 131 deliveries and it would have been fitting to see Elgar compete his century alongside Leach, but the ball after reaching his fifty he edged a rising delivery from Jordan Clak (1-16) behind to Davies, ending a 96-run partnership with Elgar.

Tim Groenewald was happy to provide company for Elgar as he reached a ton in 205 balls with 11 fours before lunch, with the visitors on 276/9. Thankfully for Lancashire there were only two more runs to be added after the break before Jarvis (1-60) bowled Grownewald for 20, leaving Elgar unbeaten on a fine 113.

Somerset's confidence continued to increase when they snared Haseeb Hameed (7) cheaply for the second time in the match, prodding at a short delivery from Lewis Gregory (2-24) to Peter Trego at third slip. Gregory bagged his second wicket of the day soon after when he clattered Luke Procter's stumps, sending the left-hander packing for 4.

At this stage - with the score at 27/2 - there was a very real risk of Lancashire being beaten inside two days against a rampant bowling attack, but Davies led the fightback alongside his skipper Livingstone to bring the Red Rose towards parity before the close.

Davies went to his third fifty in red-ball cricket this season in 108 deliveries with his seventh boundary, finding life particularly comfortable against the left-arm spin of Leach, punching him through the covers off the back-foot on a number of occasions.

Livingstone advanced to his second half-century of the match following his 68 yesterday, adding 129 runs alongside the Lancashire wicketkeeper to give his side a fighting chance of turning the game around.

Wickets tumble at Old Trafford as Somerset take control

Lancashire recovered from being bowled out for 109 against Somerset by taking eight wickets on an entertaining first day at Old Trafford. 

Captain Liam Livingstone's lone effort of 68 was the sole highlight in a frustrating batting effort for the Red Rose, but Ryan McLaren (4-46) and Luke Procter (3-36) starred with the ball to minimise the Somerset lead to 44 by the close.

Somerset's seamers made the most of friendly bowling conditions after opting to bowl first, with Lancashire falling to 1/2 inside the first four overs of the day. 

Much like Livingstone, South-African batsman Dean Elgar became the pillar of Somerset's reply, hitting an unbeaten 66 to steer the visitors to 153/8.

Craig Overton proved to be the chief destroyer for Somerset, claiming 5-47 with the assistance of Josh Davey (2-33) at the top of the innings and Tim Groenewald (3-8) to mop up the tail.

Openers Alex Davies and Haseeb Hameed both fell without scoring in the opening minutes of the match, with the Lancashire faithful subjected to a disastrous first session of the season on home soil.

Hameed's second duck in a row came after he edged Davey behind to Steven Davies, while his namesake Alex was caught by Marcus Trescothick at first slip. Procter, who was the only other batsman to reach double figures in Lancashire's innings, showed signs of leading a comeback with 24, including three boundaries.

However, he was the first of three quick wickets for the deadly Overton, as he reduced the hosts to 39/5 with lunch still 45 minutes away. Procter was lured into an edge behind to Davies, while Rob Jones survived just eight balls before he was wrapped on the pads without scoring.

Dane Vilas (4) marked Overton's third breakthrough in four overs, as he too found himself trapped on the crease with an emphatic lbw appeal. McLaren (2) departed five balls later with an edge which flew low to Elgar off Groenewald, leaving the hosts in a dire situation at 42/6.

There was a degree of support for Livingstone's defiance in the shape of Jordan Clark, who helped steer Lancashire to lunch without another setback. However, a rampant Overton returned after the interval to put a stop to his resilience, forcing an edge to skipper Tom Abell to send Clark back to the pavilion for 9.

Overton took his figures to 5-26 with the wicket of Stephen Parry at the start of his next over with a sharp caught and bowled chance, as the Lancashire spinner became the fourth batsman to fall for a duck. 

Groenewald's efficient nine-over spell - including six maidens - brought Somerset three wickets and he continued to make a dent in the tail-end by having Kyle Jarvis (1) caught at first slip by Trescothick, leaving Livingstone with little option but to throw the bat and buy as many runs as possible.

The stand-in skipper went to his first fifty of the campaign in 88 balls in some style, clobbering a huge six into the pavilion, taking Lancashire into three figures with a hard-fought vigil containing 11 boundaries. He was, however, the final man to fall, with Jack Leach holding onto the catch at deep mid-wicket and bring Lancashire's innings to an end. 

Somerset's openers started in stark contrast to Hameed and Davies, with Elgar and Trescothick reaching 42 before the first scalp arrived for Lancashire. McLaren's first victim was the veteran and former England opener Trescothick, who edged behind to Davies for 20, while Somerset's young skipper Abell (1) fell soon after when he was judged lbw to McLaren.

Procter backed up his sturdy effort with the bat by removing the potentially dangerous James Hildreth with the final ball before tea, as he was bowled for 21 with Somerset on 63/3. James Anderson will have been frustrated with his lack of wickets before the break given the friendly conditions for his seam talents, but he struck the first blow after tea by accounting for Steve Davies (1), extracting an edge through to Alex Davies.

Elgar carried his bat until the close, reaching an invaluable fifty in 111 deliveries, but wickets continued to fall at the other end after a frustrating 52-run stand with Peter Trego. Somerset lost four more men for 36 runs before the end of an incredible opening day, with Trego (19) also trapped lbw by McLaren.

Procter chipped in with three important wickets and two scalps in back-to-back deliveries to get Lewis Gregory (9) and Davey (0). Overton (8) followed his teammates with a contentious lbw decision at 145/8, before Elgar and Leach steered Somerset to close with a handy lead of 44 runs.

Sangakkara and Borthwick thrive to deny Lancs victory

A masterclass from Kumar Sangakkara (136) and a maiden century in Surrey colours for Scott Borthwick (108*) prevented Lancashire from claiming an improbable victory on the final day at The Oval.

The Sri-Lankan veteran made his 57th first-class hundred and shared a mammoth partnership worth 256 runs for the third wicket, batting for 65 overs to help Surrey recover after they had been made to follow-on.

Lancashire needed nine wickets to push a victory, but the Red Rose were made to settle for a draw after managing to claim two scalps on the fourth day. The players shook hands at 4.50 with Surrey on 323/3 in their second innings, a positive result for both sides after Lancashire fell to 67/5 on the first morning, before making Surrey bat again after they were dismissed for 319.

The final day started brightly for the visitors against the former Durham pairing of Borthwick and Mark Stoneman. The overnight duo looked to settle in against the left-arm spin of Stephen Parry but a lapse in concentration saw Stoneman stumped for 27 after being deceived by the flight of the delivery.

Despite making a positive start and finding an early breakthrough, it was not long before reality settled in for Lancashire's bowlers against the resilience and expertise of Sangakkara, who found able company in the sometimes unconventional, but highly effective Borthwick.

Both left-handers went to lunch on the verge of half-centuries after adding nearly 90 runs in the hour and a half before the interval. It was Borthwick who went to fifty first in 129 balls, bringing up the hundred-partnership in 159 deliveries not long after.

Sangakkara's general disdain and air of confidence against the spinner had been lacking on the third afternoon as Parry and Simon Kerrigan were allowed to dominate the middle order in Surrey's first innings, but he made Lancashire pay for the majority of the final day, reaching the 85th fifty of his first-class career.

Much like Shivnarine Chanderpaul before him, Sangakkara proved age was merely a number, as he continued to charge the spinners and drive Kyle Jarvis and Ryan McLaren through the covers with ease. Sangakkara began to take charge of the partnership, while Borthwick favoured powerful sweep shots against the spinners on his way to a maiden ton for his adopted club.

It was the 39-year-old he reached three figures first, once again charging the spinner for his eleventh boundary, completing a 154-ball century. The pair entered tea with a healthy partnership on 189, with the match drifting towards a draw, but for the Surrey duo there was still something to be excited about heading into the final session of the match.

While Borthwick was on the verge of his first hundred for Surrey, the duo were hoping to record the highest third-wicket stand against Lancashire and if they had done so they would have toppled a 130-year-old record worth 305 runs.

One of the milestones the pair were hoping to realise came soon after play resumed, as Borthwick reached a 233-ball ton in his second appearance for the club. Kerrigan looked shocked when he bowled Sangakkara for 136, ending the 256-run partnership with Borthwick and all-but signalling the end of the contest.

There was just enough time for Haseeb Hameed to turn his arm from the Pavilion End of the ground, before the players shook hands on a draw.

Lancashire 470: Chanderpaul 182, Clark 140; Footitt 5-118

Surrey 319 & 323-3 dec (follow-on): Sangakkara 136, Borthwick 108 not out

Match Drawn. Lancashire 13 pts, Surrey 9 pts

Surrey follow-on after Lancashire take charge

Lancashire set up the possibility of an unlikely victory heading into the final day at The Oval, forcing Surrey to follow-on after the hosts were bowled out two runs short of safety.

A miraculous flurry of wickets in the afternoon session saw Surrey dismissed for 319, before Simon Kerrigan made inroads to remove Rory Burns before the close.

At 67/5, Lancashire would not have expected to see the home side back in on the third evening, but a century from Shivnarine Chanderpaul was backed up superbly by the Red Rose spinners, with Stephen Parry (3-31) claiming two wickets in as many balls to leave Surrey short of their target.

The hosts started the day two men down after Kyle Jarvis (2-72) had Scot Borthwick caught behind with the penultimate ball of the day. Burns may have fallen cheaply in the second innings, but he and veteran Kumar Sangakkara enjoyed a blissful morning session and added 99 runs for the third wicket to steer Surrey towards Lancashire's score of 470.

Burns (91) went to a half-century inside the first ten minutes of the day in 140 balls and Lancashire continued to leak runs through third man, either through edges or subtle strokeplay from Sangakkara. 

Simon Kerrigan (2-35) came into the attack and forced an edge from Sangakkara, only for McLaren to fumble a sharp chance, but in the next over Jarvis struck to deny Burns a century.

The Surrey opener edged behind to Davies at 211/3 and five overs later Parry had the dangerman Sangakkara back in the hutch, with Liam Livingstone holding onto the drive from the Sri-Lankan ace. 

Surrey went into lunch knowing they could ill afford to suffer any further set backs and the hosts went into their shell to negate the Lancashire spin bowlers. It was an approach which backfired as they accumulate just 20 runs in 24 overs after the break for the loss of three wickets.

Two wickets fell in the space of four overs through a combination of good bowling and indifferent batting; the first came when Kerrigan yorked Ben Foakes (9) and Dominic Sibley was stranded halfway down the wicket and caught short of his ground by the quick-thinking sub fielder - Saqib Mahmood - who fired in a throw to see Sibley (10) run out at 230/6.

Kerrigan's Oval agony of 2013 seemed a distant memory as he continued to deceive the Surrey batsmen, with Zafar Ansari (3) lunging forward, only to be bowled by the left-arm spinner to become the third casualty since lunch.

Corners of the crowd became restless at the lack of urgency shown by the Surrey batsmen, with the Curran brothers now tasked with guiding their side away from danger. Not for the first time this season, McLaren struck with the first ball of a new spell and the first delivery with the new ball, as Sam Curran glanced one off his hip and straight into the hands of Kerrigan.

After a dismal hour of petering around after lunch, Gareth Batty (33) led by example in showing the better batsmen how to fight against Lancashire's buoyancy. He swatted five boundaries in a counterattacking innings alongside Tom Curran, only to throw his wicket away at a vital juncture with his side on the verge of saving the follow-on.

The older Curran sibling was left stranded on 33 when he watched his captain slap a drive off Parry straight to Luke Procter at mid-off, before Mark Footitt lived up to his tag as a true Number 11, as he was trapped lbw to give Parry two quick wickets.

Lancashire, unsurprisingly enforced the follow-on after Surrey were dismissed for 319 and still trailing by 151 runs, but a combination of light rain and poor light threatened the rest of the day.

The spinner were forced to bowl to prevent the players from leaving the field, improving an already formidable over rate, with Lancashire rattling through 102 overs on the third day. Kerrigan made sure Burns did not make another fifty, forcing an edge through to Davies, before the former Durham duo of Mark Stoneman (22*) and Scott Borthwick (4*) steered the hosts home in fading light.

It would be a miraculous turnaround from Lancashire to pull off victory tomorrow after they struggled on the first day with the bat, but Surrey proved it is possible to take wickets on the opening morning and the Red Rose spinners certainly showed that on the third afternoon.

Chanderpaul and Clark make history at The Oval

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (182) and Jordan Clark (140) entered the record books by recording Lancashire's highest seventh-wicket partnership against Surrey on a day that was dominated by batsmen on both sides.

The pair shared 243 runs - breaking a 115-year-old record -  to help Lancashire reach 470 after they had fallen to 67/5 on the first day, before Surrey responded by closing on 112/2, with Kyle Jarvis claiming a wicket in the final over of the day.

Clark brought up his maiden first-class hundred on the first evening with a towering six, leading to joyous celebrations, but for the veteran left-hander, it was a much more familiar feeling and he recognised his 74th century in first-class cricket in a much more modest way.

Chanderpaul's red-ball tally of more than 26,000 runs suggested he would hold the key after the Red Rose stumbled before lunch on Day One; by contrast Clark is yet to reach 1,000 first-class runs, but his performance in this match may be the start of a breakthrough season for the all-rounder.

The 42-year-old advanced from his overnight score of 85 to reach three figures inside the first hour of the day in 213 balls, opting against the dab celebration. The left-hander continued to frustrate the Surrey seamers against the new ball, while Clark continued with his free-scoring and contrasting approach to break the record for the highest seventh-wicket stand against Surrey.

Chanderpaul achieved a new high score for Lancashire before lunch, beating the 120 he made against Kent in 2010 and with a third century for the Red Rose under his belt, he hoped to push on and claim all five batting points. 

Problems started to emerge for the visitors; Clark initially appeared to be given out lbw to Gareth Batty, but was later confirmed as edging to Rory Burns at first slip, a decision he did not seem too pleased by. Clark fell for a brilliant 140 with his partnership with Chanderpaul six runs shy of a new record seventh-wicket stand against any side.

His loss was a big blow to the 400-run target and when Chanderpaul required treatment from the physio matter continued to become complicated for the visitors. Luke Procter emerged as a willing runner for the West-Indian, but the loss of Clark had signalled the end of Lancashire's interest in attempting to reach 400 before the end of the 110th over.

Lancashire went to lunch in a remarkable position considering they had slumped to 91/5 at the same time yesterday. Mark Foottit emerged as the caveat to the visitors renewed sense of superiority after the interval, continuing his buoyant early-season form to finish with figures of 5-118.

Stephen Parry (21) played a measured hand to add 42 alongside Chanderpaul, who was beginning to waver even with a runner. Foottit managed to get one to climb on the left-arm spinner and encourage an edge behind to Ben Foakes, before Kyle Jarvis fell in identical fashion two balls later to leave the score at 407/9.

Surrey's openers would have been preparing their response after these two quick wickets, but Lancashire's final pair had other ideas. Chanderpaul found able company in Simon Kerrigan and the duo added another 63 runs to prolong Surrey's frustration.

Chanderpaul's first score of 150 or more for the club came up in 296 balls with a flurry of boundaries and the shuffling left-hander started to open up his shoulders against the spinner to finish with a boundary count of 21 fours and two sixes in his 328-ball masterclass.

Batty finished with figures of 3-72, claiming the prized scalp of Chanderpaul when he picked out Mark Stoneman in the covers, as Lancashire were dismissed for a mightily impressive 470 after their top-order collapse.

Stoneman and Burns ensured there were no early setbacks in the ten overs before tea and the pair had enjoyed an untroubled partnership of 67 up until Clark (1-13) had Stoneman wrapped on the pads for 40. Scott Borthwick contributed a further 55 runs alongside Burns, before Jarvis (1-27) struck a blow in the final over of the day.

With two balls remaining the paceman encouraged Burns to feather an edge through to Alex Davies, signalling the end of the play, ahead of what is predicted to be a day of heavy rain on the third day.

Clark magic turns Surrey game around

Jordan Clark (108*) struck a counterattacking century - his first in Lancashire colours - to rescue the visitors after a collapse at The Oval.

A maiden first-class hundred came up with a huge six out of the ground, before bad light brought play to a close at 294/6 against Surrey.

Clark and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (85*) shared an unbroken stand worth 172 runs for the seventh wicket to help Lancashire recover from 67/5 after a top-order collapse.

Mark Footitt followed up a rampant bowling display against Warwickshire in the opening round of matches with three wickets before lunch to account for Alex Davies, Dane Vilas and Liam Livingstone, who captained the side for the first time in the absence of Steven Croft.

Haseeb Hameed was out in the second over of the day to the second ball of Sam Curran's (1-52) opening spell, taking an uncharacteristic flash and edging behind to Ben Foakes.

Davies and Luke Procter (12) initially showed signs of rebuilding in overcast conditions after Lancashire had won the toss and decided to bat first. Tom Curran (1-59) bowled a perfect outswinger and encouraged Procter to edge to Scott Borthwick at second slip before Footitt (3-90) started to rip in to the Red Rose batsmen.

The left-arm seamer followed up his nine over spell of 6-18 against Warwickshire by removing Davies lbw for 26. Livingstone was hoping to issue a captain's response to the early collpase and showed initial promise with typically flowing strokes, but he fell for 16 when he picked out Mark Stoneman at square leg.

Lancashire stumbled to 67/5 when Dane Vilas (4) was trapped plumb lbw second ball by Footitt, as Surrey claimed two scalps in the space of three balls to leave serious doubts in the Red Rose camp. 

Chanderpaul carried the greatest threat to Surrey's superiority and he was able to steer Lancashire to lunch without any further setbacks alongside Ryan McLaren. The pair added 55 runs either side of lunch to restore order for Lancashire, but the home captain had other ideas.

Gareth Batty (1-50) managed to get a low turner to trap McLaren in front of his stumps at 122/6 in the 37th over, the final reward for Surrey's bowlers thanks to a defiant stand between Chanderpaul and Clark.

The West-Indian veteran used his typically idiosyncratic stance to frustrate the seamers, leaving anything outside the off-stump. His patience was in stark contrast to Clark, who has already hit seven sixes in first-class cricket this season.

The first of three maximums in a 108-ball century came off Batty after Clark danced down the track and lofted the experienced spinner back over his head. It was by no means his biggest six of the day, but his positivity allowed Lancashire to play with a renewed sense of freedom.

Chanderpaul made the most of being dropped by Borthiwck on 47 to reach his first fifty of the season in 138 balls, as the partnership with Clark continued to flourish in the fading light. The umpires asked for the floodlights from mid-afternoon onwards and spinners were often instructed to bowl to prevent the players from having to leave the field.

It was business as usual for Clark in spite of the grey conditions, as he clobbered Zafar Ansari for his second maximum over mid-wicket. Clark raced to a 65-ball half-century just before tea, by which time Lancashire had recovered to 214/6.

The hundred-partnership came up inside 29 overs after tea, before bad light forced the players off the field at 249/6. Play resumed with 17 overs left, but only eight overs could be bowled before the light intervened again. Having said that, it was a memorable eight overs for Lancashire and in particular Clark.

He raced past the so-called nervous nineties by smashing 18 runs in five balls and he hit Footitt out of the ground to reach a maiden-first class century in the process. 

The current record for the seventh wicket against Surrey in first-class cricket is 198 between J I'Anson and A Eccles at Old Trafford in 1902 and the first day came to an end with Chanderpaul and Clark's partnership worth an invaluable 172 runs.

While the headlines will understandably heap praise towards Clark's impressive counterpunch, credit must also go to Chanderpaul for his 183-ball vigil to hold the innings together. Clark and James Faulkner shared a similarly impressive stand at The Oval in 2015, but it is fair to say this partnership and innings will mean slightly more to the Cumbrian all-rounder.

Lawrence rearguard thwarts Lancashire victory push

Daniel Lawrence (141*) batted throughout the entire final day at Chelmsford to deny Lancashire victory in the opening County Championship match of the summer.

The Essex batsman battled hard for more than seven hours, reaching his fifth first-class century after a 333-ball vigil. Lawrence and Westley shared 135 runs for the third wicket after Essex were put under pressure by two late wickets on the third day.

Lancashire failed to make a single breakthrough in the entire morning session, with a burst of wickets in the afternoon session renewing their optimism, but Lawrence failed able company from his captain, Ryan ten Doeschate, as the match was drawn with Essex on 316/6.

The hosts had been set a phenomenal target of 478 to record an unlikely victory against the Red Rose county after Alex Davies hit a maiden hundred in Lancashire colours. The removal of openers Varun Chopra and Nick Browne before the close left Lancashire with the task of taking eight wickets to record victory, but their bowlers toiled on an increasingly flat wicket.

Lawrence and Westley both recorded fifties in the morning session, taking the overnight score from 89/2 to 162/2 by lunch. Chances were nonexistent for Lancashire, although Westley had been shelled twice in the evening session on the previous day.

Stephen Parry (2-52) broke their defiance with a perfectly flighted delivery to bowl Westley for 61, ending a stand of nearly 60 overs. Essex lost another two wickets in quick succession and three batsmen for the addition of nine runs when Kyle Jarvis (3-58) was introduced after lunch.

The Zimbabwean first enticed Ravi Bopara (4) into a thin edge behind to Davies, before relying on a smart low catch from Haseeb Hameed in the covers to account for Adam Wheater, reducing the hosts to 198/5.

Lancashire's renewed optimism was stamped out by another century partnership, this time between teenager Lawrence and his captain. Ten Doeschate (41) provided the perfect foil against an experienced bowling attack, with James Anderson (0-54) failing to take a single wicket in 24 overs.

Lawrence reached tea with a century to his name, advancing to three figures in 216 deliveries, with Lancashire's bowlers beginning to doubt their chances once again. With a minimum of 11 overs left in the day, the Red Rose needed a minor miracle and Jarvis returned to provide a last-ditch revival for the visitors.

With ten Doeschate approaching a half-century, the paceman struck a blow to his rearguard by trapping him lbw at 300/6. Lancashire had finally exposed the first signs of Essex's lower order, but Lawrence shepherded the strike alongside kolpakd spinner Simon Harmer to ensure there were no further setbacks.

Match drawn: Essex 8pts, Lancashire 11pts.

Lancashire 319 and 317-3 dec: Davies 140*, Vilas 92

Essex 159 and 316-6: Lawrence 141*, Westley 61, ten Doeschate 41; Jarvis 3-58

Davies scores maiden ton to help Lancashire turn the screw on Essex

Alex Davies hit his first century for Lancashire and shared a mammoth stand with Dane Vilas (92) worth 183 runs to help the visitors close in on victory at Chelmsford in the first match of the season.

The wicketkeeper-batsman spent last season sidelined with a persistent knee injury, but he advanced from his overnight score of 50* to reach three figures shortly after lunch.

Vilas, meanwhile, scored his second half-century of the game and his third in four innings including the pre-season game at Cambridge, helping Lancashire to declare on 317/2 and set a daunting target of 478.

On the hottest day of the year so far, Essex's bowlers toiled throughout the morning and much of the afternoon while Davies and Vilas made the most of an increasingly flat wicket. Essex replied by closing 89/2, still needing 389 more runs to achieve the third-highest run chase in County Championship history.

Liam Livingstone (28) was the only casualty of the morning session for Lancashire when he picked out Nick Browne in the covers off Aaron Beard (2-45), shortly after achieving a fifty-partnership with Davies. Boundaries started to flow regularly before lunch, as Davies attacked Neil Wagner's (0-54) hostile approach by rocking onto the back foot and opening up room through the off-side.

He took a similar liking to the spinner Simon Harmer (0-78), who was nowhere near as potent as he was on the first day. Davies advanced at will, pulling out the reverse-sweep frequently to edge ever close to a so far elusive first-class hundred.

Vilas' approach was not too dissimilar and the free-scoring approach of both batsmen allowed Lancashire to reach lunch on 212/2 with a healthy lead of 372. Davies entered the interval three runs shy of a maiden century in Lancashire colours, but he soon reached his hundred in 214 balls with 17 fours.

Having retreated into his shell on the approach to his century, Davies resumed his carefree approach to help register the hundred-partnership with Vilas, who soon had his second fifty of the match in 106 deliveries. Davies had his share of luck on the way to three figures after being dropped by Tom Westley on 10 and Ryan ten Doeschate on 26, but Wagner's drop at long-on came when Essex were already throughly dejected, only serving to rub salt into the wounds.

It became a question of when Lancashire were prepared to call it a day and set Essex a target, although with Vilas also approaching his first ton for the Red Rose, it was unlikely they would declare in a hurry. With Lancashire intent on having a crack at the Essex openers before tea, Vilas was forced to play outside of his comfort zone and he had his stumps rearranged by Jamie Porter (1-60) on 92.

Lancashire declared on 317/2 with Davies unbeaten on 140, with Luke Sutton's record (151*) as the highest first-class score by a wicketkeeper still intact. A partnership of 183 runs inside 48 overs threatened to leave Essex distracted from their purpose, but Varun Chopra and Browne (18) ensured there were no mistakes in the seven overs before tea.

Stephen Parry (1-26) struck soon after the break at the start of his third over, although Browne will have been disappointed to swat a half-tracker straight to Haseeb Hammed at mid-wicket. Chopra (29) fell shortly afterwards when Ryan McLaren (1-18) removed his off-stump after a consistent spell, reducing the hosts to 52/2 towards the end of the third day.

Westley (27*) and Dan Lawrence (13*) steadied Essex through this rocky patch to finish on 89/2, with James Anderson performing captaincy duties in the absence of Steven Croft, who was off the field with a bruised thumb.

Red Rose excel at Chelmsford

Lancashire enjoyed all-round perfection on the second day of their trip to Chelmsford, achieving a first-innings lead of 160 runs before closing on 114/1.

James Anderson (3-56) and Stephen Parry (3-28) spearheaded a strong bowling display as Essex were dismantled for 159, with only Ravi Bopara (46) showing any form of long-term resistance.

Alex Davies (50*) and Haseeb Hameed (46) compounded the host's misery by adding 83 runs for the opening stand, taking the overnight lead to 274 runs.

Two late wickets from Anderson and Kyle Jarvis (2-49) had pegged Essex back to 39/2 by the end of the first day and by lunch they had stumbled to 97/5, showing no real intent to take the game to the opposition.

Jarvis enticed Chopra (15) to play at a wider delivery which caught the edge and sailed through to Davies at 49/3. Davies was called upon again when the other overnight batsman fell, this time Westley nicked a rising delivery from Anderson.

In his first four-day appearance since facing Yorkshire towards the end of the 2014 season, Parry struck with the final ball of his first over, as Dan Lawrence edged to Liam Livingstone for a brisk 37.

Bopara opened his shoulders after lunch, but Wheater soon became Parry's next victim when he was trapped lbw for 1 at 99/6. Any hope of achieving a batting point soon rested on the shoulders of the experienced Bopara, but he joined a long line of players to fall short of a half-century when he picked out Parry at mid-wicket attempting to flick Anderson off his pads.

Wickets continued to tumble even after Anderson's spell finished, as McLaren had Simon Harmer (4) plumb lbw with his first ball of a new spell, with Essex indebted to a 48-run partnership from Bopara and their skipper, Ryan ten Doeschate (19).

The South-African seamer stuck again with the first ball of his next over to see the back of the Essex captain, with Davies claiming his fifth catch of the innings.  Parry concluded a woeful effort from the hosts when he had Jamie Porter out lbw for 1, as he finished with figures of 3-28 in 14.4 overs.

Lancashire opted not to enforce the follow-on and instead consolidate an already formidable lead in the Chelmsford sunshine. Davies and Hameed were happy to rotate the strike and make the most of a degree of fortune, particularly Davies, who was put down by Westley on 10 and ten Doeschate on 26.

The wicketkeeper-batsman capitalised and would enter the close with a 113-ball fifty to his name, hitting eight boundaries against a dejected seam attack. Neil Wagner's hostile short-pitched approach reaped little reward and an otherwise inexperienced attack without Graham Napier and David Masters began to waver towards the end of the day.

Hameed, who fell three runs shy of a half-century yesterday, again failed to convert a typically solid platform into a fifty, edging Aaron Beard behind to Wheater. Davies struck two boundaries in the final over of the day to reach fifty with one ball to spare, while Livingstone was happy to shoulder arms to a generally wayward line to finish unbeaten on 13.

Vilas shines in Championship curtain-raiser

Dane Vilas struck a vital half-century on the opening day of the season for Lancashire to help the visitors post a competitive total at Chelmsford.

The South-African import has shown great promise since signing over the winter striking a fifty in the pre-season at Cambridge and his innings of 74 was the backbone of Lancashire's 319 all out.

Haseeb Hameed (47) and Steven Croft (48) demonstrated strong application against the Essex seamers, sharing 68 runs for the third-wicket, while a crucial last-wicket stand between Kyle Jarvis and James Anderson earned the visitors a third batting point.

The tenth-wicket pairing added 61, helping Lancashire to recover after a middle-order collapse saw them slump to 160/6, before claiming a wicket apiece and reducing the newly-promoted side to 39/2 before the close.

The match had been billed as the battle between England teammates - James Anderson and Alastair Cook - although the latter was forced to pull out at the last minute with a hip injury. Lancashire won the toss and chose to bat on a sun-bathed April day, with former overseas seamer Neil Wagner (3-100) in the opposing ranks. 

Alex Davies (5) hit a fifty in both innings at Fenner's after a season on the sidelines with reoccurring knee troubles, but he edged a rising delivery from Jamie Porter (2-64) into the gloves of Adam Wheater.

A counter-punch to this early breakthrough came in the form of Liam Livingstone, who has continued  to increase his stock over the close-season with hundreds for England Lions and impressive displays for the North Team. He hit six boundaries in a brisk innings of 28, before edging Aaron Beard (3-47) to Varun Chopra, who had to dive after Tom Westley parried his effort at first slip into the air.

Hameed and Croft excelled for the rest of the morning session, guiding Lancashire from 50/2 after Livingstone's departure to 114/2. It is fair to say lunch arrived at an unfortunate time for the Red Rose, with four wickets falling in a cluster after the break, including both overseas imports.

Croft could easily have fallen to the second ball of the afternoon session off spinner Simon Harmer, but Wheater failed to collect the ball and missed a straightforward stumping. In the next over Hameed - who hit 1, 198 runs at an average of nearly 50 last summer - shouldered arms to Porter and was bowled for 47.

Harmer had impressed before lunch without finding any reward, but he played a key hand in the next two wickets to fall, enticing the Lancashire captain to sweep straight to substitute fielder Callum Taylor, as Croft also fell short of a half-century.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul showed early promise to the short ball with his trademark side-on stance at the crease, but miscommunication meant the West-Indian was walking back to the pavilion with only 15 runs on his return to Lancashire, after his first spell in 2010. The left-hander wandered from the non-strikers end and was sent back by Vilas, but Harmer had the bails off in quick time to reduce Lancashire to 160/5.

The visitors lost their fourth wicket after lunch for 42 runs when Ryan McLaren fell first ball, edging Wagner to Westley at slip. Kolpak signing Vilas showed maturity and impressive touch to Harmer, while Clark looked to counterattack with a straight six off the young spinner. 

A fifty-partnership before tea revived the innings after a middle-order blip, before Beard claimed his second scalp of the day, trapping Clark lbw for a hard-fought 24. Vilas registered a fifty in 68 balls with eight boundaries to guide Lancashire to 240/7 heading into the evening session, while Stephen Parry made able company in a rare four-day appearance.

Wagner employed his typical short-pitched approached to remove Parry (19), forcing a good diving catch from Harmer at gully. A third wicket arrived for Beard (3-47) when Vilas mistimed a drive to Wagner at mid-off, leaving Lancashire a long way short of a third batting point at 268/9. 

Jarvis and Anderson dug deep to stand up against the best efforts of the Essex seamers, spearheaded by their former Kiwi teammate. A reverse-sweep from Anderson ensured Lancashire reached 300, while a drop from Essex skipper Ryan ten Doeschate allowed the tenth-wicket stand to reach 61 runs.

Wagner finished with three wickets after forcing Jarvis to edge behind to Wheater for 28, but the Zimbabwean paceman struck an early blow for the visitors in reply. Nick Browne struck four early boundaries before edging Jarvis behind to Davies in the sixth over, while nightwatchman Beard (3) fell seven balls later, with Anderson forcing the edge through to Davies on this occasion.

Essex finished on 39/2 after Westley struck three quick boundaries, reducing the deficit to 280 runs, while Chopra survived the nine-over spell from the Lancashire quicks.