Lancashire Vs. Worcestershire: Day One - LV County Championship

Twenty 20 call-up inspires Croft’s success on day one at Old Trafford.

Lancashire finished the first day of this LV County Championship match on 13-0, after finally finishing of Worcestershire for 291, despite the visitors stumbling to a miserable effort of 93-6. The heroics of Ben Scott (106) and Matthew Pardoe (55) from mid-afternoon onwards, rescued an otherwise bleak situation to post a more than respectable total under the circumstances.

For most of the morning session, the decision to bat first was proven to be worth wile by Worcestershire, as openers Daryl Mitchell and Phil Hughes were able to see off Lancashire’s pace bowlers with great success. It wasn’t until the introduction of spinner Simon Kerrigan that Lancashire made any sort of breakthrough, but Mitchell’s slow approach was tested to the limit by the 23-year-old, as he was forced to edge to Tom Smith for 12. The hard work of the first hour was reduced quickly to a mediocre start when part time spinner, Steven Croft (3-64), struck Hughes on the pad for 32 to signal lunch at 56-2.

Moeen Ali joined Vikram Solanki after lunch to finish the 27^th over, but he was forced to edge one of Steven Croft’s remaining deliveries to Horton at first slip for 2 as Worcestershire stumbled to 64-3. The impact of Croft’s spin continued when Solanki edged to Ashwell Prince for 15 and he followed this with a catch off of Kerrigan to claim the wicket of James Cameron for 18. It seemed impossible to keep Steven Croft out of this match and upon his selection into England’s 30-man squad for the 2012 Twenty 20 world cup, he flourished taking 3 wickets and 2 catches when he caught Gareth Andrew for a golden duck off Kerrigan. Six wickets had fallen for the addition of just 53 runs and Worcestershire, who are still without a championship victory this season, were in dire need of salvation.

Lancashire have had a lot of success this season when it comes to bowling out top order batsmen but have also struggled to take the remaining wickets, hence they have only recorded one victory this season. The hosts suffered the same fate in this fixture as Pardoe and Scott recorded a partnership worth 127 for the 7^th wicket to steer the visitors back on track. Ben Scott was first to reach his half-century and the hundred partnership signalled the tea interval, in a mixed session for both sides.

Pardoe’s fifty shortly followed the break from 133 balls, but a run out instigated once again by Steven Croft ended the partnership that had frustrated Lancashire for nearly three hours. This left Ben Scott isolated alongside tail-enders, but the last man out was able to help add 71 more runs before the innings end. Shaaiq Choudry’s 33-ball effort of just 2 runs allowed Worcestershire’s star man (Scott) more time, but he was eventually trapped LBW to Lancashire’s captain Glen Chapple. Richard Jones was able to provide a quick cameo worth 15 to assist Ben Scott who reached his century from 163 balls, but he was unable to prevent Tom Smith strapping him on the pad for 15. It was fitting not only for the captain to catch Scott, but for Simon Kerrigan (4-117) to take the vital last wicket of Scott as Worcestershire posted 291 all out, with Alan Richardson 6 not out.

With just four overs to face, Lancashire openers Paul Horton (7*) and Stephen Moore (5*) saw it as their duty to end with all ten wickets intact as they finished the first day on 13-0.