Champions relegated at the home of cricket.
Just one year after Lancashire won the
LV County Championship in scintillating
style, they have been relegated to division
two in the penultimate fixture of the season.
Surrey’s victory against Nottinghamshire,
ensured Lancashire’s fate, after Lancashire
failed to force a positive result against a
deserving Middlesex. Rogers (86) and
Malan (95) helped the home side to set
Lancashire 304 for victory, but in pursuit
of an necessary win, Lancashire collapsed
and were subsequently relegated.
Middlesex resumed the final day on 129-2 with Rogers and Malan going strong. In a stand worth 134, Middlesex hurt Lancashire’s chances of success, in a game that the visitors desperately needed to win. Rogers was caught behind by Gareth Cross off of Simon Kerrigan for 86 after the disappointment of scoring a duck in the first innings. Neil Dexter however was unable to replicate a good first innings effort of 125, making 9 in Middlesex’s second innings. At 207-4 Middlesex were coming towards a declaration total, but not before John Simpson helped Malan to boost the Lancashire target. A partnership worth 58 ensured that Lancashire would have a tough chase on their hands, but Malan wont have been happy to be dismissed five short of a well deserved hundred.
Middlesex were only able to add a further 24 runs for the loss of their final five wickets, as they set Lancashire an almost impossible target of 304 runs from just 39 overs. Chapple finished with another five wicket haul (5-47), a rare highlight in a disappointing game for Lancashire. Whether it was needing to score at nearly 8 runs per over in a championship match, or the fact that Lancashire had to win, with Surrey beating Nottinghamshire, Lancashire were under a lot of pressure, pressure that unfortunately took its toll.
Despite the early losses of openers Ashwell Prince and Tom Smith, Lancashire were in touch with the required rate of 7.79 runs per over by reaching 107-2 after 16 overs. Karl Brown (33) and Steven Croft (30) made a respectable effort, to help Lancashire keep up the required rate, but the loss of both batsmen in quick succession saw Lancashire stumble to 112-4. Lancashire would like to have settled for a draw once they realised they were now unlikely to win, but this was not an option and all they could do was keep going.
Gareth Cross was dismissed for a duck, leaving Lancashire 112-5 and all but certain to be relegated. Horton shortly followed, scoring 6 runs after an impressive first innings effort with Lancashire now on 125-6. Kyle Hogg was next to go, scoring 2 before he was bowled by Patel who finished with 4-72. Chapple was the only tail end batsmen who showed any sign of resistance, scoring 19 from 15 balls but he was bowled by Crook, who claimed 5-48 against his former county.
Luke Procter joined the crease at number nine, after his new role as an opening batsman, as Lancashire attempted to draw a game that was now impossible to win. He and Shahzad (26*) made 32 runs for the ninth wicket partnership as Lancashire were attempting to save pride in being relegated. They would unfortunately have no such luck with Procter trapped LBW off of Patel for 26 and Kerrigan (also dismissed by Patel) chipping to Gareth Berg for no score.
Needing 304 runs for what would have been a memorable victory, Lancashire were only able to reach 194 and have subsequently been relegated to division two of the county championship, with one more fixture to play against Surrey at Liverpool, who avoided relegation today at the expense of last years champions.
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