Simon Kerrigan claimed 5-52 as Lancashire fought
back on the final day of their pre-season friendly against Leeds-Bradford MCCU,
who were bowled out for 278.
The visitors had enjoyed an excellent
morning session as Steve Bullen (97) and Billy Root (46) made 98 runs for the
second-wicket partnership, but Lancashire ended on a high claiming the final
seven wickets for 52.
Both batsmen fell shy of their respective
milestones and after they were dismissed the innings started to fall apart as
Kerrigan removed both batsmen to help Lancashire’s recovery.
Root fell just before lunch when he was
caught at short-leg by Steven Croft to hand Kerrigan his first scalp of the
day, although this wicket came after a great deal of work from the Lancashire
bowlers, who toiled for little reward in the morning session.
After being dropped on 10 by Croft at third
slip and then Paul Horton on 15 at first slip, Root capitalised on his good
fortune. Bullen wasn’t dropped at any point but he did edge the ball through
the slips on several occasions, a sight which became incredibly frustrating for
the likes of Kyle Jarvis who had to wait a while before he claimed two wickets on the final day.
With the wicket of Root finally claimed,
Bullen continued to add to his total, now joined by the visiting skipper
Christian Davis. Bullen hit 14 fours on his way to what would have been an
impressive century, despite the countless occasion where he flashed hard and
found the gap between second and fourth slip.
Davis carried on where Root left off as he
and Bullen made a 50 partnership in reasonable time for the third-wicket adding
to Lancashire’s lack of fortune in the Manchester sunshine.
Kerrigan produced prodigious spin from the
wicket and in the end it was this bit of turn which did for Bullen as he
prodded at the ball and feathered behind to Alex Davies, three runs short of
his century.
The visitors lost their second wicket for
15 runs when captain Davis played a loose shot off Kerrigan which he mistimed
to Buck at point for a gifted wicket as the students reached 225/4, still
trailing Lancashire by 257 runs.
Jarvis (2-53) bowled with plenty of pace and
he was eventually rewarded for his efforts when George Scott was caught behind
for 7. The Zimbabwean then claimed his second wicket for as many runs as he
trapped Chris Wakefield (2) lbw to leave the visitors 229/6.
Lancashire struck their sixth wicket
for just 94 runs when George Rouse was caught by Alviro Petersen at
second slip to give Kerrigan his penultimate wicket of the day. Alex Lilley (8), the brother of Lancashire
spinner Arron, handed Tom Smith (1-41) his only wicket of the innings when he
looped the ball to Clark at cover as he failed to deal with the Lancashire captain’s
bouncer.
Clark then collected a wicket of his own when
he removed Liam Watkinson, son of the former Lancashire player and coach Mike
Watkinson, who also made eight runs before edging to Horton at first slip, as Clark also finished with 1 for 41.
Lancashire needed to claim one more wicket
in order to finish off the opposition and they did so when Doug Pratt was
bowled by Kerrigan who collected his fifth wicket, leaving Joe Ellis-Grewal unbeaten on 31 as the players shook at hands
just after 5 o’clock.
Lancashire’s County Championship campaign
starts in five days time when they travel to Derbyshire.
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