Lancashire posted a mammoth score of 482 in
their three-day pre-season friendly against Leeds-Bradford MCCU.
Luis Reece (81) and Alviro Petersen (82)
shared 116 runs for the second wicket before the latter became the first
Lancashire batsman to retire unbeaten. Heavy rain prevented any further play
after lunch on Day One of this match, but the two teams managed a full day at
Emirates Old Trafford as Billy Root claimed 4 for 49.
In reply the visitors closed on 37/1 with
Henry Thompson (17) falling to Nathan Buck (1-14) off the final ball of the
day, as the Lancashire debutant claimed a thoroughly deserved breakthrough.
Also on debut, Petersen made a sketchy
start in the morning session but soon found his feet as he did most of the
scoring in his hundred-partnership with Reece. The Lancashire opener moved to a
patient half-century in 116 deliveries and although Petersen only achieved this
milestone in four fewer balls, the South-African started to play more
aggressively after reaching his fifty.
By the time that the second-wicket
partnership had reached a value of 100, Petersen was responsible for scoring 71
of these runs as he hit eight fours and a six to accelerate the run rate.
Petersen retired just before lunch, by
which time Lancashire had progressed to 262/1 and Reece, now joined by Ashwell
Prince, soon followed Petersen in the pavilion retiring at the interval on 81.
Prince (74) became the main enforcer and
enjoyed tucking into the visiting bowlers as he hit Joe Ellis-Grewal (2-106)
for two sixes in one over after lunch. The veteran batsman was approaching a
half-century as Steven Croft attempted to replicate Prince by launching
Ellis-Grewal into the stands, but Lancashire’s vice-captain mistimed his stroke
and was caught by Thompson at mid-on.
Croft (6) had managed a century at Taunton and
captain Tom Smith had also gave an impressive display against Somerset, but he
soon followed Croft back to the pavilion when he was bowled by Ellis-Grewal for
just two as Lancashire lost their second wicket for six runs.
At 316/3 Prince continued to be the strong
presence at the crease he has always been, reaching one of his easier
half-centuries in a mere 45 balls, as he hit six fours to go with his earlier
maximums.
He and Alex Davies (49) shared 58 runs
before Prince was caught by George Scott off Harry Rouse (1-81) although the
South-African was out playing a loose shot which would almost certainly have
been avoided had he not been approaching a point of retiring his innings.
The introduction of Root proved pivotal for
the visitors as he claimed four wickets to revive the deflated spirits of his
teammates. His first scalp was that of Davies who was approaching a tidy
half-century, but like Prince he mistimed his shot and found captain Christian
Davis falling one short of fifty with the score at 399/5.
Jordan Clark (45) and Buck shared another
respectable partnership, adding 55 runs either side of tea, but Clark’s innings
replicated that of Davies when he was dismissed by Root just shy of his
half-century, as the Lancashire all-rounder was trapped lbw to give Root his
second scalp.
Buck proved to be a more than useful lower-order
batsman although Root continued to cause harm with his medium-fast bowling,
removing Simon Kerrigan (7) and then Kyle Jarvis (0) as he finished with
respectable figures of 4-49, leaving Buck unbeaten on 37.
The former Leicestershire man was then
chaired with the duty of sharing the new ball with Jarvis and, despite a
wicketless start to the innings, Buck eventually forced an edge to Tom Smith at
second slip to remove Thompson with the final ball of the day, Steve Bullen
unbeaten on 15 at stumps.
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