Monday, 13 April 2015

Lancashire enjoy strong showing with the bat


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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