Worcs Vs. Lancs Day Four Report

Lancashire’s eighth draw of the season furthers relegation fears.

The current LV County Championship

Title holders Lancashire are now strong

Relegation candidates after their eighth

draw in thirteen games and still only

one win. Fellow relegation favourites

Worcestershire are also experiencing a

tough season but have a game in hand

over visitors, Lancashire, who are

likely to be bottom after both sides have

played the same number of games.

When Lancashire resumed on 10-0, they had the intention of earning some batting bonus points, but in a season of disappointing form with the bat, Lancashire were only able to score 219 and achieve one batting point. Openers, Paul Horton (15) and Luke Procter (16), were not able to give Lancashire the start that they desired adding just 21 runs to their overnight score before Horton edged to Worcester captain Daryl Mitchell off Gareth Andrew. Procter shortly followed when Alan Richardson bowled the youngster, as Lancashire reached a humble 35-2.

Karl Brown was next to fall when he was trapped LBW to Andrew for 12, as Worcestershire achieved a bowling bonus point. The recent form of Ashwell Prince has been the primary strength of Lancashire’s four-day team, but even he failed to make a big score, edging to Mitchell off Andrew for 9. Lancashire reached 84-4 at lunch and were looking nervous in search of batting points.

Light rain fell in the lunch interval but play started on time, with Steven Croft (28) and Andrea Agathangelou (7) hoping to advance at least towards 200. But Lancashire were only able to add five runs to their lunchtime score as Agathangelou was caught behind by Ben Scott to give Richardson his second wicket. Croft departed shortly after also caught behind as Andrew claimed his fourth wicket, with the visitors resigned to 93-6.

A seventh-wicket partnership worth 58 runs between Gareth Cross (39) and Kyle Hogg (14) was able to redeem Lancashire’s chances of achieving a batting bonus point, but Lancashire’s batting was once again coming into question. Moeen Ali proved destructive with the ball at Old Trafford and he struck his first blow at New Road when Hogg edged to Mitchell at second slip, as the visitors reached 151-7. Cross immediately followed as Joe Leach bowled the Lancashire keeper, with the target of 200 looking bleak at best.

But the efforts of Lancashire captain, Glen Chapple (27) and Ajmal Shahzad (28*) helped the visitors reach their first and only batting point. Chapple smashed Moeen Ali for a towering six over long-on, but as he tried to replicate this once more he was stumped by Scott with Lancashire on 187-9, still thirteen short of their target. Shahzad was joined by Simon Kerrigan and the ex-Yorkshire all-rounder led the visitors over their target of 200 as Lancashire had a rare period of elation in an otherwise dismal day. Kerrigan was soon stumped for 8 to give Mooen Ali his third wicket, as the umpires called tea on the final day, with the visitors all-out for 216.

The unlikely combination of Kyle Hogg and Steven Croft opened Lancashire’s bowling attack in the final session and were joined by Karl Brown and Simon Kerrigan in a futile attempt to make something happen in this rain-interrupted fixture. It wasn’t long before the players shook hands, with the score at 33-0 and both Worcestershire openers unbeaten, Daryl Mitchell scoring 16 and Matthew Pardoe reached 4 when the players walked off the field of play.

Both sides will be once again frustrated by yet another rain interrupted draw, particular Lancashire who are experiencing a difficult season in contrast to their title success of last season. Worcestershire have the small consolation of gaining more points from this match (Worcestershire 8pts, Lancashire 6pts) and despite being bottom have a game in hand over their relegation companions Lancashire. To add insult to injury both Surrey and Durham ended this round of matches with a victory, to further increase the challenge both sides face of avoiding relegation. The frustration was summed up perfectly today when the church bells rang continuously for four hours and for both of the sides the bells certainly toll.  

Worcs Vs. Lancs Day Three Report

Further rain prevents progress on third day.

Day three of this LV County Championship match between Worcestershire and Lancashire restricted the bottom two sides in the endeavour to avoid relegation, in a game already heavily damaged by the weather. After the whole of the first day was washed-out both sides were anxious to finally achieve some batting and bowling bonus points but a combination of bad light and rain has all but guaranteed another draw, which will not suit either side.

When hosts Worcestershire resumed on 219-6, just two more overs were bowled before bad light caused the first delay of the day. Play resumed briefly as the hero of day two, Neil Pinner (82), add to his overnight score of 79* before the Lancashire captain, Glen Chapple, trapped him LBW, as Worcestershire reached 223-7. But a heavy rain delay saw the majority of the day washed-out and little progress on the third day.

When play did resume, the only bonus point of the day went to Worcester, as a composed eight-wicket partnership of 28 runs from Gareth Andrew (12*) and Ben Scott (14*) saw the home side past 250. When they had reached this milestone, Worcestershire saw it fit to declare, as they denied Lancashire their unlikely chance off acquiring further bowling bonus points.

After the hosts declaration, Lancashire openers Paul Horton (1*) and Luke Procter (9*) were only able to reach 10-0 by close of play. With affectively two whole days of this game being affected by the weather, a result is highly unlikely and both sides must now be very fearful of the threat of relegation. Relegation candidates Surrey and Durham are also going into the last of four days with a strong chance of winning putting further pressure on Worcestershire and current champions Lancashire.

Worcs Vs. Lancs Day Two

Pinner resists Lancashire onslaught on day two.

Hosts Worcestershire were

able to recover to 219-6 after

they had stumbled to 108-5.

The efforts of Neil Pinner (79*)

and Joe Leach (46) allowed the

home side to claim some pride

to frustrate Lancashire after a

successful morning session.

After rain washed out the entire

first day of this LV County

Championship match, both

Lancashire and Worcestershire

will be frustrated by their lack of

progress both in this match and       

this season which has been

heavily influenced by the weather. 

Worcestershire skipper, Daryl Mitchell, was out for a duck after he struggled against his opposite Glen Chapple’s bowling and was caught by Simon Kerrigan. James Cameron was out shortly afterwards when he was trapped LBW by Kyle Hogg for 6. Opener Matthew Pardoe (37) was able to see Worcester past 50 but was unable to form a long partnership with Mooen Ali, before he was caught superbly by keeper Gareth Cross off Chapple. Vikram Solanki, who is scheduled to join Surrey next season, was also out off Chapple caught by Cross, scoring just 4 with the hosts on 68-4.

Star of the day, Neil Pinner, joined Moeen Ali to resist Lancashire either side of lunch, with the first rain delay of day two causing more unwanted delays. When play resumed Worcester advanced on their promising fifth-wicket partnership but Ali, who frustrated Lancashire with the ball in the reverse fixture taking match figures of 12-96, was only able to score 35, before he was out LBW to Hogg.

But a partnership between Neil Pinner and Joe Leach worth 111 was enough to frustrate Lancashire’s efforts after such a successful start. Pinner was out for no score in his only other first-class game, just over one year ago, but was able to prove to the critics that he has potential as a batsman. Fellow twenty-one-year-old, Joe Leach was bowled by Ajmal Shahzad as the home-side closed on a promising score of 219-6.

Worcestershire Vs. Lancashire: Day One Report

First day wash-out frustrates bottom two sides.

Giving that both hosts Worcester

and current champions Lancashire are experiencing a tough season, the bottom two

teams will certainly be frustrated by yet another rain interrupted fixture. New Road has previously experienced heavy flood problems and pictures from the ground from today are reminiscent of flooding in May when floods peaked at 4 Metres.

Despite the best efforts of the Worcestershire ground staff, the rain was persistent and heavy and prevented any play on the first day. When this match was played last season, Lancashire opener Stephen Moore left to join his family for the birth of his daughter Emilia and after poor form this year, averaging just 17 in the County Championship, Moore was dropped and replaced by the recently injured Luke Procter. Despite winning the County Championship last year, Worcestershire inflicted a heavy 10-wicket victory over Lancashire and a similarly comfortable 205-run victory earlier this season.   

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Lancs VS. Somerset LV County Championship report

Here are some pictures from Lancashire's 4-day game against Somerset. As you can see this was yet another LV County Championship match intervened by the weather, which prevented the enthralling final day from unfolding with all results still possible. After losing the toss, Lancashire were asked to bat first and reached 185 all out. The only highlight of this innings saw Ashwell Prince reach 51 before being caught behind in contentious style. In the scheme of the game however this first innings total was above average as the visitors Somerset replied with just 149.

Carrying a 36-run lead into the second innings, of a very low scoring game would prove priceless when Lancashire stumbled to 50-6. A valiant effort from Ashwell Prince (129) seemingly rendered the notion of defeat and helped Lancashire to set Somerset 279 to win. At the start of the final days play, Somerset were 22-1 and Lancashire were able to dismiss James Hildreth and captain, Marcus Trescothick, as all three results were all still possible around lunchtime.

But heavy lunchtime rain prevented any further play as both teams

experienced a frustrating wait to be told that play had been   abandoned. Both Lancashire and Somerset finished with 6 points from this game and neither side will have enjoyed yet another draw in a season that has been dominated by poor weather, in contrast to last year which was filled with the elation of Lancashire's title success.

Lancs Vs. Gloucs CB40

Brown sends Gladiators down as Lancashire go top.

Karl Brown's superb effort of 60, in conjunction with Paul Horton who scored 46, was just about enough to give Lancashire their sixth CB40 win, as Lancashire advance to the top of Group A. This televised fixture encompassed a mixture of brilliance in all three areas of the game for the home side and the Lightning are now top with two games in hand over second place (Middlesex).

Gloucestershire actually started the day in better style, winning the toss and hitting a four off the first ball of the innings. But this was only one of ten boundaries in an otherwise dire effort by Gloucester. Lancashire struck an early blow, when Rob Nicol chipped to Glen Chapple at mid-off for 6, with the score at 12-1. Chapple contributed once more as Benny Howell edged behind to Gareth Cross for 2, attempting a slog over mid-wicket at 25-2. Hamish Marshall (23) departed in a comical fashion when Oliver Newby trapped him LBW, subsequently causing him to fall over. After winning the toss, the visitors had stumbled to 35-3 and were forced to play boring and uneventful cricket to post a respectable total.

A partnership worth 47 between Dan Housego and Alex Gidman did go a long way towards the necessary recuperation, but the Gladiators were slow and Lancashire bowled very well. Gidman was bowled by Newby for 18 and Gary Keedy bowled Housego for 43, to undo a useful partnership. At 111-5, the situation was once more very dire for the Gladiators, but a partnership worth 42 between Ian Cockbain (58) and Chris Dent (27) brought hope in desperate circumstances. Dent's attempted slog was caught by Stephen Moore to give Shahzad his second wicket with Gloucester on 153-6 with only a few more overs to go.

Without the heroics of Ian Cockbain's 49-ball score of 58, who struck three consecutive sixes from the last over, Gloucestershire would have been in trouble but they were able to finish on a respectable total of 184-7. Cokbain attempted to hit the final delivery for yet another six but Parry was rewarded with his wicket as Cross stumped the unsuccessful slog. Wickets were evenly shared amongst Lancashire's bowlers, with the star performer being Newby who finished with 2-24.

The Lightning got off to a comfortable start with Stephen Moore (37) and Ashwell Prince (16) unfazed by opening bowlers Rob Nicol and James Fuller. They were able to finish the batting power play on 43 without losing a wicket but Prince shortly departed caught by Nicol off David Payne. Moore continued to bat confidently but the in-form Steven Croft top-edged an attempted sweep to Payne at backward square leg off Ed Young for just 3, as Lancashire stumbled to 52-2. Moore and new batsmen, Karl Brown, formed a useful partnership of 29, but their efforts were cut short by a fantastic catch from Cockbain when Moore flashed at Fuller's delivery.

Lancashire were in need of a stable partnership and they found it in Karl Brown (60) and Paul Horton (46) who made 82 for the fourth-wicket. Brown made his 50 from 62 balls and the home side soon needed less than 50 runs to win. Brown started to open up his boulders but as a result found himself caught at long on by Howell off Payne, with Lancashire still needing 22 runs for victory. Horton shortly followed his batting partner when he was trapped LBW to Fuller with pressure building as runs dried up.

Lancashire introduced Ajmal Shahzad with tensions rising, but he quelled any fears scoring 10 off 5 balls before he was bowled by Payne with Lancashire needing just 4 more runs to win. Keeper Gareth Cross (7*) and skipper Glen Chapple (2*) were able see Lancashire home to give them their sixth CB40 win of the campaign.

This victory sees Lancashire go top of Group A with games in hand over all of the teams that are close to them in the table. Brown was awarded the man of the match for his effort of 60 but a special mention must go to Horton who scored 46 under equally tough circumstances.