Surrey Vs. Lancashire Yorkshire Bank 40.

Lancashire complete double over Surrey.

Ashwell Prince led Lancashire's chase with 76.

The disappointing start to the Yorkshire Bank 40 campaign experienced a minor lift for Lancashire today, as they achieved a five-wicket victory over Surrey at Guilford. Surrey managed 264-8, but after the start they had got off to this became inadequate. The visitors were able to reach this target with 15 balls to spare - subsequently achieving only their second win in this competition, with the other coming in the reverse fixture.

Having been put in to bat, Surrey made a fantastic start as Steven Davies and Jason Roy reached a hundred-run partnership before the first wicket fell. Both men achieved half centuries but after they fell their was a lack of responsibility about their approach.

Vikram Solanki resisted Lancashire with 34, but the batsmen around him fell cheaply, with Ricky Ponting failing to live up to the crowds expectation. He was run out for just 17 by Stephen Moore's direct hit, but this piece of fielding in no way equalled the catch he had taken earlier to remove Davies for 53.

Zander de Bruyn matched Solanki's score in the closing stages of the innings, hitting a six off the final ball, but Surrey's competitive total was by no means daunting.

Lancashire began their response professionally, in the knowledge that they needed to get off to a fast start if they were hoping to chase 265. Ashwell Prince and Stephen Moore did just that, reaching 85 before the latter fell for 30. Prince reached a 43-ball fifty as he led Lancashire's chase, top-scoring with 76.

In the middle overs the visitors slowed down marginally, bringing the game back into the balance, but they remained on top of affairs thanks to Simon Katich (57*) who raced to fifty from 35 balls.

Supported by Jordan Clark (27) and Gareth Cross (24) Lancashire reached a comfortable victory, despite needing 84 from the last ten overs.

Leeds/Bradford MCCU Vs. Lancashire: Friendly.

Lancashire complete victory over Leeds/Bradford MCCU.

Stephen Parry played a captains role
taking 5-70 in Lancashire's victory.

Lancashire reached an inevitable win today over Leeds/Bradford MCCU by 8 wickets, but for a long time it appeared as if this margin would be less impressive thanks to the resistance mounted by the hosts.

Luis Reece and Nicholas Gubbins continued to add to the fourth wicket partnership, which was already worth 55, frustrating Lancashire's bowlers throughout the morning session. Lancashire are perfectly aware of the formers capabilities as he is a regular figure in the second XI, having played alongside many of Lancashire's bowlers in this encounter.

The impressive batting of Leeds/Bradford MCCU appeared as if it was going to eliminate the result that had been written, based on their first innings performance, which saw them flop to 116 all out. Gubbins was eventually out for 82, ending a stand worth 135, as Jordan Clark took his second wicket of the innings.

Now 219-4 the home side had no reason not to see out the rest of the day, but they lost control after the fourth wicket fell - losing seven wickets for 46 runs.

Clark then removed Reece for 77, finishing with figures of 3-40.

From this point onwards the hosts failed to seize the initiative - with the next highest score coming from Alex MacQueen with 11. Stephen Parry continued to play a captains role in this fixture, tearing through the middle-lower order of the opponents and achieving a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

Despite the cluster of wickets that fell in the afternoon session, Lancashire were forced to bat again, needing just 73 for victory. It is fair to say that Tom Smith had an indifferent first innings, managing just five on his return from injury, but in the chase he reached 27 before he was dismissed by Harry Rouse. 

Karl Brown fell one run short of his fifty in the first innings, but was out first in the Lancashire chase, having smashed 32 from just 22 deliveries.

With both openers removed, Andrea Agathangelou and Stephen Moore were left to see Lancashire over the finish line, but this was delayed by the teatime interval, which was taken with just eight runs needed and for the home side eight wickets, although the former was much more likely.

Upon resuming play the matter of which would be achieved, if it was ever in doubt, was settled conclusively by Moore who smashed a maximum to give Lancashire victory. 

Leeds/Bradford MCCU Vs. Lancashire: Friendly.

Parry shines on second day of MCC University match.

 

Parry took five wickets as Lancashire continued their
dominance versus Leeds/Bradford MCCU.

Stephen Parry acquired five wickets today as Lancashire bowled Leeds/Bradford MCCU for 116 and forced them to follow on.

 

Leeds/Bradford MCCU were reduced to 32-5 thanks to the efforts of Oliver Newby on the previous day and Kabir Ali, who finished with 3-21

 

Captain Luis Reece top-scored with 41, but the hosts were unable to mount a response to Lancashire's score of 309.

 

Parry tore through the lower-order and was supported well by Andrea Agathangelou (2-16). The Lancashire captain obtained 3-28 in the first innings, forcing Leeds/Bradford MCCU to trail by 193.

In response the home side were much more compotent, achieving 47 before the loss of the first wicket. Henry Thompson (30) edged behind to Aex Davies to give Gavin Griffiths his first wicket of the game.

Parry struck his first breakthrough in the second innings, removing Jonathan Webb for 26 and then William Vanderspar for a duck three balls later. Now 84-3, Leeds/Bradford MCCU were in danger of a collapse, but Nicholas Gubbins (40) and Luis Reece (32) were able to raise a stand worth 55 for the fourth wicket, as the hosts closed on 139-3, still trailing by 54.

Leeds/Bradford MCCU Vs. Lancashire: Friendly.

Lancashire find form in Roses friendly.

Oliver Newby has made a positive start to Lancashire's
bowling -  taking two wickets in just four overs.

Lancashire were eventually bowled out for 309 after a shaky start to their innings against Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities and reduced their opponents to 11-3 in response. 

Alex Davies demonstrated his potential as a future batsman in the first XI, as he top-scored with 69 to guide Lancashire back in the right direction. 

The visitors start was dissatisfactory - achieving 24-2 early on. 

Tom Smith made his return to the Red Rose county, but he played a lose shot, managing just five. Andrea Agathangelou was out for naught, which was unusual based on his recent form.

Initially, the revival was led by Karl Brown, dismissed one shy of a half century, and Stephen Moore, who found some much needed form by reaching 58. The pair managed a stand worth 96, but were dismissed in quick succession.

Now 121-4, youngsters Joran Clark and Liam Livingstone had plenty of work to do, but neither was able to make a great contribution to proceedings, as both fell for single figures.

Davies' knock led the Lancashire innings and, supported by captain Stephen Parry (41), he was able to add 71 for the seventh-wicket. Parry was removed nine runs short of a well-deserved fifty by James Lee, who finished with figures of 4-40.

After his antics versus Durham in the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition, Kabir Ali continued to show his potential with the bat, adding a useful 40 to Lancashire's already impressive total. Lancashire's last four batsmen acquired 99 runs, which will have frustrated the hosts further after their positive start.

To make matters worse, Oliver Newby removed two of their batsmen to set up an unsuccessful hat-trick ball. Ali added to his contribution with the bat by taking Lancashire's first wicket at 3-1, followed by Newby's double-wicket over near the end of the first day. 

Still trailing by 298, the Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities have serious work to do, but they face an arduous task against the experienced line-up of bowlers yet to come in the Lancashire armoury.  

Photos from Durham YB40.

Phil Mustard departs for 65 as he an Stoneman share
a record-breaking partnership.

Paul Collingwood was run out for just 10.

Jordan Clark top scored for Lancashire with 72, but it was not enough.

Simon Katich was out a duck.

Durham Vs. Lancashire: Yorkshire Bank 40.

Ali and Clark redeem pride despite loss. 

Kabir Ali (59) and Jordan Clark (72) battled on despite the unlikely chance of chasing down 298 from 40 overs, especially after the less than impressive start made by the Lancashire openers. Durham completed a 39-run victory and for a long time this figure appeared as if it would be much larger, but the Lancashire men scored 64 runs in five overs to give them renewed hope.

Durham's impressive effort with the bat was belligerent, as Mark Stoneman and Phil Mustard broke the record for the highest opening partnership versus Lancashire, with 126. The home side reached 100 after just 11 overs, with Mustard in particular accelerating against Lancashire's bowlers. Stephen Parry eventually removed the keeper-batsman for 65, but by this stage the damage had already been done. 

Stoneman continued to dig in, also passing fifty from a much larger 52 balls. Paul Collingwood was run out cheaply and when Scott Borthwick was dismissed, Lancashire had pulled Durham back to 157-3.

But there were still plenty of batsmen to come - the first of which was Ben Stokes (40) who offered support to Stoneman in a stand worth 49 before the opener was removed by Wayne White (2-72). Stokes and Gordon Muchall continued to build on the impressive start made by their colleagues, reaching 248 before the former was removed by Steven Croft's part-time spin.

From that point though Muchall had very little support as Durham lost four wickets for 45 runs. Ali, perhaps more renowned for his bowling, finished with 2-50, but his true role in this match was yet to be recognised. As always Parry was the most economical of Lancashire's bowlers, conceding just 38 runs from his eight overs.

Lancashire had found confidence from their late efforts with the ball, but if they were going to chase down 298 then yet more records would be broken. A good start was paramount to such an accomplishment occurring and this never came for the visitors, who found themselves 44-4. 

Graham Onions is pushing for an England place and it is hardly surprising based on his performance today against the Lightning. He removed Lancashire's top three batsmen and then took the dangerous wicket of Simon Katich, finishing with 4-45. 

Steven Croft's score of 26 was, at the time, the best effort of any Lancashire player, which was comparatively embarrassing to Durham's achievements. Gareth Cross and Clark mounted a 48-run partnership but there were not enough wickets to back up the best efforts of the lower-middle order. Cross was eventually dismissed by Stokes (3-50) for 36, but White and Kyle Hogg were unable to offer a miraculous recovery, both falling for single figures.

On Lancashire debut Ali had experienced a reasonable effort with the ball, but with the bat he would pull his side out of trouble and back into what, for a long time, had no right to be called a 'match'. Clark struck ten fours and a six his innings of 72 as he and Ali mustered a rapid partnership of 45. Clark reached his first List A fifty from as many balls, but was made to look slow by Ali, who reached his half-century from 22 deliveries.

His four boundaries and five sixes made many people question whether or not Lancashire were going to pull off one of the greatest comebacks, quite frankly, of all time. But when Clark was removed by Stokes, Parry was the only remaining batsmen, with Lancashire still needing 91 to win. 

Who would have believed that the largest partnership of the innings would be the final stand between Ali and Parry, which was unable to see Lancashire over the line but did put the failure of the openers into perspective. The pair managed 51 before Ali tried one too many shots and was bowled by Stokes for 59.

It was an entertaining end to a disappointing day for Lancashire, who are now highly unlikely to qualify for the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition this season after a run of losses which sees them go second-bottom in Group B. Durham however complete the double over their Northern rivals and improve their chances of qualification moving to second behind Hampshire, last years winners.

Lancashire Vs. Gloucestershire LVCC Day Four.

One wicket margin denies Lancashire victory.

Marshall's resistance was crucial in
denying Lancashire victory.

Lancashire fell agonisingly close to achieving their third Championship win of the season, as Gloucestershire finished nine wickets down in their second innings. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 270 this morning, setting Gloucester 359 to win - a total they had no intention of chasing, but their efforts to save the draw were, by the thinest of margins, a success.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Lancashire's decision to bat on this morning for a further eight overs may well have been the difference today. Certainly heavy rain prevented progress on the first and second day, but in terms of what Lancashire could control, this was a mistake they could have avoided.

Perhaps they were fearful of the very real possibility that their opponents may have successfully chased 343, but Lancashire's promotion chances will be hindered if this reluctant attitude plays a further part in the campaign, especially since they were only able to add 16 runs for the time that they affectively wasted.

Wayne White's fine performance with the bat, on the third day, was brought to an early halt this morning when he was dismissed for 61 by Greame McCarter, to his credit playing with a selflessly aggressive tone. Glen Chapple and Simon Kerrigan were removed in quick succession by Benny Howell (2-46) and McCarter (4-95), which gave the home side faith in their bid to take ten wickets on the final day.

The early removal of Chris Dent added to the generally hopeful tone of proceedings at 13-1, as Kyle Hogg forced an edge through to Gareth Cross. For a long time Michael Klinger and Dan Housego resisted the Lancashire bowling attack, but with the last ball before lunch, Kerrigan removed the former for 22, as Gloucestershire entered the pavilion on 50-2. 

Housego departed soon after play resumed, falling in identical fashion to Dent as Hogg claimed his second and final wicket of the innings. This brought Alex Gidman to the crease, a very unwelcome face to the Lancashire players, who watched him score 110 in the first innings. His effort of 46 alongside Hamish Marshall in a stand worth 54 extracted a large amount of time from the afternoon session, as Andrea Agathangelou took his first first-class wicket. 

The fifth-wicket stand was equally frustrating as Marshall (44), now joined by Howell, defied Lancashire any further breakthroughs. Howell faced 89 balls for his score of 17, showing how disinterested they were with chasing down the target. But when he was eventually removed at 150-5 by Kerrigan (2-65), this wicket brought another, as Chapple bowled Gareth Roderick for nought. 

Although the game had now swung back in Lancashire's favour, many feared that it was all too late to expect yet another miraculous turn-around and as long as Marshall was at the crease this would prove to be even harder. Craig Miles fell to Chapple for 12, but Marshall was by far in a way the hero for Gloucestershire, facing 206 balls before he fell to White (1-11).

Lancashire had five overs to take the final two wickets, but this remained to be the case with two balls left, as the the true value of Lancashire's decision to bat at the start of the day was fully appreciated. Agathangelou (2-18) now needed two wickets from two balls and was able to achieve the first half of this challenge by removing McCarter, but Liam Norwell was able to face the last ball of the match successfully to deny Lancashire victory.