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+--- Thread: Lancashire 2023 (/showthread.php?tid=12190)
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 04-09-2023
Lancashire 54 for 2 trail Northamptonshire 323 (Whiteman 79) by 178 runs
Sam Whiteman passed fifty for the fourth time in Championship cricket this season but self-inflicted wounds meant Northamptonshire again failed to raise a batting point on day one of their game with Lancashire at Wantage Road.
In his last game this season for the Steelbacks before returning to Western Australia, Whiteman proved the mainstay of the home side's total of 232, hitting 79 with a six and 12 fours after they lost the toss and were put in.
A lapse of concentration cost him the chance of a third hundred of the campaign and other careless shots and two farcical run-outs meant their batting bonus point total for the season remains stuck on three. Wickets were shared around, Tom Hartley, George Balderson and Will Williams claiming two apiece.
Northamptonshire though struck back with the ball, Lancashire losing openers Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings both lbw to Ben Sanderson and Jack White respectively, Jennings looking aggrieved over a dismissal which looked high and sliding down leg-side. Nightwatchman Williams was dropped at second slip by Gay in the final over as the visitors closed on 54 for 2, 178 runs in arears.
Whiteman was at the crease early, opener Hassan Azad having been pinned lbw playing no shot during a probing opening spell from Tom Bailey.
As with any batter faced with a 10.30am start, the left-hander needed his share of good fortune, inside edging on numerous occasions, three times seeing the ball bounce over the stumps. However, two fours in one over from Williams got him up and running before an almost head high no-ball from Jack Blatherwick was despatched over the short boundary into the West Stand.
These shows of aggression were the exception where he was concerned, any fluency there was coming from Emilio Gay. The young opener, who endured a poor Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign, was looking to recapture the form which saw him make 144 and 61 against the Red Roses in the reverse fixture back in July.
Save for an early vociferous lbw shout from Bailey the signs were good, the left-hander creaming several dreamy drives through the extra-cover mid-off region in moving elegantly to 35. However, with lunch approaching, confusion over a second run saw Gay sent back by Whiteman with no hope of making his ground thanks to Dane Vilas's arrow-like throw from the deep.
To rub salt in Northamptonshire wounds, skipper Luke Procter was also out prior to the adjournment, Blatherwick getting one to lift from not far short of a length, the ball taking the glove and flying head high to Williams at third slip.
Whatever Whiteman had for lunch he emerged from the dressing-room with more intent, sending three deliveries from one Blatherwick over to the fence as he moved to 50 in 71 balls. Soon afterwards the bowler was forced from the field with a niggle.
Keogh kept Whiteman company through the early afternoon, without finding any real fluency, before inside edging one from Williams into his off stump.
The injury to Blatherwick forced Lancashire skipper Jennings to turn to the spin of Hartley and he would prove the undoing of Whiteman, who, in a loss of concentration played across a straight one and was adjudged lbw.
The loss of their anchor proved the cue for a slump, Saif Zaib who had played nicely to that point, driving lazily at Balderson to lose his off stump, the bowler then accounting for Justin Broad caught behind by Phil Salt, the batter somewhat surprised to be given out.
The second comical run-out of the day accounted for Tom Taylor and despite some late hitting from wicketkeeper Lewis McManus and Jack White, the hosts came up short in their quest for a first batting point at Wantage Road this season.
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 05-09-2023
Josh Bohannon indulged his liking for Northamptonshire’s bowlers yet again with an imperious century to put Lancashire in control of their LV= Insurance County Championship contest at Wantage Road.
The 26-year-old hit 175, his highest knock of the season and a third successive hundred against Northamptonshire, becoming the second Division One player to pass 1,000 runs this summer in the process.
Bohannon batted almost the entire day, sharing a partnership of 150 with George Balderson – a Red Rose record against Northamptonshire – to guide the visitors to 392 for seven in their first innings, a commanding lead of 160.
Northamptonshire toiled resolutely in the heat for little reward, with seamer Jack White the pick of their bowlers with three for 79, but they face a battle to rescue the game on day three.
Having steered his side to 54 for two the previous evening, nightwatchman Will Williams took an early boundary off Ben Sanderson before the Northamptonshire seamer removed him with a rising delivery he could only fend to second slip.
At the other end, White found both movement and bounce, ensuring a difficult start for Williams’ replacement Phil Salt as a couple of balls zipped past the bat and another flew off his inside edge just past the stumps.
Salt had more joy against Tom Taylor, who offered too much width and was punished with three boundaries in a single over – but Taylor eventually got his man when he top-edged a pull and Emilio Gay ran back from his position in the slips to gather the catch.
Taylor was unlucky not to add a second wicket when his strong leg before appeal against Vilas, on 10, was turned down and the former Lancashire captain took advantage of that let-off to build a partnership of 92 with Bohannon.
The pair also shared a comic moment when a Vilas boundary mistakenly prompted the announcement of his partner’s half-century on the ground’s PA system, with both batters removing their helmets in mock celebration.
Bohannon’s actual 50 duly arrived when he glanced White for three in the next over and the Lancashire batter continued to look untroubled after lunch, aside from a rare lapse when he was fortunate to get away with carving Taylor between second and third slip.
White raised the prospect of a slender first-innings lead for Northamptonshire, striking twice in three deliveries as Vilas chopped onto his leg stump for 37 before George Bell was pinned in front without scoring.
But Bohannon remained unruffled at the other end, drilling Rob Keogh sweetly to the cover boundary to advance to 99 before cutting the next delivery, the 184th of his innings, for a significant single.
He raised personal and team landmarks in style soon afterwards, crashing Keogh for six over long-on to move past 1,000 runs for the season and lift Lancashire beyond the home side’s first innings total of 232.
Bohannon found a new ally in Balderson, who was quick to pounce on anything wide of off stump as the pair put together a century stand and extended the Red Rose advantage into three figures.
A thumping cover drive off Sanderson scuttled over the rope to take Bohannon past 150 as he dominated the post-tea scoring, with Balderson adopting a more watchful approach en route to his half-century.
Taylor finally separated the pair by having Bohannon caught behind off a bottom edge, but Balderson, who finished unbeaten on 83, ensured there was no respite for the home side as he and Tom Hartley added a further 53 by stumps.
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 05-09-2023
Northamptonshire 232 and 211 for 5 trail Lancashire 524 (Bohannon 175, Balderson 115, Bailey 77, White 4-99) by 81 runs
George Balderson scored a superb 115, his second Championship century, as Lancashire assumed complete dominance over Northamptonshire on day three of this LV= Insurance County Championship match.
The innings continues an excellent breakout season for Balderson, who scored his maiden ton against Warwickshire in July and is currently averaging in the mid-sixties in red ball cricket.
With a destructive Tom Bailey blasting 77 off just 75 balls, Lancashire closed on 524, their highest-ever score at Wantage Road, breaking a record that had stood for 88 years. It gave the Red Rose an imposing lead of 292 and marked a remarkable comeback spearheaded yesterday by Josh Bohannon's six-hour 175, with the last four wickets amassing a colossal 335 runs in 83.3 overs.
Sam Whiteman, in his final match of the season for Northamptonshire before he returns to Australia, played an assured innings of 54. It was his second half-century of the match, raising faint hopes Northamptonshire could save the game. His 112-ball vigil ended when he played a ball from Will Williams onto his stumps. The hosts finished on 211 for five, still needing another 81 to make Lancashire bat again tomorrow.
Lancashire began the day on 392 for seven leading by 160, but soon lost Tom Hartley (28) who edged Jack White to first slip. That brought Balderson (83 not out overnight) together with Bailey in a partnership of 68. Balderson played sweetly off his legs and hit spinner Rob Keogh over deep midwicket for six. He eventually fell caught at midwicket, top-edging a sweep off Keogh. He had faced 234 balls and struck 14 boundaries and one six.
Bailey was positive from the outset, but after he was dropped in the deep on 41 and Balderson departed a few balls later, he went on the offensive, smashing a further 35 from just 11 balls. He brought up his half-century with a six over deep midwicket off Taylor and sent the next delivery out of the ground before top-edging over the keeper to take Lancashire past 500. He finished the innings by striking Saif Zaib for consecutive sixes before he was bowled.
With Jack Blatherwick injured, Lancashire were a bowler down, but Williams, bowling a nagging line and length, almost had an early breakthrough when Emilio Gay (29) was dropped on two. The opener soon started to find some fluency, playing an exquisite cover drive for four off Bailey and stroking him elegantly through midwicket. Bailey finally won an lbw shout, although the ball appeared to have hit Gay outside the line.
Fellow opener Hassan Azad dug in, taking two off-side boundaries off Balderson and clipping Williams through midwicket, but he departed for 30 when George Bell took a good low catch at short leg off left-arm spinner Hartley, who was extracting some sharp turn. Northamptonshire were 82 for three when Williams was finally rewarded after a string of lbw appeals when Luke Procter played to leg and was trapped in front.
Whiteman was joined by Keogh in a 50-run stand either side of tea. After the interval, Keogh chanced his arm against Bailey but was rewarded with a flurry of boundaries. But on 29, he prodded uncertainly outside off-stump, Phil Salt taking a regulation slip catch to give Bailey his second wicket and leave the Steelbacks four down on 132.
Whiteman was looking increasingly confident, targeting Hartley, driving him through the cover for three boundaries, playing the reverse sweep and coming down the track to hit over long-on before he became Williams' second victim of the day.
Saif Zaib (37*) made a scratchy start, finally finding the boundary when he cut and punched through the off-side. He showed some signs of losing patience but enjoyed moments of luck with one chip off Hartley falling just short of mid-on.
Lewis McManus was content to play the anchor role at the other end, facing 65 balls for his 17* in an unbeaten stand of 46 with Zaib to ensure the pair will still be there in the morning.
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 06-09-2023
Lancashire 524 (Bohannon 175, Balderson 115, Bailey 77, White 4-99) beat Northamptonshire 232 and 266 (Wells 5-25) by an innings and 26 runs
Lancashire's Luke Wells ripped through Northamptonshire's lower order taking career best figures of five for 25 with his part-time leg-spin to consign the hosts to their fifth innings defeat of the summer and their fourth at home.
Northamptonshire resumed on the fourth morning of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at Wantage Road on 211 for five, still needing another 81 to make Lancashire bat again. Hartley though had other ideas as the Steelbacks were bowled out for 266 to lose by an innings and 26 runs.
Lewis McManus (24) and Saif Zaib (45) extended their overnight partnership to 56 against the spin of Wells and Tom Hartley as the visitors waited to take the new ball.
McManus chipped Hartley over midwicket for four, but his long vigil finally ended after 82 balls when he turned Wells to George Bell at short leg who took an excellent catch.
Northamptonshire started to implode with Wells picking up a second wicket when Zaib chased a wide one, Phil Salt taking the catch behind the stumps. Wells soon had a third thanks to a stunning left-handed catch off his own bowling to remove Tom Taylor (4). Jack White (6) then slashed him to Keaton Jennings at slip.
Ben Sanderson was determined to go down fighting, smashing two fours and thumping Hartley over the Family Stand at long-on for six before he became Wells' fifth wicket, caught at mid-off with Northamptonshire leaving the field after just 50 minutes' play.
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 11-09-2023
Lancashire enjoyed a good opening day against Middlesex in the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford after Tom Bailey took 3 for 24 with Luke Wood and Will Williams each claiming a brace of wickets.
The visitors had slumped to 19 for five during the first hour of play before a half century from Sam Robson helped to steady a floundering innings that had reached 132 for eight before rain and bad light ended the day early.
The visitors had won the toss but made a disastrous start with five of their top and middle order batters back in the dressing room after the first 63 minutes as the Red Rose seam attack made the most of the humid conditions, finding good swing and seam movement.
It proved to be too good for the visitors – who have only managed to garner two batting points all season – and their fragile-looking top order was all at sea from the moment Mark Stoneman edged Bailey to Tom Hartley at fourth slip for a duck.
The Middlesex start soon worsened when Joe Cracknell was bowled by Williams for 1, but Jack Davies dug in for 49 minutes until he nicked an attempted pull off Wood’s sixth delivery to wicketkeeper Phil Salt for 4.
That was the first of three wickets to fall in 16 balls as Max Holden edged Wood to George Bell at first slip for 0 and John Simpson edged a swinging George Balderson delivery to Salt for 1 to leave the visitors deep in trouble.
Robson, meanwhile, had dug in determinedly as wickets tumbled at the other end and the opener finally found support from Ryan Higgins who signalled positive intent by hitting the day’s first boundary in the 20th over.
Robson followed with his first four from the 61st ball he had faced by straight driving Wood, but in the main the pair were intent on survival while making slow, steady progress in the face of some accurate Lancashire bowling.
That approach saw the pair reach lunch safely with Middlesex 65 for five, and they had added 64 runs for the sixth wicket by the time Higgins inside edged Williams onto his leg stump for 41 thirty minutes into the afternoon session.
Robson reached a very patient fifty off 150 balls shortly afterwards but lost partner Josh De Caires who rather fenced at a Bailey delivery to give a catch to Bell at first slip for 14.
New overseas signing Jayant Yadav edged to the third man boundary before a combination of rain and bad light halted play just after 3pm with Middlesex 124 for seven.
That led to a 90-minute delay before a further six overs and one ball were bowled from 4.30pm during which Yadav pulled a Bailey bouncer to Wells at midwicket for 4 just before a passing shower shaved two more overs off the day.
Another seven balls were bowled before bad light had the final say with Middlesex 132 for eight, Robson unbeaten on 56, when play was abandoned at 5.51pm.
“If we had won the toss we would have bowled,” revealed Luke Wood. “So we are pretty happy with the result despite losing a bit of time.
“We would have liked to have bowled them out but having them eight down for 132 was a good outcome.
“The new ball did a bit, the pitch got a bit flatter, and I thought we kept it tight for most of the day, so they didn’t really get away from us.
“Having a team 19 for five is always a strong position to be in.
“Bails (Tom Bailey) and Will (Williams) have been really good all year and collectively we bowled really well.
“I think we are in a great spot going into tomorrow.”
Wood thoroughly enjoyed his return to the four-day side today.
“I’ve not played since the first game of the season,” he said.
“So it was nice to back on the field with the lads and getting stuck in.
“I was glad to come back today and make an impact.”
Wood has had a hectic summer but is eyeing up more first-class action next year.
“I’ve been pretty busy with the one-day stuff, the Blast, the Hundred and England towards the last couple of weeks since,” he said.
“This will probably my only other Championship game with the Ireland series coming up, but going into next season I’d like to try and get in the four-day team for the majority of the season rather just a couple of games.”
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 12-09-2023
Luke Wells made a valuable unbeaten 65 as Lancashire closed in on Middlesex’s first innings total to build their advantage on another weather-shortened day at Emirates Old Trafford.
Wells also took a vital wicket in the morning that helped dismiss the visitors for 194 before the left hand batter led the Red Rose efforts in making inroads into the visitors score with the hosts 132 for 3 and behind by 62 runs at the close of the second day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match.
Middlesex, resuming on 132 for eight, added some useful and much-needed runs over the course of the morning with Sam Robson getting excellent support from Toby Roland-Jones as the pair added 44 for the ninth wicket.
Roland-Jones put bat to ball in a typically attacking innings of 26 that contained 5 fours and that allowed Robson the freedom to play his shots.
But after nearly an hour of frustration for the Red Rose attack Luke Wood made the breakthrough when Roland-Jones hooked a bouncer to Luke Wells at fine leg.
And Robson’s 235-minute vigil ended when he played back – and onto his stumps – to Wells having made 82 off the visitor’s 194 all out with their total of just two batting points this season remaining unchanged.
Rain then took five overs out of day’s allocation with an early lunch taken and Wells and Keaton Jennings got the Lancashire innings off to an excellent start with a partnership of 80 after the break.
Wells drove strongly either side of the wicket while Jennings was a bit more circumspect, a good policy against Nathan Bamber who produced a fine opening eight over spell for 9 runs that could easily have contained a wicket or two as the seamer consistently beat the outside edge.
But the Red Rose openers prospered against some wayward bowling elsewhere to post a fifty partnership by the 15th over, forcing visiting skipper Roland-Jones to turn to spin.
Jayant Yadav was swept for four off his second delivery by Jennings while Wells lofted the India off spinner for four and then edged just past slip for four more as the pair aimed to not let the bowler settle.
Instead, it was 21-year-old Josh de Caires who struck first – indeed with his first delivery – having Jennings lbw for 29.
Wells went to his half century from 65 balls moments later having driven Jayant for four before getting the two runs he needed.
Josh Bohannon launched de Caires for six over long-on but then played back attempting to cut Jayant and bowled for 7 by a big turning delivery.
When Phil Salt played down the wrong line to de Caires to be bowled first ball, three wickets had fallen for 16 runs in fifteen frantic minutes, with Lancashire 96 for three.
Wells and Vilas steadied the innings, adding 36 runs before bad light and rain initially halted play for 95 minutes before ended proceedings just before 6pm after the players had returned for one further over.
“I thought they bowled well and both spinners were challenging at times,” said Dane Vilas.
“The way Wellsy played was really good to see and I’m glad we got through unscathed at the end.
“Hopefully we can put us in a good position tomorrow.
“I think the pitch is quite good to bat on. It’s breaking up as it usually does here and turning out of the rough.
I think it could be a really good game.
“Hopefully we bat well tomorrow morning and the next session, get out into a lead and go from there.
“I think the way we are playing in the last couple of games we’ve had some good results.
“We’re happy with the momentum we’ve got and want to finish the season strongly.”
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 13-09-2023
A superb century by Dane Vilas in his last season for the Red Rose, 97 by Luke Wells and an unbeaten half century by George Bell has put Lancashire in a commanding position after three days of this LV= Insurance County Championship match against Middlesex.
The hosts are 330 for five to lead by 136 runs and that was down to some entertaining innings on a day comprising only 47.1 overs after morning rain resulted in a 2pm start.
Wells and Vilas wasted little time in getting the scoreboard moving along when play resumed with Lancashire 132 for three, and 62 runs behind.
The pair hammered 75 runs off the first 15 overs, taking 13 runs off one Jayant Yadav over, the sixth of the day, that included Wells pulling the spinner for six over midwicket to bring up the 50 partnership off 116 balls.
Vilas kept up the momentum by taking consecutive boundaries off Josh de Caires’ leg spin as the Red Rose duo piled the pressure onto the visitors, Vilas making an excellent 72-ball fifty and going to the milestone of 20,000 career runs in all formats when he reached 70.
Middlesex seemed to have no real answer with Vilas sweeping de Caires for six over deep square leg to take Lancashire racing into the lead as the pair also posted their century partnership off 160 balls.
But just when Wells seemed certain to reach three figures, he was tempted down the pitch on 97 by Jayant only to edge behind where John Simpson took a smart catch and – for good measure – completed a stumping, both umpires giving Wells out simultaneously but with the catch the one to count.
George Bell helped keep the momentum going after tea with some nicely timed drives, his fourth boundary also bringing up the fifty partnership off 89 balls.
And Lancashire continued to pile on the runs, Vilas and Bell posting their century partnership off 151 balls with Bell (56 not out) reaching his third fifty of the season just before rain ended the day early with 9.5 overs left.
But the moment of the day belonged to Vilas when he reached his 10th Red Rose hundred and 25th first-class century, after cutting Toby Roland-Jones for four. The standing ovation was richly deserved, as was the second one when Vilas departed lbw 124 to Ethan Bamber just before the close, job done.
That left Lancashire in a great position to push on for victory tomorrow.
“It feels amazing, it’s always good to score runs for the team and get them here – which is a special place for me – I’m very happy,” said Dane Vilas.
“Considering the season I’ve had, where I haven’t been at my best or most fluent, it was really nice to get a century and really contribute to something here.
“It’s put us in a good position after a couple of frustrating, but good, days for the team.”
And Vilas was delighted to have given something back as he moves towards the end of his time with the club.
“Everybody (here) has shown so much faith in me and given me every opportunity to perform and score runs, I was desperate to do that for the team, the staff and everybody who has given me support,” he said.
“It was nice to do it here at home.”
And Vilas admitted to some emotion at the end.
“I was a bit emotional walking off,” he said. “But it really hit me when I got back into the changing room. I got a lot of hugs and high fives from the guys which made it difficult.”
But Vilas was, typically, happier talking about other player performances and full of praise for George Bell’s half century.
“When Belly came in, they ramped it up a bit,” he said “and put a lot of pressure on him.
“I thought he rode that wave really well. He absorbed it and once he got going, he was so fluent. He looked like he was the one with a hundred the way he was playing. His timing of the ball is amazing.
“Belly’s been great for us all season,” he added. “He’s a really good player, he’s put in some good performances.
“He puts a lot of pressure on himself because he wants to play and do well for this team, and I’m so glad he played such a fluent innings which has put us in another good position.”
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 14-09-2023
George Bell hit a career-best 91 as Lancashire did their best to force a result in this rain-hit LV= Insurance County Championship match but Middlesex produced a much better effort with the bat in their second innings to force a draw.
With 118 overs lost to the weather, a draw was probably the most likely outcome, but Lancashire produced a great effort with the bat during the morning to keep the outcome in doubt until late in the afternoon.
There was a nice moment when Dane Vilas rang the pavilion bell before the start of play and then later received a guard of honour from the playing and coaching staff when Lancashire took to the field to mark his final day in a Red Rose shirt.
And fittingly it was Bell, one of the players who made his debut under Vilas’ captaincy, that led Lancashire’s early morning charge for quick runs.
Resuming on 331 for five, Bell went past his previous best score by guiding Ryan Higgins to the vacant third man boundary to get the scoreboard moving.
Batting in tandem with George Balderson the pair plundered four boundaries from the first two overs to force Middlesex onto the back foot and setting defensive fields to stem the run scoring.
Balderson fell for 12 edging behind off Higgins but Tom Hartley gave great support to Bell as the pair added 39 off 40 balls with some excellent running and positive stroke play.
After steering the Lancashire total past 400 and the lead beyond 200, both fell in identical fashion; stumped advancing down the wicket attempting to hit off spinner Jayant Yadav, Hartley for 22 and Bell, agonisingly just short of a maiden century, for 91.
Luke Wood was bowled by Ethan Bamber for 2 and Jayant finished with a five-wicket haul after bowling Tom Bailey for 6 with Lancashire all out for 413 and leading by 219 runs.
And Bailey struck early in the Middlesex innings squaring up Sam Robson to have the opener, who had batted so well in the first innings, caught for 6 at third slip by Will Williams.
Mark Stoneman and Joe Cracknell reached lunch safely on 35 for one, but Stoneman departed soon after the break when lbw for 17 in Hartley’s second over.
The left arm spinner picked up a second wicket by having Cracknell trapped in front for 33 to leave the visitors on 71-3 and with 52 overs still to negotiate.
A dogged effort by Jack Davies and Stephen Eskinazi – a replacement for concussion injured Max Holden - saw them safely through the rest of the day.
Davies reached a maiden first-class fifty to finish unbeaten on 65 with Eskinazi 26 not out when the players shook hands on the draw at 4.40pm.
There was a final farewell for Dane Vilas who waved his cap in appreciation of the standing ovation from all sides of the ground.
George Bell admitted to some frustration after another drawn game at Emirates Old Trafford.
“It’s been like that at most home games where we’ve tried to force something,” he said.
“Today we tried to force runs to set up a target that allowed us to bowl them out again.
“The bowlers gave it everything and you can’t fault their efforts. It was a very good pitch and they played very well.
“We were doing everything we can to try and win. There wasn’t much else we could have thrown at them.
“We were changing fields, Keats is coming up with ideas about how to try and get them out on a pitch where they’re not playing too many shots, can just sit in and take what they get.
“It’s tough for us to create something when they are doing that. If we create that chance and take it, the next batter does the same and it’s very difficult for us to really force something.
“Regardless, everyone’s put their whole effort in today and it’s a shame we couldn’t do it.”
Bell was philosophical about missing out on a maiden century.
“It was disappointing to not make three figures, I must admit,” he said. “I did really want to get there. But we were trying to push on and you’ve got to think about the team and not be selfish about getting out playing a shot.
“I’m happy to have got some runs in red ball cricket. I’ve had a lot of opportunity this year and it’s nice to repay that and get a few runs.”
And Bell paid tribute to Dane Vilas on his farewell match.
“Dane was the captain I made my debut under,” he said. “So he’s been a presence in my whole career at Lancs so far.
“He’s given me so much advice with regard to wicketkeeping, batting, and it’s great to learn from someone like that.
“He’s such a great man. Everything he does, it’s done with one hundred per cent effort.
“You’ve got to try and take something on board with that.”
Bell experienced a nervy moment however, Vilas having to dive to get back in the crease at the bowler’s after being sent back when close to his hundred.
“I sent him back and was thinking ‘oh my god I’ve run him out on 93’, he confessed.
“I was really glad to be out there when he got his hundred. Getting a hundred in your last match at Emirates Old Trafford is like a fairly-tale moment.”
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 20-09-2023
Day 1 v Notts abandoned
RE: Lancashire 2023 - themaclad - 20-09-2023
Day 2 abandoned