[themaclad]

Lancashire win by eight wickets better Hameed got some time at the crease and got 38 not out hopefully a sign of improvement

[themaclad]

LANCASHIRE V HAMPSHIRE AT OLD TRAFFORD 19/6/2017 TO 22/6/2017

Lancs play their last four day game at headquarters until 28/8/2017 due to the ECB's insistence of playing slog it as far as you can cricket for the next two months.
They are up against a decent Hampshire side who are going well in the County Championship after narrowly avoiding relegation to the second division after the ECB shameful treatment of Durham.
They lie third in the table whilst the Red Rose lie fourth, the forecast is set for scorhio and suspect the wicket may take a bit of turn before the end.
Only concers apparently out field not brilliant following recent pop concerts.

Lancashire are in buoyant mood, and why not!

They beat defending champions Middlesex by eight wickets at Southport last weekend to bounce back immediately from their heavy Roses defeat.

Next up are Hampshire, a side who sit third and six points clear of the Red Rose having made a strong start with three wins from six.

The end of this game marks the halfway point in the campaign, and a second win on the bounce for Lancashire would be a third in all.

It would put them firmly amongst the leading pack.

It would also be a second successive home victory over Hampshire for Steven Croft’s side following last year’s innings win.

The Red Rose will be without Liam Livingstone and Haseeb Hameed due to England T20 and Lions call-ups, but seamers Jimmy Anderson and Kyle Jarvis are set to return following injury.

Hampshire look to record a third consecutive four-day victory when they travel to Emirates Old Trafford to take on Lancashire in their latest Specsavers County Championship clash.

Hampshire Squad:

Hampshire have named a 13-man squad for this fixture, with James Vince returning to the fold once again having been away captaining the England Lions which caused him to miss his side’s latest victory.

Seamer, Brad Wheal, also returns to the squad having recovered from a side injury suffered in May, whilst all-rounder, Brad Taylor, is included within travelling squad for the first time this season.

Liam Dawson and Mason Crane are unavailable for this fixture due to their international commitments with England.

The Opposition:

Lancashire have begun their 2017 Specsavers County Championship campaign positively, picking up two victories, three draws and one defeat in their six matches so far, to sit fourth in the Division One standings.

Steven Croft’s side impressed during their last outing, defeating defending County Championship champions, Middlesex, by eight wickets to claim their second win this season.

Did You Know?

Jimmy Adams and Tom Alsop both struck half-centuries the last time these two sides met
Sean Ervine averages an impressive 41.50 against Lancashire in first-class fixtures, recording three centuries in 11 matches.
No bowler has taken 4+ innings wickets on more occasions this season than Kyle Abbott (5 times).

Full Hampshire Squad:

Jimmy Adams (4)


Ian Holland (22)

Sean Ervine (7)


Matt Salisbury (24)

George Bailey (10) Captain


Rilee Rossouw (30)

Gareth Berg (13)


Brad Wheal (58)

James Vince (14)


Kyle Abbott (87)

Michael Carberry (15)


Brad Taylor (93)

Lewis McManus (18)

[themaclad]

Hampshire 346-8 Bailey century Abbott 76 not out, left at half five they were 270-7, not surprised we lost our way at the end hotter than a Turkish wrestlers under garment today.
Lancs morning they were 38-3 good partnership between Bailey and Vance unil the latter got a possibly rough decision.
Bailey batted well, but when Abbott arrived they pushed the score on. Hard work for the bowlers, Jarvis the pick. Thinkthe score they have is more than useful.

[themaclad]

Hampshire 396 Lancs 278-5

In the balance this game although have to say think that Hampshire's bowling attack is threadbare. The two openers Abbott and Berg bowled well, however two youngsters Taylor and Salisbury struggled.
Hampshire were finally out with Abbott 97 not out a career best. Lancs struggled early on, Jones hit on teh head was out next ball, Croft contributed 1 in 54 minutes.
Davies scored a well made 115, Chanderpaul 33 and Vilas was going well at the end with 75 not out.
Boiling hot again, thunder possibly tomorrow.

[themaclad]

Hampshire 395 and 50-5
Lancashire 593

Catches win matches or in this case for Hampshire might have earned them a draw, third ball of the morning Vilas to Carberry at mid off, simple chance and down it went at the time he was on 77, when he was last out he had gone onto a career best of 244. Add to that ex Hampshire player McLaren made 107 it was a long day in the heat for the visitors and when they went into bat they had to face Anderson who took three wickets.
As long as the weather holds Lancs should win and will be second in the Championship.

[themaclad]

Won by an innings and 30 Hampshire make 168 with Berg getting 49 win takes us second behind Essex who beat a woeful Warwickshire by an innings the Bears sixth defeat by an innings this season

[themaclad]

Warwickshire v Lancashire @Egbaston 26/6/2017 to 29/6/2017

A rash of day night games before the nine year break for slog cricket. Off to the Midlands go the Red Rose to play a Warwickshire who are now in need of a major regeneration playing wise, a old side with the majority of the team well over 30, having been hammered in most games this season they are probably one of the favourites to go down.
The use of the pink ball could make this interesting suspect spinners won't get much of a look in. Forecast not great for next few days, expect Lancs to win.

Warwickshire sport director Ashley Giles expects teams to put a lot of thought into how they approach the inaugural day/night Specsavers County Championship matches starting tomorrow.

The Bears face Lancashire at Edgbaston (2pm start) as part of a round of championship day/nighters organised to help players get used to playing with a pink ball under lights - conditions likely to become more common in Test cricket in the coming years.

"It's hugely important that we embrace change and especially with England playing at least three Tests under lights in the near future"
Ashley Giles

Giles will hope the change of start-time brings a change of fortune to the beleaguered Bears who prop up the championship Division One after four defeats, all by an innings, in six matches.
The sport director's thoughts are focused entirely on making that happen. But he does believes that, in the broader picture, the experiment will prove a valuable one for cricket in this country.

"It's hugely important that we embrace change and especially with England playing at least three Tests under lights in the near future," he said. "It will be interesting to see how teams play it - whether they try to score more quickly, when they get the spinners on and whether they bring the seamers back on for the dusk period.

"The cut-off point is 9pm so it will not be totally dark even then and, whatever the conditions overhead, it will come down to the same batting and bowling skills as ever. But I am sure that as we play more championship cricket under lights in the coming seasons more subtleties will come into play and strategies will evolve as they have in T20.

"I am sure that as we play more championship cricket under lights in the coming seasons"
Ashley Giles

"We have practiced with the pink balls. All the guys have played under lights before, of course, but not all have played with a pink ball so it's important that they get as accustomed to it as possible."
The overriding concern of Warwickshire supporters is that their team's form improves. The Bears' appeared to be on the way up after encouraging draws at home to Surrey and away to Somerset but have regressed again with innings defeats at Hampshire and Essex.

"It is an important round of games for all the teams who are playing - and a very important match for us," Giles said. "Lancashire are my old boys but I am just thinking about us because we have got to start winning some games. We need to play some determined cricket and win some games before this season has completely got away from us."

Lancashire have England fast-bowler Jimmy Anderson available. Chris Woakes would have been available to the Bears but is still recovering from a side strain.

[themaclad]

Lancashire 273 all out Chanderpaul unbeaten century Warwickshire have 14 overs go face tonight, Anderson with a pink ball, interesting.

[themaclad]

Warwick end 23-1

[themaclad]

Warwickshire ended up 260 ish -7 Umeed with an unbeaten ton