[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Good sportsmanship from the Yorkshire boys in tonight's match. Croft slips and cramps up. Easy run out but the Yorkshire lads decide not to run him out, but ask the umpire to call it a dead ball.

A split of opinions in the commentary box, one saying he should've been run out all day long. The other saying you can't do it when a player is sprawled out injured. An unwritten rule of sportsmanship, which the other commentator had never heard of.

For my opinion, top quality sportsmanship.

Funny thing is, I saw a similar thing in the Women's Big Bash a couple of years ago: batter went down injured running between the wickets, fielding team decided not to run her out on principle, but when she finally got to her feet and limped to the non-striker's end, the umpires counted it as a completed run and told the fielding team that it wasn't in their power to call a dead ball in that situation. Was at the back end of a really tight run-chase too.

Maybe the laws have been changed since, but it struck me at the time as a ludicrous reward for their wonderful sports(wo)manship.

[themaclad]

Lancs v Warwick OT 30/8/21 TO 2/9/21

Probably the most important game of the season





THE FUTURE LOOK

[themaclad]

Beeb report

Warwickshire 259-3: Benjamin 127, Hain 113*; Bailey 2-50
Lancashire: Yet to bat
Warwickshire 2 pts, Lancashire 1 pt

Chris Benjamin maintained his stunning introduction to English cricket with his maiden century for Warwickshire against Lancashire in Manchester.

Benjamin, who had already scored fifties on both his List A and T20 debut for the Bears, this time went a step further to make 127.

After slumping to 7-2, Benjamin shared a stand of 237 with fellow centurion Sam Hain, who remains unbeaten on 113.

England opener Dom Sibley had earlier lasted 13 balls to go cheaply for 3.


After Rob Yates had already edged to slip, Sibley was leg before wicket to Tom Bailey, the second wicket in successive overs for the Lancashire paceman.

In this meeting of the two best-placed Division One sides following the mid-season split, Lancashire did not strike again until six overs before the early close (for bad light) when Benjamin tried to pull a short ball from Saqib Mahmood but skied a catch to home skipper Dane Vilas at mid-off.

That was belated reward for Mahmood (1-57) who had been released from England's squad to make room for Warwickshire's fit-again all-rounder Chris Woakes.

The hosts also suffered a blow to their bowling attack when England limited-over leg-spinner Matt Parkinson deflected a drive from Benjamin into his face and suffered a cut to his eye. He was soon back on the field but ended up wicketless from his 21.1 overs.

Bears captain Will Rhodes, who has so far made 5, will resume on Tuesday alongside Hain, who will be keen to add a few more after his first century in red-ball cricket for more than two years.

But this was Benjamin's day as the young Durham University-educated South African, a Hundred finalist with Birmingham Phoenix just nine days ago, took to red-ball cricket even better than he has done white ball.

[themaclad]

Beeb report

LV= County Championship Division One, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester (day two):
Warwickshire 371: Benjamin 127, Hain 118; Mahmood 4-77, Bailey 3-53, Parkinson 3-96
Lancashire 100-1: Bohannon 59*, Wells 35*
Lancashire (1 pt) trail Warwickshire (2 pts) by 271 runs

Josh Bohannon went past 600 County Championship runs for the summer at Old Trafford as he hit his sixth 50-plus score to help dogged Lancashire reply to Warwickshire's 371 all out.

After resuming on 259-3, the Bears lost their last seven wickets for 112 as paceman Saqib Mahmood ended with 4-77.

But the visitors then kept things tight when they bowled, limiting Lancashire to just 100-1 from 44 overs.

Bohannon ended the day on 59, well supported by Luke Wells, who is on 35.

Sam Hain, one of the Bears' two first-day centurions, added just five to his overnight score, before being trapped leg before wicket by Bailey for 118.

Aside from Chris Benjamin's 127 on day one, the next highest Warwickshire scorer was Matt Lamb with 36.

Warwickshire (21) and Lancashire (16.5) went into this first of their four Division One matches with two of the three highest points carry-overs from the opening Championship rounds earlier in the season.

Lancashire fast bowler Saqib Mahmood:

"We have had some pretty flat pitches here but this is the flattest of the lot. After a tough first day we stuck at it brilliantly this morning and, from the position they were in, to react like we did, it's an amazing fightback.

"To get in the England Test side is hard work. If I'd made it would have been great. Hopefully there'll be another chance.

"It's crazy how things work. Initially I wasn't in any of the squads but I got my opportunity through the squad isolating, put in some performances and before you know it you're in the frame again.

"I knew that Mark Wood and Chris Woakes were back fit again this week so I knew it was going to be hard. Last week I was close to playing but they went with Craig Overton in the end and the way he performed was pretty good."

Warwickshire centurion Sam Hain told BBC CWR:

"After winning the toss and batting you know the pitch is going to get worse as the game goes on, so we would have taken that total.

"Lancashire bowled well and dried us up and got their rewards but, as long as we are controlling the run rate, Lancashire are going nowhere and the game will stagnate and we'll be happy with that.

"I've been knocking on the door with the red ball for a while and not putting too much pressure on myself to convert and setting small targets, so I'm pretty happy with a century - hopefully the next one is not too far around the corner."

[themaclad]

From the Bears site

Lancashire’s Josh Bohannon scored a brilliant 170 to steer his side towards a share of the points with Warwickshire as this opening Division One clash prepared to enter its final day heading towards an inevitable stalemate.

The 24-year-old batted from the start of play until just before 5pm in compiling his second century of what is becoming a memorable 2021 for the Boltonian whose season average now stands at 66.27 – numbers that are inevitably prompting talk of an England call up of some kind this winter.

Bohannon’s efforts saw the Red Rose bowled out for 341 after resuming day three on 100 for one meaning they trailed the visitors by just 30 runs with Warwickshire grateful for Liam Norwell’s six for 57 as they faced a tricky period of 19 overs before closing on 52 for one with a lead of 82 runs.


The day had begun well for Warwickshire when Luke Wells was brilliantly bowled by Norwell for 45, ending a second wicket partnership of 109 with Bohannon.Wells’ wicket brought skipper Dane Vilas to the crease and the South African proved a perfect foil for Bohannon, hitting five fours and a six on his way to a breezy 67, before he was caught at second slip by Rob Yates off Norwell.

That proved to be it in terms of meaningful scores for Lancashire with only Liam Livingstone reaching double figures of the remaining batters all of whom failed to deal with Norwell and the accurate spin of Danny Briggs. First Rob Jones was trapped in front by Norwell without scoring before Livingstone’s cameo lasted just 14 balls during which he struck three boundaries and left a straight one from the same bowler.

Not long after George Lavelle became Craig Miles’ only victim when he was lbw for four with Danny Lamb bowled by a Briggs beauty for eight. Tom Bailey, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson all did their best to support Bohannon who was four short of his highest first class score when he charged down the wicket to Briggs and was stumped with the former England spinner finishing with three for 78.

A fired up Mahmood continued his fine form from the first innings in clean bowling Yates for one before Dom Sibley and Chris Benjamin settled any nerves as the clock ticked down.

[themaclad]

BEEB report

LV= County Championship Division One, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester (day four):
Warwickshire 371: Benjamin 127, Hain 118 and 239-6 dec: Sibley 57, Hain 48, Benjamin 42
Lancashire 341: Bohannon 170, Vilas 67; Norwell 6-57
Lancashire (12 pts) drew with Warwickshire (12 pts)

England's discarded opener Dom Sibley hit only his third fifty in his last 22 first-class innings as Warwickshire batted out a draw with Lancashire on a dull final day at Old Trafford.

Neither side tried to force a victory as both settled for a draw which leaves the Bears in top spot in Division One and Lancs in second.

After resuming on 52-1, the Bears took up 81 overs to move on to 239-6.

First-innings centurions Sam Hain and Chris Benjamin made runs.

Hain finished on 48, to add to his 118 in the first dig, while Benjamin's 42 gave him an individual match haul of 169 on his County Championship debut - even though it brought to an end his run of 50-plus scores in a Bears shirt.

In only four innings for the Bears, one in the T20 Blast, one in the One-Day Cup and now two in red-ball cricket, the South African discovery from Durham University has now had consecutive knocks of 60*, 50, 127 and 42.

England limited-overs spinner Matt Parkinson finished with 4-94 for a seven-wicket match haul to take him to 31 scalps for the season.

After accruing 21 points to carry over from their group games earlier in the season, the Bears lead the table on 33 points - clear of second-placed Lancashire (28.5) and three-day Wednesday winners Nottinghamshire (28).

Both sides now face a quick three-day turnaround.

The Bears are at home to Hampshire on Sunday, when the Red Rose travel to Trent Bridge to face Nottinghamshire.

[themaclad]

Notts view

There were half-centuries for Ben Duckett, Sam Northeast and Joe Clarke on the opening day of the LV=Insurance County Championship clash between Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, as the Green and Golds posted 272 and claimed wickets late in the day.

Group One winners Notts imposed themselves on the first two sessions, but Lancashire fought back, the hosts losing five wickets for 19 runs either side of tea before Luke Fletcher led a one-man rally, helping the last two wickets add 42.

Lancashire will have work to do on the second day, however, after closing on 28 for two, having lost Alex Davies, who was caught behind without scoring, and Luke Wells, well held at short leg, both off the bowling of Brett Hutton.

On what looked like a seamer-friendly pitch, Nottinghamshire lost only one wicket for 97 before lunch and were 211 for four at tea, yet will feel satisfied with their total after being asked to bat first.

Duckett, who survived a chance to wicketkeeper George Lavelle on 55, added only four when he offered a catch to mid-off soon after lunch as Lamb gained his first success.

Danny Lamb also dismissed Clarke - dropped by Lavelle off Bailey on 26 - who passed fifty for the seventh time this season only to be leg before for 54.

Northeast drove nicely to pick up 11 fours on his home debut, but edged behind off Bailey, who struck again on the stroke of tea when Lyndon James drove straight to cover.

After tea, Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood left the field with an injury, the second suffered by a Lancashire bowler. Steven Croft - picked ahead of leg-spinner Callum Parkinson - damaged a hand fielding in the slips in the third over and could not bowl until midway through the final session.

After Clarke’s departure, George Balderson had Steven Mullaney caught at first slip, then Lamb picked up two more as Liam Patterson-White was superbly taken at second slip and Hutton caught behind. Tom Moores was leg before trying to paddle Wells but Fletcher hit four fours and a six in adding 27 before he was caught on the midwicket boundary.

[themaclad]

Notts on top after Lancs batting falters

Lancashire had a poor day with the bat being bowled out for 168 inside 53 overs to hand the initiative, and a significant lead, to Nottinghamshire on the second day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at Trent Bridge.

The hosts steadily built on their 104-run advantage but were made to work hard by the Red Rose bowling attack, who shrugged off the loss of the injured Saqib Mahmood, with a fine effort that produced five wickets as Notts reached the close on 127-5 in their second innings and ahead by 231 runs.



Resuming on 28-2 Lancashire lost four wickets in each of the first two sessions to be bundled out for 168 inside the first half of the day with Notts pace bowlers Brett Hutton taking 5-62 and Dane Paterson 3-39.

Both bowlers found just enough movement to trouble the batsmen but it was the leading wicket-taker in the Championship, Luke Fletcher who struck first when George Balderson on 19 flicked a delivery to Liam Patterson-White at short mid-wicket in the fourth over of the day.



Lancashire then enjoyed their best partnership of the innings between Josh Bohannon and nightwatchman Danny Lamb for the fourth wicket,.

Bohannon continued his good form with some eye-catching shots including three boundaries from one Hutton over as play moved into the second hour of the day.

But having batted beautifully thus far Bohannon fell for 35 to a good seaming delivery from Hutton that nipped away and found an edge, caught by Ben Duckett at second slip the ball after the pair had posted their 50 partnership off 84 balls to leave Lancashire 82-4.



Danny Lamb, who drove Hutton for four from the second ball of the day, had contributed ninety excellent minutes of support in his role of nightwatchman before falling for 15 after edging a defensive shot against Paterson to wicketkeeper Tom Moores.

And Lancashire next lost Rob Jones for 14 when he edged Hutton to slip in the last over before lunch with the Red Rose in trouble on 111-6.

Steven Croft shrugged off any problems with his damaged thumb to bat with positive intent from the off when play resumed, scoring all the runs added before Dane Vilas was adjudged lbw for 15 offering no shot to become Hutton’s fifth wicket of the innings.



Croft had batted nicely but was next bowled for 25 by Paterson with a delivery that nipped back and kept a touch low and the same bowler then trapped Bailey lbw for 0.

George Lavelle, batting at number 9, boosted the scoring with some good shots in his 39-ball innings of 32 but Lancashire’s 168 was just four runs higher than their lowest total of the season when they were bundled out by Glamorgan at Cardiff back in June.



Without the injured Mahmood the Red Rose attack plugged away through the second half of the day, restricting the Nottinghamshire scoring to under three runs per over and all three remaining front-line seamers persevered to pick up some good wickets.

George Balderson hurried a delivery through Ben Slater's defence after the Notts openers had put 51 runs on for the first wicket, Lamb nipped one back to have Ben Duckett lbw for 44 and Lavelle pulled off a spectacular diving catch after Sam Northeast attempted to cut a wide delivery from Bailey to have the hosts 85-3.



Balderson prised out Joe Clarke with an edge to Jones at second slip for 22 and Bailey found some bounce to induce an edge from Steven Mullaney to Lavelle for 1.

Lyndon James (18 not out) and Tom Moores (11 not out) will resume in the morning and Lancashire still have a lot to do if they are to stay in this game.

Ken Grime

[themaclad]

A century partnership between Luke Wells and George Balderson saw Lancashire battle back after Notts’ pair Lyndon James and Tom Moores had Nottinghamshire firmly in the driving seat with a century alliance of their own on the third day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at a hot and sunny Trent Bridge.



James made a career-best 91 and Moores 97 to allow Steven Mullaney set Lancashire a target of 444 runs from 135 overs when he declared at 339-8 shortly before tea.

But Wells and Balderson responded superbly following the first over dismissal of Alex Davies to steer Lancashire to 115-1 by the close on a day that saw just four wickets fall.

Resuming play on 127-5 and leading by 231 runs, Moores survived a rising delivery from Tom Bailey in the first over that flew off his bat handle over the slips for four.



But in the main chances were few and far between for the Red Rose attack on a fairly benign surface, although both batsmen survived genuine edges that fell just short or wide of slip to post half-centuries with boundaries; James with his ninth from the 149th ball faced and Moores with his tenth from the 87th ball to take the hosts’ lead past 300.

James hit a glorious drive for four to bring up the century partnership off 208 balls as Notts took a firm grip on the game.

And with time on their side the Notts’ pair were largely content to pick off any wayward deliveries while staying patient and playing defensively when Lancashire bowled straight.

The bowlers stuck to their task of restricting the scoring as much as possible as James and Moores moved along steadily after lunch to extend their partnership to 176 runs before Moores fell three short of what would have been a fine century.

The left-handed batsman decided to take on the off-spin of Wells but holed out to Steven Croft who took a nicely judged catch at mid-wicket.



Incredibly James more or less did exactly the same eight overs later, lofting Wells to substitute fielder Jack Blatherwick at long-on to depart for an excellent career-best 91.

Both probably deserved to go three figures but their efforts were just what host captain Mullaney would have wanted this morning.

The Notts skipper finally called a halt seven overs before tea following a quick-fire unbeaten 37 off 35 balls by Liam Patterson-White after Tom Bailey had picked up the wicket of Brett Hutton bowling off-spin.

And the hosts’ quest for the ten wickets they required for victory had immediate reward when Alex Davies misjudged his first delivery, shouldering arms but lbw to Luke Fletcher when the ball nipped back.

Wells and Balderson responded positively with a series of nice drives and fine glances after tea as the Notts bowlers found the going just as tough as their Red Rose counterparts had done earlier.



Balderson glanced Hutton to fine leg to bring up the 50 partnership off 83 balls and the Red Rose batsmen continued to prosper through the rest of the evening session.

With five overs of the day left Wells struck his tenth boundary to reach his third half-century of the season off 109 balls and that shot also brought up the century partnership from 189 balls.



Wells finished on 57 not out and Balderson was unbeaten on 45, a superb effort by the Red Rose pair who have spent the entire out in the hot, sunny conditions and their unbroken 110-run partnership has given Lancashire hope of getting something from this game with a day to go.

There was enough turn for left arm spinner Paterson-White to suggest he might be a significant factor tomorrow and Lancashire still face a big task if they are to get further points from this game.

[themaclad]

Lancashire fell to a 102-run defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge despite a career-best 77 from George Balderson and a record-breaking ninth wicket partnership between Danny Lamb and Tom Bailey in a hard-fought contest at Trent Bridge that went into the final hour of the match.

Balderson had defied the Nottinghamshire bowlers for more than five hours to give Lancashire hope of batting out the final day.

But, in a pivotal moment, the 20 year-old left-handed batsman fell to a stunning catch by Dane Paterson from the last ball of the 80th over midway through the afternoon.



A buoyant home attack, armed with the second new ball, knocked over three Red Rose wickets in quick succession but they were then made to work extremely hard following a 108-run partnership between Lamb and Bailey that nearly took Lancashire to an unlikely draw.

But Bailey finally succumbed to a terrific delivery from Paterson and the injured Saqib Mahmood was caught via bat/pad off Brett Hutton as the hosts wrapped up victory at 5.20pm with 11.1 overs to spare.

The hosts had struck an early blow after Lancashire had resumed on 115-1 when Luke Wells nicked a Paterson delivery to wicketkeeper Tom Moores for 59, ending his fruitful partnership of 117 with Balderson.

Josh Bohannon picked up two boundaries, the second a lovely cover drive off Luke Fletcher, but they were his only scoring shots in a 30-ball stay that ended when he was lbw to big in-swinging delivery from Paterson.



Dane Vilas also went lbw for 3 to Hutton but Balderson and Rob Jones defended stoutly to reach lunch on 170-4, Balderson going to his half-century from 114 balls and posting his best score when driving Hutton through cover to reach 65.

The pair continued in similar vein after the break, compiling a 46 partnership that more importantly took 25 overs as Lancashire fought to bat all day for the draw.

It looked like there was a real prospect of that happening as the home attack toiled in the sweltering afternoon sunshine and the approaching second new ball looked like their best opportunity to make a breakthrough with Lancashire on 192-4 with just over half of the day left.



Instead that came from the last delivery with the old ball, Liam Patterson-White dropping a fraction short and Balderson hammering the spinner towards square leg before standing in a mixture of astonishment and disappointment as Paterson took a quite astonishing catch low to his right and rightly being mobbed by his jubilant team-mates.

It was a tough end to a fine innings from Balderson who had showed great determination, concentration and technique and probably deserved greater reward.

Buoyed by that breakthrough and armed with the new ball the Notts bowlers took three wickets with the score on 210; Jones bowled by Fletcher for 33 to end his determined 98-ball innings, Steven Croft caught at second slip off Paterson for 6 and George Lavelle lbw to Fletcher for 0.



An early finish looked to be on the cards with 48 overs left but Lamb and Bailey had other ideas. Both made half-centuries and set a new ninth-wicket record partnership for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire, beating the previous record of 87 between Bill Huddleston and Harry Dean at Old Trafford in 1909.

The runs were fairly unimportant as Lancashire were never close to chasing down their 444-run target but the ninth wicket alliance spanned 30 overs and one ball to frustrate the hosts and increase the tension as the game went into its final hour.



Sadly it was not to be and Nottinghamshire were left to celebrate a victory that takes them to the top of the Division One table, 17.5 points ahead of Lancashire with two games to play.

The first of those is against Somerset at Taunton starting at 10.30am.