26-09-2022, 20:38
A superb century by Keaton Jennings led a great batting performance by Lancashire on the opening day of the final LV= County Championship match of the season against champions Surrey.
Jennings made an unbeaten 190 while Steven Croft contributed 86 in a 195-run partnership that dominated the day’s proceedings with Lancashire 414-5 at the close.
After Dane Vilas won the toss, Jennings and Luke Wells made steady progress in compiling 58 for the opening wicket with Wells the more aggressive, hitting six fours in his 36.
The visitors switched to spin as early as the eleventh over and the move paid dividends as left-arm slow bowler Dan Moriarty – playing his first Championship match of the season – struck twice.
Wells, advancing down the wicket, was smartly caught by Ryan Patel at short leg after edging onto his pads while Josh Bohannon - having made 12 - played back only to be bowled by a beautiful delivery that gripped and turned sharply to hit off stump.
Those breakthroughs left Lancashire on 96-2 just before lunch but after that the afternoon became the Jennings and Croft show as the pair dominated the Surrey attack.
Jennings reached his fifty from 109 balls and moved on effortlessly and remorselessly to reach three figures on the stroke of tea from 169 balls having struck some delightful shots that included ten fours.
It was the left handed opener’s tenth century for Lancashire and 25th career hundred – and his fifth this season alone.
Croft was far from a supporting partner though as he took consecutive boundaries early in his innings off both Jordan Clark and Moriarty to reach an 81-ball half-century with Jennings soon posting the century partnership inside 25 overs.
Surrey went wicketless through the afternoon session – probably a rare experience for the visitor’s attack this season – with the 150 partnership reached just before tea with Lancashire on 248-2 and in complete command.
However wickets did fall in the final part of the day with leg spinner Cameron Smith making the breakthrough when Croft missed a sweep to be lbw for 86 and Vilas then top edged a sweep off the leg spinner to Patel at backward short leg for 3.
George Bell was run out for 2 in very unfortunate circumstances after Steel, bowling from the James Anderson end, deflected a drive by Jennings onto the stumps at the bowler's end with Bell just short of his ground.
But George Balderson played some positive, confident strokes to keep the score moving along, hitting 30 of the fifty partnership in 61 balls for the sixth wicket with Jennings late in the afternoon and going on to make an eye-catching 53 not out off 65 balls.
“It’s been good fun,” admitted Keaton Jennings when asked how much he has enjoyed a season where he is now the leading run-scorer in the Championship on 1,224 runs – with power to add.
“I’ve a few average seasons as well,” he added, “so I suppose you enjoy these when they come round.”
“You want to win trophies and put in performances that enable you to do that. Unfortunately it’s not been our year in any of the three competitions so hopefully next year we can do that.
“It’s probably up there,” said Jennings when asked how he rated his form this year.
“Wellsy has been brilliant for me in a lot of ways,” he revealed. “We’ve spoken a lot about game plans and the way we go about things. We’ve pushed each other quite nicely at the top of the order.
“We’ve played some really good cricket as a team this year so hopefully we can finish off with some pretty good cricket over the next three days.”
“We want to beat the champions,” he added. “I think they’ve been fantastic and deserve to be winners of the Championship but we’ve got three big days ahead and hopefully we can play really well.
“It’s entirely up to those who make that decision,” was Jennings response to potential England selection. It’s completely out of my control.
“I’ve loved my cricket over the past couple of seasons, trying to get us into match-winning positions” he said.
And Jennings says he feels a completely different player from when he last pulled on an England shirt in early 2019.
“Entirely, I feel a different person (too),” was his response.
“We’ve been through a world pandemic, lockdowns, and ups and downs from an emotional point of view.
“I don’t think I’m anywhere near the same person or player – in a good way.
“You’ve got to accept the pressure-cooker of international cricket and things change and things happen.
“So it’s about trying to do the things that you do well, and have done well.
“But as I’ve said it’s out of my control and that’s why I’ve really enjoyed my cricket. I think I’ve enabled myself to feel comfortable out of the game which I think is crucial.
“It’s allowed me to try and play with a bit of happiness and freedom so you don’t feel like this is a be-all and end-all. You get things into perspective.
“It comes through hardship and struggle but I feel in a good place and just want to keep it going.”
Jennings made an unbeaten 190 while Steven Croft contributed 86 in a 195-run partnership that dominated the day’s proceedings with Lancashire 414-5 at the close.
After Dane Vilas won the toss, Jennings and Luke Wells made steady progress in compiling 58 for the opening wicket with Wells the more aggressive, hitting six fours in his 36.
The visitors switched to spin as early as the eleventh over and the move paid dividends as left-arm slow bowler Dan Moriarty – playing his first Championship match of the season – struck twice.
Wells, advancing down the wicket, was smartly caught by Ryan Patel at short leg after edging onto his pads while Josh Bohannon - having made 12 - played back only to be bowled by a beautiful delivery that gripped and turned sharply to hit off stump.
Those breakthroughs left Lancashire on 96-2 just before lunch but after that the afternoon became the Jennings and Croft show as the pair dominated the Surrey attack.
Jennings reached his fifty from 109 balls and moved on effortlessly and remorselessly to reach three figures on the stroke of tea from 169 balls having struck some delightful shots that included ten fours.
It was the left handed opener’s tenth century for Lancashire and 25th career hundred – and his fifth this season alone.
Croft was far from a supporting partner though as he took consecutive boundaries early in his innings off both Jordan Clark and Moriarty to reach an 81-ball half-century with Jennings soon posting the century partnership inside 25 overs.
Surrey went wicketless through the afternoon session – probably a rare experience for the visitor’s attack this season – with the 150 partnership reached just before tea with Lancashire on 248-2 and in complete command.
However wickets did fall in the final part of the day with leg spinner Cameron Smith making the breakthrough when Croft missed a sweep to be lbw for 86 and Vilas then top edged a sweep off the leg spinner to Patel at backward short leg for 3.
George Bell was run out for 2 in very unfortunate circumstances after Steel, bowling from the James Anderson end, deflected a drive by Jennings onto the stumps at the bowler's end with Bell just short of his ground.
But George Balderson played some positive, confident strokes to keep the score moving along, hitting 30 of the fifty partnership in 61 balls for the sixth wicket with Jennings late in the afternoon and going on to make an eye-catching 53 not out off 65 balls.
“It’s been good fun,” admitted Keaton Jennings when asked how much he has enjoyed a season where he is now the leading run-scorer in the Championship on 1,224 runs – with power to add.
“I’ve a few average seasons as well,” he added, “so I suppose you enjoy these when they come round.”
“You want to win trophies and put in performances that enable you to do that. Unfortunately it’s not been our year in any of the three competitions so hopefully next year we can do that.
“It’s probably up there,” said Jennings when asked how he rated his form this year.
“Wellsy has been brilliant for me in a lot of ways,” he revealed. “We’ve spoken a lot about game plans and the way we go about things. We’ve pushed each other quite nicely at the top of the order.
“We’ve played some really good cricket as a team this year so hopefully we can finish off with some pretty good cricket over the next three days.”
“We want to beat the champions,” he added. “I think they’ve been fantastic and deserve to be winners of the Championship but we’ve got three big days ahead and hopefully we can play really well.
“It’s entirely up to those who make that decision,” was Jennings response to potential England selection. It’s completely out of my control.
“I’ve loved my cricket over the past couple of seasons, trying to get us into match-winning positions” he said.
And Jennings says he feels a completely different player from when he last pulled on an England shirt in early 2019.
“Entirely, I feel a different person (too),” was his response.
“We’ve been through a world pandemic, lockdowns, and ups and downs from an emotional point of view.
“I don’t think I’m anywhere near the same person or player – in a good way.
“You’ve got to accept the pressure-cooker of international cricket and things change and things happen.
“So it’s about trying to do the things that you do well, and have done well.
“But as I’ve said it’s out of my control and that’s why I’ve really enjoyed my cricket. I think I’ve enabled myself to feel comfortable out of the game which I think is crucial.
“It’s allowed me to try and play with a bit of happiness and freedom so you don’t feel like this is a be-all and end-all. You get things into perspective.
“It comes through hardship and struggle but I feel in a good place and just want to keep it going.”
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