29-09-2022, 15:12
George Balderson made a career-best 97 and took the vital wicket of Hashim Amla to boost Lancashire victory hopes in this final LV= County Championship match of the season against undefeated Surrey.
The champions – who will receive the Championship trophy at the end of this game – ended a rain-interrupted second day on 123-5, still 389 runs behind Lancashire’s first innings 512.
There was a mixture of joy and despair for the Red Rose batters when play resumed on the second morning with Lancashire on a healthy 414-5.
The initial despair was felt by Keaton Jennings who, having added nine runs to his overnight score, received a brilliant inswinging yorker from Jamie Overton to be trapped lbw – agonisingly - on 199, one run away from equalling Lancashire opener Frank Watson’s unique first-class record of scoring two double hundreds and a triple century in the same season (1928).
The joy came for Balderson who was quickly into his stride, purposefully adding to the 53 runs he had scored yesterday in partnerships of 37 with Tom Hartley (16) and 33 with Tom Bailey (22) to pass his previous best score of 77 with ease.
But Balderson became somewhat becalmed when he reached the ‘nervous nineties’ as Surrey placed defensive fields, taking out the slips, to make run scoring more difficult and the ploy seemed to work.
After losing Bailey and Will Williams in quick succession and with last man Matt Parkinson for company Balderson launched Dan Moriarty (5-163) to deep midwicket in search of the three runs he needed for a maiden first-class century only to find the safe hands of Overton.
A disappointed Balderson departed to an ovation for a fine innings and it surely will not be too long before a century does arrive for this talented all-rounder.
Lancashire lunched on 512 all out after somewhat farcically having to return to bowl one over before the break, but the Red Rose attack enjoyed early afternoon success openers after Rory Burns and Ryan Patel had put 37 runs together.
Three wickets fell for one run once Patel had fenced at Bailey to give a slip catch to Jennings after making 19.
The wicket was Bailey’s 50th of the season – the second season in succession he has reached this landmark and third time overall.
Then Burns, possibly unsettled by wicketkeeper George Bell standing up to prevent the Surrey opener advancing down the wicket, was bowled for 18 when Williams nipped one back – the bowler’s 150th first-class wicket.
When Jamie Smith was lbw to Bailey for 1, Surrey had suddenly slipped to 38-3.
A 46-run partnership between Amla – who thumped Parkinson for a four and a six in one over - and Cameron Steel threatened to turn matters around before the South Africa batter was out just before tea for 29 after edging an indecisive push at Balderson to Jennings at slip.
After a flurry of stoppages for showers Lancashire had further success when Williams uprooted Tom Curran’s middle and leg stumps after the all-rounder had made 11 and it was left to Cameron Steel (29 not out) and Jordan Clark (4 not out) to see out the final eight overs to stumps with Surrey still having a lot of work to do tomorrow.
George Balderson admitted to a bitter sweet moment today after making his first-class career-best 97.
“I was disappointed in the end but when you start an innings, if someone offered you 97 runs you’d take it!” he smiled.
“I’d started to run out of partners at the end, and saw that mid-on was up so I tried to take him on. But I dragged it out to deep midwicket instead which was a shame but I’m happy with that and happy with the position we are in the game,” he explained.
“Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow and get a few more wickets.
“Parky has been saying to everyone this season we should put more faith in his batting - and maybe I should,” he reflected, laughing.
“It’s all ifs, buts and maybes though. It’s happened now and hopefully we can move on in this game.
“To finish this season well would be good. I’ve been a bit disappointed with my performances early on in the season but I’m finally showing what I can do and hopefully it will be the start of something.
“I think we managed to get a bit more out of the pitch than their bowler’s did.
“It feels like there are enough wicket-taking balls in the pitch," he added. "It’s just nipping or staying a bit low and the odd one bounces.
“It feels like there is enough in it for us and I think it will start to spin a bit more.
“We just need to keep building pressure a chip away at the remaining wickets.”
If Balderson can produce a few more deliveries similar to the one that got Hashim Amla, Lancashire will be in with a real chance.
“I was trying to hit a decent area because we knew the odd might bounce or nip a bit more and that just seemed to bounce and nip away,” he said. “The pitch is slow and that was the first one of me that had really gone through.
“It was a fantastic catch by Keaton who was stood very close.”
And Balderson stressed this is definitely not an end of season match with not much at stake.
“You’re always playing for something when you play for Lancashire,” he said.
“Everyone wants to perform and impress and you are playing the champions in front of the Sky cameras.
“Hopefully we can push on over the next two days and get a win.”
Lancashire ran out convincing winners by an innings and 130 runs against Surrey on the third day to end their LV= County Championship campaign on a high and inflict the first defeat of the season on the 2022 champions.
Tom Hartley did most of the damage with a career best 5-52 in the Surrey second innings and finish with match figures of 8-80 as spin claimed the majority of the 15 wickets to fall.
Lancashire take a maximum 24 points from the match but will have to await the outcome of the Warwickshire v Hampshire match tomorrow to see where they finish in the table.
A Warwickshire win would see the Red Rose finish second on 225 points, one point more than Hampshire’s current total of 224. Any other result would see the South Coast county finish second with Lancashire third.
It was an outstanding performance on which to finish the season but on a good pitch a win on the third day seemed something of a long shot at 10.30am.
The first task facing the Lancashire bowlers at the start of the day was to take the remaining five wickets and force Surrey to follow-on.
And after thirty minutes of solid defence Will Williams struck first when Jordan Clark inside edged a drive onto his stumps to depart for 5.
Matt Parkinson does not bowl many bad balls but even he seemed surprised when a pretty average half-tracker sent down to Overton was obligingly chipped to Dane Vilas at midwicket by the batter.
Hartley’s introduction into the attack just before noon brought about a fairly swift end to the innings as the left arm spinner picked up the remaining three wickets starting with the big wicket of Cameron Steel who perished lbw for 47 sweeping.
Tom Lawes was bowled round his legs attempting to sweep for 21 before Kemar Roach skied a catch to Williams to be the last man out for 26 just before lunch with Surrey still 303 runs behind.
Burns produced a good, brisk innings for his side at the start of the Surrey second innings going to his half century off 66 balls with a six over long-on off Hartley.
But Hartley turned the tables with a clever piece of bowling, spearing the ball in to bowl the advancing Burns around his legs for 61 and halt the opening partnership at 89.
Fellow opener Ryan Patel batted steadily in compiling 36 but then slogged Parkinson into the hands of George Balderson who took a good catch diving forward at mid-on.
That left Surrey on 127-2 at tea but wickets tumbled in calamitous fashion for the visitors after the break as six wickets fell for 24 runs in 15 overs.
Without addition to the score Hashim Amla played back to a turning Hartley delivery to be lbw for 15, Steel was run out for 5 after hesitating over a single, Tom Curran went for a duck after he skied Hartley to Steven Croft at cover, Jamie Smith gave a bat/pad catch to Keaton Jennings at short leg off Parkinson for 23 and Overton was bowled around his legs sweeping at Hartley for 1.
When Lawes was lbw for 0 – another failed sweep attempt - Hartley could celebrate his first five-for in first-class cricket.
Clark held up Lancashire’s victory charge with a 48-ball innings of 9 before departing lbw to Tom Bailey, who had changed to bowling off spin as the light deteriorated.
It was left to Parkinson to claim the final wicket of the season, Roach lbw for 11, to wrap up a convincing victory.
Tom Hartley was delighted to have ended the season on a high after his career-best performance.
“The wicket was turning and starting to break up, and they played a few loose shots which helps,” he said.
“With two wickets down (at tea) we thought we would have had a bit of work to do tomorrow.
“I think we built good pressure, fielded really well and stopped a lot of ones and twos and then there was a run out. Chaos ensued after that!
Hartley was naturally proud at getting his first five wicket haul.
“Although it’s taken me to the last game (to do it) I’m over the moon. Hopefully I can carry that form on next year,” he said.
“I had a pretty slow start (this season), recovered well with the white ball and felt like I had a decent T20 Blast and a better Hundred.
“And then carried that on and felt that I’ve done pretty well in these last couple of red ball games so I can’t complain.”
“I’ve played the last three Championship games and I’m happy to get a go. Hopefully I can start again next year.
“I’ve played a lot of second team red ball cricket and I’d like to go on from that. So it’s a big push from me now to play alongside Parky, improve my batting and start to play more that spinning all-rounder role. So it’s been quite important for me to do that.
“It’s been awesome to end the season with two great wins.”
Glen Chapple reflecting on the season said:
"Our intention was to make sure we finished the season well and make sure we tried as hard in this game as we have in every other one. The effort from the lads was superb to see because they could have easily taken their foot off the gas but there was none of that. It finishes off the season well for us.
"We've played good cricket all the way through the season - there were a few pockets here and there where we didn't quite get over the line and possibly that's an area where we can see points have slipped. But the commitment the team has put in in all three competitions has been brilliant.
"We can't take any negatives from the season - the lads have performed really well. There are huge positives and when we sit back and reflect on the season there's a lot we can be proud of.
"Collectively it's one of the best seasons we've had - we want to lift silverware of course we do and that's what we're going to keep pressing for.
"Seasons like this only serve to reinforce your motivation to get stronger and better."
THE END
The champions – who will receive the Championship trophy at the end of this game – ended a rain-interrupted second day on 123-5, still 389 runs behind Lancashire’s first innings 512.
There was a mixture of joy and despair for the Red Rose batters when play resumed on the second morning with Lancashire on a healthy 414-5.
The initial despair was felt by Keaton Jennings who, having added nine runs to his overnight score, received a brilliant inswinging yorker from Jamie Overton to be trapped lbw – agonisingly - on 199, one run away from equalling Lancashire opener Frank Watson’s unique first-class record of scoring two double hundreds and a triple century in the same season (1928).
The joy came for Balderson who was quickly into his stride, purposefully adding to the 53 runs he had scored yesterday in partnerships of 37 with Tom Hartley (16) and 33 with Tom Bailey (22) to pass his previous best score of 77 with ease.
But Balderson became somewhat becalmed when he reached the ‘nervous nineties’ as Surrey placed defensive fields, taking out the slips, to make run scoring more difficult and the ploy seemed to work.
After losing Bailey and Will Williams in quick succession and with last man Matt Parkinson for company Balderson launched Dan Moriarty (5-163) to deep midwicket in search of the three runs he needed for a maiden first-class century only to find the safe hands of Overton.
A disappointed Balderson departed to an ovation for a fine innings and it surely will not be too long before a century does arrive for this talented all-rounder.
Lancashire lunched on 512 all out after somewhat farcically having to return to bowl one over before the break, but the Red Rose attack enjoyed early afternoon success openers after Rory Burns and Ryan Patel had put 37 runs together.
Three wickets fell for one run once Patel had fenced at Bailey to give a slip catch to Jennings after making 19.
The wicket was Bailey’s 50th of the season – the second season in succession he has reached this landmark and third time overall.
Then Burns, possibly unsettled by wicketkeeper George Bell standing up to prevent the Surrey opener advancing down the wicket, was bowled for 18 when Williams nipped one back – the bowler’s 150th first-class wicket.
When Jamie Smith was lbw to Bailey for 1, Surrey had suddenly slipped to 38-3.
A 46-run partnership between Amla – who thumped Parkinson for a four and a six in one over - and Cameron Steel threatened to turn matters around before the South Africa batter was out just before tea for 29 after edging an indecisive push at Balderson to Jennings at slip.
After a flurry of stoppages for showers Lancashire had further success when Williams uprooted Tom Curran’s middle and leg stumps after the all-rounder had made 11 and it was left to Cameron Steel (29 not out) and Jordan Clark (4 not out) to see out the final eight overs to stumps with Surrey still having a lot of work to do tomorrow.
George Balderson admitted to a bitter sweet moment today after making his first-class career-best 97.
“I was disappointed in the end but when you start an innings, if someone offered you 97 runs you’d take it!” he smiled.
“I’d started to run out of partners at the end, and saw that mid-on was up so I tried to take him on. But I dragged it out to deep midwicket instead which was a shame but I’m happy with that and happy with the position we are in the game,” he explained.
“Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow and get a few more wickets.
“Parky has been saying to everyone this season we should put more faith in his batting - and maybe I should,” he reflected, laughing.
“It’s all ifs, buts and maybes though. It’s happened now and hopefully we can move on in this game.
“To finish this season well would be good. I’ve been a bit disappointed with my performances early on in the season but I’m finally showing what I can do and hopefully it will be the start of something.
“I think we managed to get a bit more out of the pitch than their bowler’s did.
“It feels like there are enough wicket-taking balls in the pitch," he added. "It’s just nipping or staying a bit low and the odd one bounces.
“It feels like there is enough in it for us and I think it will start to spin a bit more.
“We just need to keep building pressure a chip away at the remaining wickets.”
If Balderson can produce a few more deliveries similar to the one that got Hashim Amla, Lancashire will be in with a real chance.
“I was trying to hit a decent area because we knew the odd might bounce or nip a bit more and that just seemed to bounce and nip away,” he said. “The pitch is slow and that was the first one of me that had really gone through.
“It was a fantastic catch by Keaton who was stood very close.”
And Balderson stressed this is definitely not an end of season match with not much at stake.
“You’re always playing for something when you play for Lancashire,” he said.
“Everyone wants to perform and impress and you are playing the champions in front of the Sky cameras.
“Hopefully we can push on over the next two days and get a win.”
Lancashire ran out convincing winners by an innings and 130 runs against Surrey on the third day to end their LV= County Championship campaign on a high and inflict the first defeat of the season on the 2022 champions.
Tom Hartley did most of the damage with a career best 5-52 in the Surrey second innings and finish with match figures of 8-80 as spin claimed the majority of the 15 wickets to fall.
Lancashire take a maximum 24 points from the match but will have to await the outcome of the Warwickshire v Hampshire match tomorrow to see where they finish in the table.
A Warwickshire win would see the Red Rose finish second on 225 points, one point more than Hampshire’s current total of 224. Any other result would see the South Coast county finish second with Lancashire third.
It was an outstanding performance on which to finish the season but on a good pitch a win on the third day seemed something of a long shot at 10.30am.
The first task facing the Lancashire bowlers at the start of the day was to take the remaining five wickets and force Surrey to follow-on.
And after thirty minutes of solid defence Will Williams struck first when Jordan Clark inside edged a drive onto his stumps to depart for 5.
Matt Parkinson does not bowl many bad balls but even he seemed surprised when a pretty average half-tracker sent down to Overton was obligingly chipped to Dane Vilas at midwicket by the batter.
Hartley’s introduction into the attack just before noon brought about a fairly swift end to the innings as the left arm spinner picked up the remaining three wickets starting with the big wicket of Cameron Steel who perished lbw for 47 sweeping.
Tom Lawes was bowled round his legs attempting to sweep for 21 before Kemar Roach skied a catch to Williams to be the last man out for 26 just before lunch with Surrey still 303 runs behind.
Burns produced a good, brisk innings for his side at the start of the Surrey second innings going to his half century off 66 balls with a six over long-on off Hartley.
But Hartley turned the tables with a clever piece of bowling, spearing the ball in to bowl the advancing Burns around his legs for 61 and halt the opening partnership at 89.
Fellow opener Ryan Patel batted steadily in compiling 36 but then slogged Parkinson into the hands of George Balderson who took a good catch diving forward at mid-on.
That left Surrey on 127-2 at tea but wickets tumbled in calamitous fashion for the visitors after the break as six wickets fell for 24 runs in 15 overs.
Without addition to the score Hashim Amla played back to a turning Hartley delivery to be lbw for 15, Steel was run out for 5 after hesitating over a single, Tom Curran went for a duck after he skied Hartley to Steven Croft at cover, Jamie Smith gave a bat/pad catch to Keaton Jennings at short leg off Parkinson for 23 and Overton was bowled around his legs sweeping at Hartley for 1.
When Lawes was lbw for 0 – another failed sweep attempt - Hartley could celebrate his first five-for in first-class cricket.
Clark held up Lancashire’s victory charge with a 48-ball innings of 9 before departing lbw to Tom Bailey, who had changed to bowling off spin as the light deteriorated.
It was left to Parkinson to claim the final wicket of the season, Roach lbw for 11, to wrap up a convincing victory.
Tom Hartley was delighted to have ended the season on a high after his career-best performance.
“The wicket was turning and starting to break up, and they played a few loose shots which helps,” he said.
“With two wickets down (at tea) we thought we would have had a bit of work to do tomorrow.
“I think we built good pressure, fielded really well and stopped a lot of ones and twos and then there was a run out. Chaos ensued after that!
Hartley was naturally proud at getting his first five wicket haul.
“Although it’s taken me to the last game (to do it) I’m over the moon. Hopefully I can carry that form on next year,” he said.
“I had a pretty slow start (this season), recovered well with the white ball and felt like I had a decent T20 Blast and a better Hundred.
“And then carried that on and felt that I’ve done pretty well in these last couple of red ball games so I can’t complain.”
“I’ve played the last three Championship games and I’m happy to get a go. Hopefully I can start again next year.
“I’ve played a lot of second team red ball cricket and I’d like to go on from that. So it’s a big push from me now to play alongside Parky, improve my batting and start to play more that spinning all-rounder role. So it’s been quite important for me to do that.
“It’s been awesome to end the season with two great wins.”
Glen Chapple reflecting on the season said:
"Our intention was to make sure we finished the season well and make sure we tried as hard in this game as we have in every other one. The effort from the lads was superb to see because they could have easily taken their foot off the gas but there was none of that. It finishes off the season well for us.
"We've played good cricket all the way through the season - there were a few pockets here and there where we didn't quite get over the line and possibly that's an area where we can see points have slipped. But the commitment the team has put in in all three competitions has been brilliant.
"We can't take any negatives from the season - the lads have performed really well. There are huge positives and when we sit back and reflect on the season there's a lot we can be proud of.
"Collectively it's one of the best seasons we've had - we want to lift silverware of course we do and that's what we're going to keep pressing for.
"Seasons like this only serve to reinforce your motivation to get stronger and better."
THE END
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