[themaclad]

Steven Croft top-scored with 45 while twenty-year-old Matty Hurst made an assured unbeaten 35 on debut after openers Keaton Jennings and Luke Wells had made an excellent start when play finally got under way on the third day against Nottinghamshire.
The visitors had hit back mid-morning with a three-wicket burst and it took another good partnership between Croft and Hurst to steady the innings with Lancashire reaching 225 for six by the time rain brought an early finish at 4pm with play abandoned one hour later.

Jennings and Wells produced a positive response after skipper Steven Mullaney won the toss, with an excellent and sometimes attacking partnership during the opening 20 overs as the Nottinghamshire bowlers initially appeared to struggle on a slow pitch.



The Lancashire openers took advantage of any full deliveries with Jennings in particular striking early boundaries that swiftly took the Red Rose captain past the 10,000 first-class runs landmark.

The fifty partnership arrived from 84 balls with Mullaney rotating his attack in the hunt for a breakthrough and that arrived from the first ball of the 21st over when Wells, having driven nicely thus far, missed a full-pitched ball from Asitha Fernando to be bowled for 28.



That was the first of three wickets to fall for seven runs in three overs as Mullaney (2 for 32) then had Jennings lbw for 42, playing forward defensively but adjudged to have got pad to the ball fractionally before bat, and Josh Bohannon well taken at the second attempt by wicketkeeper Tom Moores standing up for 6.

George Bell hit five boundaries in a bright and breezy 26 either side of lunch before inside edging another full delivery from Fernando (2 for 31) onto his middle stump. George Balderson followed one run later after edging behind off Brett Hutton to leave the hosts 133 for five, and it took a partnership of 48 runs between veteran all-rounder Croft and debutant Hurst to steady the Lancashire innings.



Croft, playing his first four-day game since July, hit eight boundaries in his 45 before departing to a great catch by Matt Montgomery at bad/pad off Calvin Harrison. That was reward for the leg spinner who had Hurst dropped on 8 at short midwicket in his first over.

Once settled, Hurst mixed some trademark attacking shots that included lofting Harrison for four over midwicket with solid defence in a determined 80-ball innings and he will be there tomorrow morning hoping to add to his positive innings of 35.



Tom Bailey (19 not out) thumped the only six of the day off Harrison but two balls later rain arrived to take the players off the pitch with 35 overs left and an hour later the umpires abandoned play for the day at 5pm.

“It was a dream come true to make my debut and long may it continue,” said Matty Hurst.

“With the England games being played and Tommy (Hartley) and Salty (Phil Salt) going, plus Dane (Vilas) retiring, I knew there was an opportunity for me and hopefully I can take it further tomorrow.



“I found out on Monday I was going to play but having had two days sat in the dressing room, I wasn’t really nervous. It didn’t really hit me until I was walking out today.

“As soon as I’d hit a couple of balls, I was pretty calm and just kept going.”

Hurst was just eighteen months old when Croft made his first-class debut and he laughed when told of that particular stat.

“It was great to bat with Crofty (Steven Croft),” he said.

“He’s experienced and gave me a lot of confidence, telling me what to do, and keeping me calm.

“He talked me through what was happening and obviously he’s been around the block so it was quite cool to be out there with him.”



Having already featured in the one-day side during the Metro Bank Cup earlier this season, Hurst is naturally hoping this is the start of more four-day game involvement.

“This game and the one next week, if I’m involved, are an opportunity, he said.

“If I can perform well who knows what could happen next year.”

In the meantime Hurst is firmly focussed on adding to his innings tomorrow.

“It’s difficult to get a result in two days at Old Trafford,” he said.

“We’ll have discussion in the morning and see what the plan is.

“Hopefully I can get a few more runs tomorrow.”

[themaclad]

Matty Hurst made a fine unbeaten fifty on his first-class debut as Lancashire’s LV= Insurance County Championship game against Nottinghamshire was abandoned as a draw.
Only 15 overs and one ball were possible on the final day in which time Lancashire advanced their first innings to 272 for seven from the 84.1 overs bowled over four days.

The result means Lancashire take six points while Nottinghamshire’s seven points look to have sealed their top-flight status with one round of games left.

When play did get under way – following a thirty-minute delay for rain – with Lancashire resuming their first innings on 225 for six, Tom Bailey was quickly into his stride steering Calvin Harrison to third man for four to bring up the fifty partnership with Hurst from 99 balls.



Paterson hit back by having Bailey taken at first slip for 27 but Hurst, 35 not out overnight, moved on steadily to reach a 112-ball half century with a sumptuous cover drive for four off Hutton.

Jack Blatherwick helped steer Lancashire to a batting point with two fours in his unbeaten 18 and that that proved to be the last of the action as rain took the players from the field just before noon.



Further bursts of heavy rain followed to finally curtail proceedings at 2.15pm.

“It’s frustrating, but we’ve had a few positives from the week,” said Red Rose captain Keaton Jennings.

“Matty made his debut and stood up and played beautifully. Today he looked like he had been here for many years rather than making his debut.



“It takes you back to the first time you went out to bat in a first-class game. It’s a big event in your life.

“It’s huge for him to come out on top and get a fifty not out. He’ll take a huge amount of confidence from that, as he should.

“I’m over the moon for him, and hopefully he can continue to kick on and make good choices with the bat.



“The chat yesterday was how can we win the game from here, hence Wellsy and myself tried to push the process forward.

“Next week there’s another opportunity to try and win a fixture, and it will be fantastic if we can push ourselves up the table and see where we can get to at the end of the year.

“Every time you pull on a Red Rose shirt you want to make sure you perform to the best of your ability.

“As a player you don’t want to lose games. It niggles at you. It hurts whether you can win the championship or get relegated. You want to win and compete.



“Next week is an opportunity to do that and you want to leave the season having known you’ve played some really good cricket.

“I think we’ve played some really good cricket in patches. There’s been a couple of missed opportunities that can we look back at in hindsight, but at the same time we can look back on some memorable moments where we’ve got through some tough times.

“Hopefully next year we can go on and win something.”

[themaclad]

There was a frustrating day for relegation-threatened Kent in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Canterbury, as Lancashire recovered from 18 for three and 240 for eight to reach 327 all out at stumps.
Josh Bohannon scored 113 and put on a crucial 121 for the fifth wicket with George Balderson, who made 54. Matthew Hurst also cashed in after being dropped on seven to finish unbeaten on 76.

Kent at least took the full compliment of bowling bonus points, with Matt Quinn and Aron Nijjar both claiming three wickets.

The spectre of the drop has loomed over Kent for most of the season and the equation going into the final game was simple: a single point ahead of Middlesex at the start of play and having just two victories to Middlesex’s three, they will go down if the teams finish level.

For Lancashire the situation was altogether more relaxing: safe from relegation and with a theoretical chance of finishing in the top three, they won the toss and chose to bat.



An all-seam attack had struggled to make any impact in the draw with Somerset, but the hosts were boosted by the return of Quinn and Nathan Gilchrist from injury and both made an early impact.

Both openers went cheaply. Quinn struck in the fourth over, when Keaton Jennings was caught by a sprinting Ben Compton at leg gully for four.

Nathan Gilchrist then had Luke Wells caught behind for five and home hopes surged when keeper Harry Finch, selected ahead of club captain Sam Billings, took a superb diving catch when Steven Croft edged Quinn down the leg side, handing Kent an early bowling point.

Their optimism was ephemeral. Lancashire responded with stand of 78 between Bohannon and George Bell, who looked fluent for 40 before Quinn had him caught behind.

Bohannon reached 50 when he took two from Aron Nijjar in the final over before lunch, at which point it was 106 for four.



Lancashire seized the momentum in the afternoon. When Bohannon hit Joey Evison for four through cow corner it brought up his tenth first-class century. By the time he was stumped trying to charge Jack Leaning, Lancs were 217 for five and George Balderson was set, taking a single from Leaning to bring up his half-century.

It was 231 for five at tea, but Balderson failed to add to his score, caught at short leg by Compton off Yuzvendra Chahal and handing Kent a second bowling bonus point.

Tom Bailey made a seven-ball duck, hitting Aron Nijjar straight to Gilchrist at extra cover but Hurst was on seven when he edged Nijjar to first slip and he was dropped by Leaning.

Nijjar didn’t have to wait long for his second wicket as Jack Blatherwick tried to slog him and was caught by a back-pedalling Daniel Bell-Drummond at long off, but Hurst then led a counter-attack that exasperated the hosts.



He hit Chahal for six and had moved to 44 by the time he skied Quinn and Evison couldn’t quite haul him in. A scampered single from Quinn took him to 50 and with Will Williams he saw off the new ball, steering Lancs past the 300 mark.

Nijjar secured a third bonus point when he had Williams lbw for 11 and the day at least ended on a high for Kent when, with the very last ball, Chahal bowled Jack Morley for two.

[themaclad]

A throwback century from Joe Denly helped relegation-threatened Kent to 345 for four on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Lancashire at Canterbury.

Replying to the visitors’ 327, Ben Compton, who was nominated to drop out had Zak Crawley been fit after England duty, anchored Kent’s innings with a typically obdurate 95. Denly then played a more flamboyant 105 not out, from 149 balls with 11 fours and a six, to record his first red-ball century of the season as Kent closed with two potentially crucial batting points and a lead of 18. The hosts began the match a single point ahead of Middlesex in the Division One table and will be relegated if the sides finish level on points, having fewer wins.

It was a difficult day for Lancashire, with Jack Blatherwick being removed from the attack after bowling two beamers in an over.

Supporters with memories of the bygone age when England players were bundled into taxis as soon as their game was over and dispatched to the furthest flung corners of the county circuit were disappointed to learn that neither Zak Crawley nor Tom Hartley would be available until day three, following yesterday’s wash-out in Bristol.



Compton opened alongside Tawanda Muyeye but after enduring a torrid opening hour as the ball zipped around under grey St. Lawrence skies, the latter was just starting to look comfortable when he got out for 46.

George Balderson replaced Tom Bailey at the Pavilion End, his fourth delivery found Muyeye’s edge and Keaton Jennings took a brilliant one-handed catch low to his right.

Jennings then took a far easier catch to remove Daniel Bell-Drummond for three after Jack Morley found the shoulder of his bat, leaving Kent on 91 for two at lunch.

Morley then bowled Jack Leaning for 34, but Compton continued to grind his way on, reaching 50 from 146 balls.



Midway through the afternoon session Kent announced that as Crawley was now reported unwell he wouldn’t be available at all, although by this point the news seemed significantly less of a blow to Kent than it might have done had it been announced a few hours earlier. They moved to 231 for three at tea and Blatherwick then bowled an over he’s unlikely to forget.

It started well enough as he got Compton out with the first ball, caught off an attempted pull at backward point by Balderson. Harry Finch scrambled a single to get off the mark from the second and the hosts secured a first batting bonus point off the third when a Blatherwick delivery reared up and went for four byes off Denly’s helmet.

Play was immediately suspended for bad light and after a 25-minute delay Blatherwick resumed with a beamer. Denly then hooked him for four to bring up his 50 and when Blatherwick subsequently bowled a second beamer he was taken out of the attack.

He immediately apologised and Denly patted him on the side as he passed him, but it was left to Luke Wells to finish the over.

Denly swept Morley to secure a second batting point and brought up his 31st first-class hundred when he hit Bailey through cover for three. Finch took a single from Balderson to give Kent the lead and an increasingly demoralised bowling attack had conceded 38 extras by the time play was abandoned for bad light with seven overs remaining.

[themaclad]

Kent’s future in Division One of LV= Insurance County Championship hung in the balance on Thursday night, after Lancashire reached 126 without loss in their second innings, a deficit of 41.
Joe Denly’s 135 had helped Kent to 494, a first-innings lead of 167, but any hopes of a quick three-day victory faded when Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings both made half-centuries in an unbroken opening partnership, reaching 69 ad 52 not out respectively before bad light halted play at the Spitfire Ground.

Kent had begun day three in a significantly happier place than they’d been 24 hours earlier, on 345 for four on day two in reply to Lancashire’s first innings score of 327 and with Denly unbeaten on 105.

The partnership between Denly and Harry Finch had reached exactly 150 when the latter was bowled for 44 by George Balderson.



Tom Hartley, in for Will Williams, bowled a head-high slow delivery that Denly swatted for six to take Kent past 400. In the next over, the 108th, Balderson bowled a no ball, bringing up a half-century of extras.

Denly finally went when he was lbw to Balderson and Hartley bowled Joey Evison for 12, exposing the tail.

Balderson sent Nathan Gilchrist’s middle-stump cartwheeling for a ten-ball duck, but Aron Nijjar and Matt Quinn took Kent to 447 for eight at lunch.

Quinn was on 22 when he was caught off a Bailey no ball, but he was caught behind two deliveries later without adding to his score.

Nijjar, however, hit the next ball for six and had made 42 before he holed out to Bailey and was caught by Blatherwick, ending the innings.



At that point the most optimistic scenario was a victory inside three days, but Lancashire’s openers Wells and Jennings had raced to 55 without loss when an early tea was taken due to a brief shower and by then the mood around the Spitfire Ground was beginning to darken again.

Kent supporters have already seen this film too many times this season: hefty first innings leads were squandered against Surrey and Notts and the openers eroded the deficit offering barely a chance.

When Yuzvendra Chahal, did find Jennings’ edge he was dropped by Leaning when he was on 42 and bad light stopped play with 11 overs remaining, at precisely the moment the news came through that Middlesex had bowled out Nottinghamshire for a first innings deficit of 18.

[themaclad]

Lancashire 327 (Bohannon 113, Hurst 76*, Balderson 54) and 390 for 8 dec (Wells 117, Bailey 78, Jennings 74, Bohannon 68*) drew with Kent 494 (Denly 136, Compton 95, Balderson 4-69)

Kent are staying in Division One of the LV= Insurance County Championship, after a day of unmitigated, stomach-churning drama at Canterbury. They drew their game with Lancashire and then faced an almost unbearable 80-minute wait for news from Trent Bridge, where a Middlesex win would have been enough to relegate them.


Lancashire's Luke Wells made 117 and Keaton Jennings 74, but after collapsing from 194 for 0 to 258 for 7, Josh Bohannon and Tom Bailey batted them to safety, making 68 not out and 78 respectively.

Jack Leaning and Aron Nijjar took three wickets apiece, but Kent's failure to finish their opponents off left their supporters sweating on news from Nottingham. The visitors closed on 390 for 8, a lead of 223.

Fans and staff, at least those who could stand to watch, duly crowded round laptops and iphones. Kent captain Leaning prowled the balcony, and Director of Cricket Paul Downton stood grinning with the sheer tension of it all.

Every run was cheered, every wicket felt like a depth charge and when Nottinghamshire hit the winning runs a roar that may well have been audible at Trent Bridge was emitted.

The consensus at the start of the day was the Kent would probably be ok, but the word "probably" ended up doing some very heavy lifting. With seven bonus points in the bank Kent knew they'd be safe if they could match Middlesex's result against Nottinghamshire, but for the first hour things looked grim, in more than one sense.

Play began under leaden skies, but the seamers made no impact. Lancashire resumed on 126 without loss and had levelled the scores within 13 overs.

Wells carved Jack Leaning through point for the four that racked up his 24th first-class hundred but eventually fell when he edged the same bowler to Daniel Bell-Drummond at slip.

From 194 for 0, Lancashire lost five wickets for 32 runs. Jennings went in almost identical fashion in Leaning's next over and Steven Croft should have been out to the next ball but he was dropped by Tawanda Muyeye at short leg.

George Bell flashed at Aron Nijjar and was caught behind for 1. George Balderson drove Leaning to Compton at point and also went for 1 and a session that had started so demoralisingly ended on a high when Nijjar had Croft caught by Bell-Drummond, leaving Lancashire on 226 for 5 at lunch.

Matthew Hurst was then out for a duck in the third over after the resumption, skying Yuzvendra Chahal to Nathan Gilchrist at mid-off.

Just as news of Middlesex's gutsy declaration filtered through, Chahal switched to the Pavilion End and duped Tom Hartley into a rash shot that was taken by Ben Compton at mid-off for 18.

At that point the lead was under 100 and a Kent win at least looked possible but Bohannon and Bailey batted through till tea, by which time Lancashire were 344 for 7 and there were only 27 overs left. Both batters were dropped, the former by Harry Finch off Joey Evison, the latter when he offered Chahal a return catch.


These lapses effectively finished off any lingering chance of a run chase and Kent's fate was out of their hands. Bell-Drummond couldn't cling on when Bohannon edged Leaning but by then almost everyone in ground was either watching the stream from Trent Bridge, nervously following the score on their phone or, in some cases, praying.

Bailey was caught by Gilchrist off Nijjar just after he'd passed his highest first-class score of 77 and Muyeye came on to bowl for the first time this season and Ben Compton for the first time ever as both sides went through the motions before shaking hands and heading off to watch the nearest available stream.

It wasn't an easy watch, but after nearly 90 minutes of soaring blood-pressure and heart palpitations deliverance came and a wave of relief engulfed the St. Lawrence.

And that's a wrap for 2023