Balderson and Bailey partnership rescues Lancs at Edgbaston
George Balderson bailed out Lancashire’s top order on his return to the team for the LV=Insurance County Championship clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Back in the side in place of the departed Colin de Grandhomme, Balderson struck a correct and composed unbeaten 94 (202 balls) to lift his side to 295 for seven on the opening day at Edgbaston.
The 22-year-old went in with Lancashire in deep trouble at 91 for five and showed the concentration and shot selection required on a slow pitch which was used for Vitality Blast Finals Day last Saturday.
He received excellent support in the last session from Tom Bailey (a career-best 75 not out, 134 balls) as the eighth-wicket pair added an unbroken 145 against an attack which lacked the sustained incision to press home their early advantage. It was a hard-fought cricket as a pitch which, four days earlier, had delivered 821 runs, 71 fours and 23 sixes, surrendered runs grudgingly as it aged.
Balderson, Daryl Mitchell, George Bell, Jack Morley and Danny Lamb came in for Colin de Grandhomme Dane Vilas, Rob Jones, Tom Hartley and Jack Blatherwick. Lamb was called up late after Luke Wood and Blatherwick reported injuries in the warm up.
Warwickshire chose to bowl first on the experienced pitch and soon broke through when Luke Wells feathered a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess off Chris Rushworth. Josh Bohannon’s fluent 33 (43 balls), in a stand of 47 with Keaton Jennings, ended with an inside edge to the keeper off Ed Barnard before the pressure increased either side of lunch with the loss of three wickets for 16 runs in 27 balls. Phil Salt dragged on a loose drive at Olly Hannon-Dalby, Jennings edged debutant Mir Hamza to second slip and Bell edged Hannon-Dalby to third.
Mitchell and Balderson added 58 in 19 overs, the former striking Danny Briggs and Rushworth for sixes, before another two wickets fell in eight balls. Mitchell (35, 56) top-edged a sweep at Briggs and Lamb, drawn into playing away from his body, edged Barnard behind.
With Lancashire 150 for seven, the home side looked well-placed to build on last week’s crushing of Kent, which has had some in the West Midlands talking of a surprise title push, but Balderson and Bailey dug in deep. The Red Rose know how to fight back against Warwickshire and the eighth-wicket pair invoked the spirit of Southport, 1982, when the Bears declared their first innings on 523 for four…and lost by ten wickets.
Balderson passed 1,000 first class runs and Bailey surpassed his previous career-best (68) as the new ball failed to inflict damage. Hamza’s first day as a Bear - one for 89 - was one to forget but Balderson’s day was one to remember with pride, especially if he acquires the six runs he requires to complete his maiden century in the morning.
Report: ECB Reporters Network
Images: Dan Adams
