LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Northamptonshire, Day Four
Latest updates from Emirates Old Trafford for the fourth day's play between Lancashire and Northamptonshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
5.30pm, MATCH DRAWN
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 213-5 Procter 27 Sales 35.
That's it, the players shake hands on the draw.
Lancashire gain 12 points & Northamptonshire 9.
5.27pm, min. 7 overs left
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 211-5 Procter 25 Sales 35 lead by 9 runs.
The game is meandering towards an inevitable conclusion.
5.18pm, min. 10 overs left
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 201-5 Procter 22 Sales 30 trail by 1 run.
It looks like the end of the game can't be far away now that Northants are virtually level.
5.00pm, min. 16 overs left
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 191-5 Procter 19 Sales 23 trail by 11 runs.
The last hour starts bang on five o'clock and Northamptonshire have nearly achieved their first goal of eliminating the runs deficit, now just 11 adrift.
4.50pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 178-5 Procter 17 Sales 12 trail by 24 runs.
The return to seam bowling didn't last long.
Tom Hartley and Luke Wells are currently operating with the new ball as we head towards the last hour of the match, which will start at 5pm.
4.30pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 167-5 Procter 13 Sales 5 trail by 35 runs.
Lancashire have four fielders camped around the batters as Luke Wells and Tom Hartley wheel away looking for another breakthrough.
It has gone a bit cloudy and the floodlights have now been switched on.
Now Tom Bailey returns, bowling with the new ball.
4.10pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 162-5 Procter 13 Sales 0 trail by 40 runs.
Luke Wells strikes with his third ball, Saif Zaib playing no shot and lbw for 18.
3.40pm, TEA Day 4
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 154-4 Procter 12 Zaib 11 trail by 48 runs.
Still some way to go in this match with Northamptonshire closing in on the Lancashire total meaning the Red Rose will have to bat again, provided they can claim the visitors' last six wickets.
There are a minimum of 22 overs to be bowled, but at this rate Lancashire will probably bowl around ten more than that in time available.
3.20pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 140-4 Procter 10 Zaib 0 trail by 62 runs.
Great grab by George Bell at short leg sees the end of Sam Whiteman giving Tom Hartley a second wicket!
That was the 550th over bowled on this wicket since the start of the Test Match last week.
There are a minimum of 31 overs left for Lancashire to get the remaining six wickets (and possibly chase a run target) but I think Lancashire will bowl more overs than that.
3.00pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 127-3 Whiteman 39 Procter 0 trail by 75 runs.
Tom Hartley makes a much needed breakthrough as Emilio Gay edges to Keaton Jennings at slip for 61.
That ends a 96-run partnership that used up nearly 39 overs.
Nice bit of bowling there by Tom who got Gay coming forward and off balance to play his shot.
2.50pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 117-2 Gay 57 Whiteman 33 trail by 85 runs.
Tom Bailey has returned at the James Anderson end, but is bowling off spin.
Gay and Whiteman continue to frustrate Lancashire's attempts with the ball.
2.30pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 104-2 Gay 54 Whiteman 23 trail by 98 runs.
Emilio Gay has reached his fifty from 126 balls.
Meanwhile Lancashire have four men crouched around the batters: slip, silly mid-off, leg gully and short leg.
2.15pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 89-2 Gay 48 Whiteman 18 trail by 113 runs.
Emilio Gay and Sam Whiteman are developing a good partnership for Northamptonshire, and the pair are not afraid to play their shots which may give the Red Rose bowlers some encouragement.
Jack Morley and Tom Hartley have bowled in tandem since just before lunch and are finding some turn off this pitch.
1.55pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 70-2 Gay 33 Whiteman 14 trail by 130 runs.
Northamptonshire have advanced their score since the resumption with Lancashire setting attacking fields for Jack Morley and Tom Hartley.
1.00pm, LUNCH Day 4
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 53-2 Gay 20 Whiteman 11 trail by 149 runs.
A good start to the day by Lancashire who have made early inroads into the Northamptonshire batting.
12.45pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 42-2 Gay 18 Whiteman 4 trail by 160 runs.
George Balderson came on for his first bowl today a few overs ago, while Jack Morley looks to have settled into a good rhythm at the James Anderson end.
Tom Hartley is now into the attack as we head towards lunch.
12.25pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 31-2 Gay 11 Whiteman 0 trail by 171 runs.
Jack Morley strikes with a beaut of a delivery that spins sharply, finds the edge and deflects up off Phil Salt to Keaton Jennings who takes a good catch diving forward from slip.
So, Morley strikes in his second over and Broad has gone for 16.
12.20pm
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 31-1 Gay 11 Broad 16 trail by 171 runs.
The earlier cloudy conditions have been replaced by sunny weather as we move into the second hour of the day.
Tom Bailey finds the edge of Justin Broad's bat but the ball bounces well in front of the slips.
And we have a first bowling change with Jack Morley replacing Will Williams for the 14th over.
11.55am
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 14-1 Gay 10 Broad 0 trail by 188 runs.
Tom Bailey has his 350th first-class wicket after trapping Ricardo Vasconcelos lbw for 2 with a ball that appeared to stay a bit low.
11.50am
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 8-0 Vasconcelos 2 Gay 4 trail by 194 runs.
A chance has gone down with Ricardo Vasconcelos the beneficiary after edging Tom Bailey to second slip where Keaton Jennings flings himself to his left but can't cling on to the ball.
Phil Salt then hits the stumps a la Alex Carey as Vasconcelos wanders around his crease playing at a Will Williams delivery but has just kept his foot behind the line.
11.25am
Northamptonshire 2nd inns 4-0 Vasconcelos 1 Gay 3 trail by 200 runs.
We had one over apiece from Tom Bailey and Will Williams as Northamptonshire start their second innings with Williams getting his fifth delivery to bounce high and narrowly past the outside edge of Emilio Gay's bat.
11.11am
Lancashire 1st inns 544-7 declared (106 overs) Balderson 49 Hartley 24 lead by 202 runs.
That was some three over blitz - 46 runs scored off 18 deliveries.
Alex Russell gets hammered for 21 runs off the third over of the morning before Keaton Jennings declares with a 202 run lead.
11.07am
Lancashire 1st inns 523-7 (105 overs) Balderson 37 Hartley 15 lead by 181 runs.
No messing about this morning. Tom Hartley has played two glorious drives for four and George Balderson has pulled Jack White for six.
25 runs have come from the first two overs.
11.00am
Lancashire 1st inns 498-7 (103 overs) Balderson 22 Hartley 5 lead by 156 runs.
George Balderson and Tom Hartley are ready to continue the Lancashire innings with Saif Zaib bowling the first over of the day.
10.20am
No change in the weather with cloudy and dry conditions at Emirates Old Trafford as we approach the start of play.
9.30am
Cloudy and dry conditions pertain at Emirates Old Trafford this morningwith play set to resume at 11am with Lancashire on 498 for 7 with George Balderson 22 not out and Tom Hartley on 5, with a first innings lead of 156 runs.
The three centuries made by Phil Salt, Luke Ells and Josh Bohannon yesterday have put Lancashire in a strong position going into this fourth and final day.
You can catch up with yesterday's amazing batting via our match report below.