LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Northamptonshire, Day Three
Latest updates from Emirates Old Trafford for the third day's play between Lancashire and Northamptonshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
7.00pm, CLOSE Day 3
Lancashire 1st inns 498-7 (103 overs) Balderson 22 Hartley 5 lead by 156 runs.
That is the end of a quite remarkable day with the three centuries by Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon and Phil Salt putting Lancashire into a great position going into the final day.
377 runs were scored off 67.5 overs with some incredible hitting.
6.48pm
Lancashire 1st inns 483-7 (99 overs) Balderson 12 Hartley 0 lead by 141 runs.
Tom Bailey is caught at midwicket by Justin Broad off Luke Procter for 6. We have four overs left today.
6.35pm
Lancashire 1st inns 466-6 (96 overs) Bailey 2 Balderson 4 lead by 124 runs.
Steven Croft has been well caught by Lewis McManus after edging behind off Luke Procter for 27, and Procter has deserved after his efforts today.
6.25pm
Lancashire 1st inns 459-5 (95 overs) Croft 27 Bailey 1 lead by 117 runs.
George Bell has perished for 15, hitting out in the search for quick runs as we head towards the close in 8 overs time.
He's been well caught by Ricard Vasconcelos at deep midwicket off Saif Zaib with Lancashire's lead now over one hundred.
6.10pm
Lancashire 1st inns 429-4 (90 overs) Croft 14 Bell 0 lead by 87 runs.
Phil Salt's fantastic assault ends, appropriately, on the deep square leg boundary as he attempted to go for another six, but caught just inside the rope by James Sales off Jack White for 105 off 77 balls that included 3 sixes and 11 fours.
What an innings.
We still have 13 overs left if the light holds up.
5.55pm
Lancashire 1st inns 421-3 (88 overs) Salt 105 Croft 6 lead by 79 runs.
Outstanding century by Phil Salt who reaches three figures in style by hammering Jack White into the pavilion seats.
His hundred came off 75 balls (3 sixes, 11 fours) and just five balls more than the fastest century this season by Jamie Smith of Surrey.
Lancashire have scored 300 runs today in 52.5 overs.
5.30pm
Lancashire 1st inns 382-3 (82 overs) Salt 62 Croft 0 lead by 40 runs.
A great one-handed diving catch by Ricardo Vasconcelos at slip off Jack White has ended Josh Bohannon's fine innings on 128.
Lancashire have added over 100 runs since tea.
5.20pm
Lancashire 1st inns 369-2 (81 overs) Bohannon 126 Salt 62 lead by 27 runs.
Lancashire's third century partnership of this innings between Josh Bohannon and Phil Salt has arrived from 103 balls.
Northamptonshire have taken the new ball.
5.05pm
Lancashire 1st inns 336-2 (76 overs) Bohannon 104 Salt 51 trail by 6 runs.
Phil Salt has got to his fifty in a hurry! It came off 35 balls with 1 six and 5 fours!
5.00pm
Lancashire 1st inns 330-2 (75 overs) Bohannon 100 Salt 45 trail by 16 runs.
Josh Bohannon reaches his 8th first-class century off 143 balls, with 1 six, 9 fours, and what a lovely innings it has been.
Lancashire are nearly now and we have 28 overs left today.
4.50pm
Lancashire 1st inns 314-2 (72 overs) Bohannon 92 Salt 41 trail by 28 runs.
We've only had four overs since tea but in that time 28 runs have been added which include Phil Salt thumping a straight six into the pavilion seats off Dom Leech.
4.10pm, TEA Day 3
Lancashire 1st inns 276-2 (68 overs) Bohannon 80 Salt 15 trail by 66 runs.
That has been an impressive session by Lancashire who have scored 155 runs off 32.5 overs to close within 66 runs of Northamptonshire's total.
Great century by Luke Wells and an equally impressive 80 from Josh Bohannon who is timing the ball really well.
Northamptonshire, without their first choice attack, have struggled to contain the Red Rose batters although Luke Procter has bowled a really good spell this afternoon.
There are 35 overs left to bowl today.
3.50pm
Lancashire 1st inns 256-2 (63 overs) Bohannon 75 Salt 0 trail by 86 runs.
Luke Wells departs for a brilliant 119 after edging a drive off Jack White to Ricardo Vasconcelos who takes a good, low catch at first slip.
That breaks a 142 run partnership in 31 overs between Wells and Bohannon.
3.40pm
Lancashire 1st inns 253-1 (61 overs) Wells 117 Bohannon 74 trail by 89 runs.
This is a scintillating partnership by Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon who have doubled the Lancashire score in the 25 overs bowled so far today.
Bohannon hit Saif Zaib for a straight six, followed by a four, and that has taken the bowler out of the attack, replaced by Northants skipper Luke Procter.
3.23pm
Lancashire 1st inns 224-1 (57 overs) Wells 103 Bohannon 60 trail by 118 runs.
The hundred partnership arrives off 141 balls just before Luke Wells goes to his 23rd first-class century and fifth ton for Lancashire!
Wells' first century this season came from 171 balls inc. 13 fours.
3.05pm
Lancashire 1st inns 207-1 (53 overs) Wells 96 Bohannon 51 trail by 135 runs.
Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon are really getting on with it, scoring 76 runs in the first hour off 15.5 overs.
Wells had a life on 85, dropped by wicketkeeper Lewis McManus off Dom Leech and he has gone on to pass 2,000 first-class runs for Lancashire at an average of 40.80.
Meanwhile Josh Bohannon has reached his fifty off 68 balls including 6 fours, the last one a beautifully timed on-drive off Leech.
2.42pm
Lancashire 1st inns 169-1 (46 overs) Wells 84 Bohannon 26 trail by 173 runs.
Luke Wells sweeps Russell to deep square leg where Sam Whiteman catches the ball but has to let it go as he falls over the boundary rope.
It saves four runs after the batters run two.
Wells then reverse sweeps Russell for four.
2.25pm
Lancashire 1st inns 149-1 (42 overs) Wells 73 Bohannon 19 trail by 193 runs.
Luke Wells hammers Alex Russell for four past mid-off where Saif Zaib makes a valiant attempt to catch the ball diving to his left. Would have been a screamer if he'd caught it.
Josh Bohannon then drives Russell loftily past mid-on for four where - you've guessed it - Zaib makes another great attempt at a catch, this time getting fingertips to the ball.
2.10pm
Lancashire 1st inns 127-1 (38 overs) Wells 67 Bohannon 3 trail by 215 runs.
Jack White starts the afternoon from the Brian Statham end and Zaib is replaced after bowling his five balls by leg spinner Alex Russell.
2.00pm
Lancashire 1st inns 124-1 (36 overs) Wells 64 Bohannon 3 trail by 218 runs.
And here we go....with Saif Zaib resuming his interrupted over from yesterday.
Luke Wells drives the first ball of the day to midwicket and they run three.
1.10pm - PLAY TO START AT 2PM
Great news, play will start at 2pm. There will be a minimum of 67 overs to be bowled with tea taken at 4.10pm.
Fantastic work by the groundstaff to get the pitch ready so quickly after this morning's rain.
1.00pm - DELAYED START
The rain
12.30pm - DELAYED START, EARLY LUNCH
Lunchis now being taken and the umpires have just completed an inspection, but frustratingly it has started to drizzle once more.
12.00pm
A sudden flurry of drizzle has forced the groundstaff to put the sheets back on the square.
Hopefully it is a passing shower. In the meantime the mopping up continues around the outfield.
11.30am
Better news from the middle as the rain has relented and the groundstaff are starting the mopping up process.
An early lunch is being taken at 12.30pm.
10.30am - DELAYED START
Very light drizzle is falling and the start of playhas been delayed with an early lunch to be taken at 12.30pm to allow time for the clean up with lots of standing water on the covers.
10.15am
We have slightly brighter weather conditions now and the rain has finally stopped.
But with a lot of water on the covers, the groundstaff will have a considerable mopping up operation ahead of them.
9.15am
A not so good morning from Emirates Old Trafford, where we have light drizzle falling ahead of the third day of our LV= Insurance County Championship match against Northamptonshire.
The overnight covering remains in place for now, and we will provide regular updates on conditions, which are forecast to improve.
When play does resume, Lancashire will have Luke Wells (61) and Josh Bohannon (3) at the crease, looking to add to the score of 121 for one and make inroads into the current deficit of 221 runs.
Wells made some interesting observations on the wicket last evening, and his comments can be found in our match report from day two via the button below.