MATCH REPORT: Croft, Hurst steady Lancs innings after good start falters
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,” 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.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell & Luke Adams
