MATCH REPORT: Advantage Lancashire on a rain-hit day
Lancashire enjoyed a good opening day against Middlesex in the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford after Tom Bailey took 3 for 24 with Luke Wood and Will Williams each claiming a brace of wickets.
The visitors had slumped to 19 for five during the first hour of play before a half century from Sam Robson helped to steady a floundering innings that had reached 132 for eight before rain and bad light ended the day early.
The visitors had won the toss but made a disastrous start with five of their top and middle order batters back in the dressing room after the first 63 minutes as the Red Rose seam attack made the most of the humid conditions, finding good swing and seam movement.
It proved to be too good for the visitors – who have only managed to garner two batting points all season – and their fragile-looking top order was all at sea from the moment Mark Stoneman edged Bailey to Tom Hartley at fourth slip for a duck.
The Middlesex start soon worsened when Joe Cracknell was bowled by Williams for 1, but Jack Davies dug in for 49 minutes until he nicked an attempted pull off Wood’s sixth delivery to wicketkeeper Phil Salt for 4.
That was the first of three wickets to fall in 16 balls as Max Holden edged Wood to George Bell at first slip for 0 and John Simpson edged a swinging George Balderson delivery to Salt for 1 to leave the visitors deep in trouble.
Robson, meanwhile, had dug in determinedly as wickets tumbled at the other end and the opener finally found support from Ryan Higgins who signalled positive intent by hitting the day’s first boundary in the 20th over.
Robson followed with his first four from the 61st ball he had faced by straight driving Wood, but in the main the pair were intent on survival while making slow, steady progress in the face of some accurate Lancashire bowling.
That approach saw the pair reach lunch safely with Middlesex 65 for five, and they had added 64 runs for the sixth wicket by the time Higgins inside edged Williams onto his leg stump for 41 thirty minutes into the afternoon session.
Robson reached a very patient fifty off 150 balls shortly afterwards but lost partner Josh De Caires who rather fenced at a Bailey delivery to give a catch to Bell at first slip for 14.
New overseas signing Jayant Yadav edged to the third man boundary before a combination of rain and bad light halted play just after 3pm with Middlesex 124 for seven.
That led to a 90-minute delay before a further six overs and one ball were bowled from 4.30pm during which Yadav pulled a Bailey bouncer to Wells at midwicket for 4 just before a passing shower shaved two more overs off the day.
Another seven balls were bowled before bad light had the final say with Middlesex 132 for eight, Robson unbeaten on 56, when play was abandoned at 5.51pm.
“If we had won the toss we would have bowled,” revealed Luke Wood. “So we are pretty happy with the result despite losing a bit of time.
“We would have liked to have bowled them out but having them eight down for 132 was a good outcome.
“The new ball did a bit, the pitch got a bit flatter, and I thought we kept it tight for most of the day, so they didn’t really get away from us.
“Having a team 19 for five is always a strong position to be in.
“Bails (Tom Bailey) and Will (Williams) have been really good all year and collectively we bowled really well.
“I think we are in a great spot going into tomorrow.”
Wood thoroughly enjoyed his return to the four-day side today.
“I’ve not played since the first game of the season,” he said.
“So it was nice to back on the field with the lads and getting stuck in.
“I was glad to come back today and make an impact.”
Wood has had a hectic summer but is eyeing up more first-class action next year.
“I’ve been pretty busy with the one-day stuff, the Blast, the Hundred and England towards the last couple of weeks since,” he said.
“This will probably my only other Championship game with the Ireland series coming up, but going into next season I’d like to try and get in the four-day team for the majority of the season rather just a couple of games.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell, Luke Adams, Dan Adams
