SECOND XI REPORT: Aspinwall, Shetty lead Lancs to 21-run victory over Worcestershire
Lancashire and Worcestershire conjured up a thrilling final day at Crosby as the visitors narrowly failed to chase down their 295 target with four wickets from Tom Aspinwall and two important mid-innings wickets by Arav Shetty leading the Red Rose to a 21-run victory with three overs to spare.
After two days had been lost to rain and a wet pitch, the only way a result could be achieved was by the end of the third day was for the teams to make a couple of declarations.
That duly happened with Worcestershire declared on their overnight first innings score of 59 for one, and Lancashire then posting 102 for 3 in their second innings before declaring on 102 for three, with captain Harry Singh unbeaten on 61.
That set Worcestershire a winning target of 295 runs off 70 overs but the visitors were quickly struggling on 39 for four by the 17th over with Joe Chapple finding movement to send back both openers, Rehaan Edavalath having his off stump uprooted offering no shot after making 3 and Taylor Cornall edging behind to Matty Hurst for 19.
Aspinwall claimed the first of his four wickets when Kashif Ali, playing to leg got a leading edge that flew to Singh at second slip for 12 and Reece Evitts edged a flashing drive behind off Harry Birkman for 2.
But Worcestershire rallied with a fine partnership of 163 between Henry Cullen and Oli Cox that swung the game the visitors way during the afternoon before off spinner Shetty struck twice to remove both batters.
Cox had made an excellent 90 (1 six, 9 fours) off 97 balls until he played too soon at Shetty and ballooned an easy catch to Cian Dickinson at mid-off while Cullen was bowled for 72 attempting to pull Shetty towards midwicket.
Left arm seamer Charlie Barnard then had Cameron Jones lbw for 1 to leave Worcestershire needing 63 runs off 12.4 overs with three wickets left, and despite a fine battling 50 not out from Oli Sutton that kept the visitors hopes alive, Aspinwall (four for 41) returned to clean up the tail.
The Lancashire seamer took the final three wickets in an 18-ball sequence with Joe Stanley caught at long leg and both Henry Darley, Matt Burton yorked middle stump to close out a 21-run victory.
The win keeps Lancashire in third place in the Second XI Championship table on 14.89 points behind Leicestershire 15.50 and Hampshire 15.20.
The Second XI Championship now takes a break while The Hundred and the One-Day Cup competitions take place and will resume on 4th September with a Roses match at Southport.