SECOND XI REPORT: Lancashire push home advantage against Worcestershire
Luke Wood led an excellent batting effort, and also struck two decisive early blows with the ball, to put Lancashire well on top going into the final day of their Second Eleven Championship match against Worcestershire at Kidderminster.
Wood, captaining the side in this match, struck three sixes and seven fours as he top-scored with 69 with George Lavelle contributing 53 and Jack Blatherwick 47 in the Red Rose total of 294.
And Wood took two early wickets in the Worcestershire second innings with Matt Parkinson adding three to his tally in the match to leave the hosts struggling on 109-6, just 38 runs ahead by the close.
Starting the day on 89-2, Lancashire lost Cian Dickinson lbw to Pat Brown for 1 and having reached his half century Lavelle fell in similar fashion to Adnan Ghaus.
Wood and Danny Lamb compiled the first good partnership of the day, adding 58 for the fifth wicket with Lamb raising the fifty partnership off 78 balls with an effortless six, swung over mid-wicket off seamer Adam Sylvester.
Left-arm spinner Cornall then claimed three wickets in quick succession; Lamb caught at slip for 22 reverse sweeping, Tom Aspinwall lbw first ball and Arav Shetty edging to slip playing forward for 9 to leave Lancashire 188-7.
Wood rallied with some attacking shots to take Lancashire past the hosts’ total before perishing at long-on off Cornall when attempting to hit a fourth maximum, but Blatherwick and Parkinson combined in determined fashion to compile a brilliant 69 for the ninth wicket – the highest partnership of the innings.
Blatherwick became Cornall’s fifth wicket when caught at cover with Parkinson the last man out on the stroke of tea for 29 to give Lancashire a 71-run lead.
That soon looked to be a significant advantage when wickets tumbled in Worcestershire’s second innings.
Wood removed Rehann Edavalath and Olly Cox cheaply to have the home side 31-2. Jack Morley next snared Kashif Ali for 28, caught behind by Matty Hurst who had taken over the gloves from George Lavelle, with Worcestershire still 3 runs behind.
And late in the evening Parkinson added three wickets to the five he took in the first innings to leave the home side deep in trouble.
Score Summary
Worcestershire v Lancashire at Kidderminster, Day 3
Worcestershire lead by 38 runs with 4 second innings wickets remaining
Lancashire won the toss and opted to bowl
Worcestershire 1st inns 223 all out (77 overs) Kashif Ali 87, Parkinson 5-41, Lamb 2-39, Aspinwall 2-42
& 2nd inns 109-6 (32 overs) Kashif Ali 28, Parkinson 3-27, Wood 2-39, Morley 1-29
Lancashire 1st inns 294 all out (96.3 overs) Wood 69, Lavelle 53, Blatherwick 47, Cornall 5-73.
Teams
Lancashire: Harry Singh, George Lavelle (wkt), Arav Shetty, Matty Hurst, Luke Wood (capt), Danny Lamb, Cian Dickinson, Tom Aspinwall, Jack Blatherwick, Matt Parkinson, Jack Morley, Charlie Barnard (Lancs Academy).
Wicketkeeping change: Matty Hurst replaced George Lavelle as wicketkeeper for the Worcestershire second innings.
Worcestershire: Taylor Cornall, Rehann Edavalath, Olly Cox, Kashif Ali, Ben Cox (wkt), Henry Cullen, Ollie Walker, Adam Sylvester, Pat Brown (capt), Mitchell Stanley, Adnan Ghaus, Harry Darley.
Substitute (start of day 3): Harry Darley replaced by Joe Stanley.