SECOND XI REPORT: Rain brings early finish as Lancashire draw with Leicestershire
Lancashire claimed a draw from their opening Second Eleven Championship match with Leicestershire – despite following-on at Southport & Birkdale Sports Club – after rain prevented any play after lunch on the final day.
Resuming their first innings on 133-6 this morning, Lancashire subsided to 155 all out losing Danny Lamb in the third over of the day, caught at point by Joe Johnson off Roman Walker for 51, moments after the Red Rose all-rounder had reached an 81-ball half century.
Walker then bowled Matt Parkinson for 0, and off-spinning all-rounder Louis Kimber (4-11) wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Matty Hurst – who had replaced Jack Morley in the side at the start of the fourth day - caught at backward square leg from a leading edge for 5, and Charlie Barnard caught behind for 0 to give wicketkeeper Harry Swindells his fifth dismissal of the innings.
With 77 overs left in the match Leicestershire’s only option was to enforce the follow-on and they had immediate success when Harry Singh was lbw to Will Davies from the second ball of the innings.
George Lavelle (19 not out) and Arav Shetty (12 not out) saw Lancashire safely through to lunch despite light drizzle falling for the hour prior to the interval, but the rain intensified during break and the game was eventually abandoned as a draw at 4pm.
The next Second Eleven fixture starts on Monday when the team travel to Kidderminster to play Worcestershire in the Championship (17-20 April, 11am start daily).
Score Summary
Lancashire v Leicestershire at Southport, Day 4
Match drawn
Points: Lancashire 7 (2 bowling), Leicestershire 10 (2 batting, 3 bowling).
Leicestershire 1st inns 316-8 dec (84 overs) Scriven 112*, Davis 50*, Kimber 38, Mahmood 4-28, Parkinson 2-58, Lamb 1-45, Blatherwick 1-63
Lancashire 1st inns 155 all out (67.3 overs) Lamb 51, Shetty 44, Kimber 4-11, Walker 3-22, Davis 2-25.
& following-on
Lancashire 2nd inns 31-1 (9 overs) Lavelle 19*, Shetty 12*, Davis 1-11
Lancashire won the toss and opted to bowl
Teams
Lancashire: Harry Singh, George Lavelle (wkt), Arav Shetty, Luke Wood, Danny Lamb, Tom Aspinwall, Jack Blatherwick, Saqib Mahmood (capt), Matt Parkinson, Jack Morley, Charlie Barnard (Lancs Academy), Harry Birkman (Lancs Academy).
4th day substitute: Matty Hurst replaced Jack Morley.
Leicestershire: Sam Evans, Sam Wood, Louis Kimber, Harry Swindells (wkt), Scott Steel, Tom Scriven, Joe Johnson, Nick Welch, Roman Walker, Will Davis (capt), Ed Barnes, Harris Sullivan.