SECOND XI MATCH REPORT: Backhouse takes five wickets against Middlesex
Louis Backhouse had an afternoon to remember by claiming a five-wicket haul in only his second Second Eleven Championship match for Lancashire against Middlesex.
The 24-year-old produced a 32-ball spell of four for 21 to add to the breakthrough wicket the Kendal C.C. seamer had claimed in the morning session to have the visitors on the back foot at 218 for six at the halfway point of the day.
But a youthful Red Rose second-string, showing seven changes from last week, struggled to contain the Middlesex lower order who swung the day back in favour of the visitors by reaching the close on 442 for seven.
It was Backhouse who took the only wicket of the morning after Rob White and Josh de Caires had posted a century opening partnership before White somewhat carelessly chopped a wide delivery onto his stumps for 54 with the score on 110.
The visitors reached lunch on 130 for one with de Caires going along nicely on 67, but Backhouse changed the nature of the afternoon with a purple patch of four wickets starting with de Caires who edged a forward defensive push to wicketkeeper Joe Moores for 90.
Middlesex skipper Joseph Cracknell, who had won the toss earlier, was well caught at slip by Cian Dickinson off Dominic Hayes for 4 and Backhouse then had James Isbell lbw for 1, veteran Steve Eskinazi caught at first slip after making 40 and Blake Cullen taken at third slip for 2.
The visitors rallied with a positive seventh wicket partnership of 97 between Caleb Falconer and Jack Nelson either side of tea, ended when Nelson ballooned a catch off a leading edge from Arav Shetty to Backhouse for 63.
But on a hot, humid day at Aigburth, Falconer and Thilan Walallawita produced a fine, unbroken partnership of 127 over the rest of the evening session to reach stumps with Falconer 93 not out and Walallawita unbeaten after hammering 82 off 77 balls, including 3 sixes and 10 fours.
TEAMS
LANCASHIRE
Harry Singh (capt), Sav Perera, Sam Perry, Arav Shetty, Cian Dickinson, Zak Perrin, Ollie Sutton, Joe Moores (wkt), Corey Flintoff, Dom Hayes, Louis Backhouse, Muhammad Bilal.
MIDDLESEX
Rob White (wkt), Josh de Caires, Steve Eskinazi, Joseph Cracknell (capt), James Isbell, Caleb Falconer, Blake Cullen, Jack Nelson, Ishaan Kaushal, Thilan Walallawita, Eddie Campion, Naavya Sharma.