SECOND XI MATCH REPORT: Middlesex clinch innings victory at Liverpool
Lancashire put in a stronger batting performance on the third day of this Second Eleven Championship match at Aigburth, but it was not enough to deny Middlesex a deserved victory by an innings and 77 runs with Thilan Walallawita taking five second innings wickets.
Resuming the Lancashire second innings on 22 without loss but trailing by 316 runs, the Red Rose opening pair of Harry Singh and Sav Perera made a great start to the day, extending their partnership to 92 with left hander Perera reaching his half century from 122 balls.
The introduction of Walallawita into the attack did the trick for the visitors with the left arm spinner striking with his third delivery of the innings when Perera became the first of his five wickets after edging to first slip for 53. Sam Perry also edged the spinner’s seventh ball to first slip for 1 with Lancashire 103 for two at lunch.
Having batting for three hours and ten minutes, Singh fell for 36 caught behind down the leg side by substitute wicketkeeper Joseph Cracknell off Blake Cullen eleven overs into the afternoon session, the first of five wickets to fall for 43 runs in 11 overs with Walallawita adding to his tally by having Cian Dickinson stumped for 5 going down the wicket to the spinner, and Ollie Sutton caught at first slip for 9.
Zak Perrin was lbw to Blake Cullen for 0, Arav Shetty slogged Josh de Caires into the hands of Naavya Sharma at long on for 46 off 84 balls having hit 7 fours, and Joe Moores, having hit a straight six off left arm spinner Eddie Campion edged the same bowler to wicketkeeper Cracknell for 23 on the stroke of tea with Lancashire 199 for eight and Middlesex poised for victory.
They had to wait after left hander Muhammad Bilal, on 10, edged de Caires to give first slip yet another catch because Louis Backhouse thumped five sixes, all of them off a suffering de Caires, in an entertaining 23-ball assault of 34 as the last two wickets added 65 runs. Corey Flintoff hit a further six, also off poor de Caires, in finishing unbeaten on 25.
Fittingly it was Walallawita who had the final say, finishing with figures of five for 44 when he had Backhouse caught at deep midwicket attempting another big hit with Lancashire all out for 296 and Middlesex clinching a convincing win inside three days.
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.
Middlesex substitute: Joseph Cracknell for Rob White as wicketkeeper (start of day 3)