SECOND XI REPORT: Lancashire in charge after Blatherwick best
An eight-wicket haul by Jack Blatherwick and a second half century in the match from George Bell has helped put Lancashire in a strong position against Derbyshire after two days of the Second Eleven Championship at Denby. The Red Rose side lead by 277 runs with five second innings left.
The hosts had resumed their first innings on 77 for five in reply to Lancashire’s 265 but lost two wickets in the second over of the day bowled by Harry Birkman. The seam bowler struck twice in three balls, having Cian Dickinson caught at second slip for 24 and Joe Hawkins taken at first.
Jack Carney and Aum Patel staged a mini revival with a stand of 48 but Blatherwick returned for a decisive second spell to have Carney caught behind for 40, trap Patel lbw for 34 with a big inswinger, and last man Harry Moore caught behind off a top edge for 6 to bowl Derbyshire out for 161.
Blatherwick finished with eight for 65, a personal best, and his return is the second-best bowling for Lancashire against Derbyshire in the Second Eleven Championship behind Ken Howard’s eight for 50 at St Helens in 1960.
Rory Haydon, who had replaced Daryn Dupavillon at the start of the day with Lancashire also swopping Gennaro Reddy for Tom Bailey, found a bit of extra bounce along with the edge of Kesh Fonseka’s bat to send the opener back for 0 in the fourth over as Lancashire set out to build on their 104-run lead just before lunch.
Harry Singh and Bell settled in after the break to steadily add to that advantage with a 57-run partnership in 20 overs until left arm spinner Aum Patel bowled Singh for 25.
The two Georges, Bell and Lavelle, upped that tempo by taking 78 from the following 20 overs, Bell reaching his second half century in the match off 74 balls – exactly the same number he took during his first innings effort. Lavelle more or less matched that, posted his fifty from 78 balls having struck nine fours.
But on the stroke of tea Lancashire lost three wickets for 5 runs. Bell, having hit 11 fours in moving on to 72, was lbw to seamer Manraj Johal who then had Joe Moores caught pulling at midwicket for 0 with Blatherwick bowled by leg spinner Mitchell Wagstaff, also for a duck.
Only six overs were possible after the interval before rain ended play early with Lavelle still there on 58 and Arav Shetty 13 not out with Lancashire 173 for five in their second innings and strongly placed going in to day three.
Teams
Lancashire: Charlie Barnard (capt), Harry Singh, Kesh Fonseka, George Bell (wkt), George Lavelle, Joe Moores, Jack Blatherwick, Arav Shetty, Tom Bailey, Mitch Stanley, Louis Backhouse, Harry Birkman.
Day 2: Tom Bailey replaced by Gennaro Reddy.
Derbyshire: Mitchell Wagstaff, Will Tarrant, Cian Dickinson, Yousaf Bin Naeem, Amrit Basra, Alex Thomson (capt), Jack Carney (wkt), Joe Hawkins, Harry Moore, Aum Patel, Manraj Johal, Daryn Dupavillon.
Day 2: Daryn Dupavillon replaced by Rory Haydon.