SECOND XI REPORT: Lavelle hits century as runs flow
George Lavelle made his fourth century for Lancashire’s Second Eleven after Durham’s Michael Jones had earlier hit a big hundred on the third day of this Second XI Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford that saw a total of 433 runs scored for the loss of just three wickets.
The morning was dominated by Durham opener Jones’ marvellous innings. Resuming the day on 92 with his side on 181-2, the Scotland international took ten deliveries to score the eight runs he needed to reach three figures, his century coming off 152 balls.
The Ormskirk-born Jones then batted beautifully through the majority of the session, adding five sixes to the two he had struck on day two, and taking a further 47 balls to reach his 150.
The Red Rose attack plugged away on a fairly benign surface with eight bowlers used during the innings. Their only success arrived just before lunch when Jones bottom-edged a cut off seamer Charlie Parkinson to wicketkeeper Lavelle having made 192.
That ended a huge partnership of 236 with Jonny Bushnell who finished unbeaten on 80 when the declaration came four runs later with Durham 350-3.
Kesh Fonseka and Harry Singh replied with an opening partnership of 57 runs, Fonseka hitting 5 fours before being brilliantly caught at leg slip by a diving George Drissell off Bas de Leede for 36.
Singh pulled a short delivery from Luke Robinson for six but in the main Singh and George Lavelle batted steadily to reach tea on 104-1. After the break both upped the tempo, Singh hitting 6 fours before falling lbw to Drissell for 74 with the second wicket having added 153 runs.
Lavelle took 72 balls to reach his half century but took the attack to the visitors, with his next fifty arriving from just 52 balls, and finishing the day unbeaten on 107 having struck 4 sixes and 9 fours.
Tom Aspinwall hit a six and 4 fours in making a run-a-ball 27 not out with Lancashire on 262-2 and trailing by 86 runs when bad light ended play at 6.40pm.
TEAMS
Lancashire: Harry Singh, Kesh Fonseka, George Lavelle (wkt), Rocky Flintoff, Tom Aspinwall, Josh Boyden, Corey Flintoff, Saqib Mahmood (capt), Charlie Barnard, Haider Hussain, Harry Birkman, Charlie Parkinson.
Durham: Ben McKinney (capt), Haydon Mustard (wkt), Jon Bushnell, Bas de Leede, George Drissell, Danny Hogg, Callum Gaffney, Mitch Killeen, Michael Jones, Oliver Gibson, George Darwood, Luke Robinson.