Aspinwall and Sutton shine as Lancashire make strong start at Lord's
Today's match report presented by C&C Insurance Brokers
Day 1: Middlesex 260 v Lancashire 68-0
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Young seamers Tom Aspinwall and Ollie Sutton launched Lancashire’s bid for an immediate return to the top flight in positive fashion by bowling out Middlesex for 260 on the opening day at Lord’s.
The Red Rose began the campaign without injured ex-England veteran James Anderson and West Indies paceman Anderson Phillip, unavailable due to a visa issue.
But 21-year-old Aspinwall, with figures of four for 32, and left-armer Sutton, who took two for 57 on his first-class debut, swung the game in their side’s favour after a century stand between Sam Robson (70) and Max Holden (69) had given Middlesex a strong platform.
Having reached 215 for three in front of an impressive Lord’s crowd of 4,257, the home side stumbled – losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs – and Lancashire’s openers shaved 68 off the deficit before the close.
The visitors opted to bowl after winning the toss and gained some early swing and bounce, with Tom Bailey beating the outside edge several times before breaking through in the fifth over.
Nathan Fernandes, restored to an opener’s role at Middlesex following Mark Stoneman’s departure, contributed just a single before he was tempted to nibble at a Bailey delivery that slanted across him.
But, having seen off the new ball, Robson began to play with greater freedom and rattled off a spate of boundaries, steering Sutton to the midwicket fence to bring up his half-century from 60 balls.
Holden played his part as Middlesex cruised along at around four and a half an over, but the left-hander was given a life on 28 when he hooked Sutton to long leg, only for the ball to slip through Luke Wells’ fingers and over the rope.
Wells redeemed himself by coming on for an over of leg-breaks just before lunch to pin Robson lbw on the back foot with his fifth ball.
Holden posted his half-century in the first over after the resumption, squirting Wells to third man for three and looked a good bet to convert that 50 into three figures until he fell to a smart take by Matty Hurst.
Standing up to the stumps, the young wicketkeeper snapped up Holden off the same bowler and claimed his third dismissal when Ryan Higgins nudged George Balderson behind.
That triggered a middle-order collapse, with four more wickets falling in the space of just 21 deliveries – two apiece to Sutton and Aspinwall.
Debutant Ben Geddes became Sutton’s maiden first-class victim when he miscued a pull to midwicket and Jack Davies was lbw shuffling across his stumps before Du Plooy, having spent more than two hours over a watchful 41, was on the sharp end of a similar decision in Aspinwall’s favour.
By contrast, Toby Roland-Jones’ dismissal was palpable as Aspinwall brought the ball a long way back down the slope to take his leg stump, mopping up the innings after tea with the wickets of Zafar Gohar and Henry Brookes.
Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings batted sensibly alongside new opening partner Michael Jones, capitalising on loose deliveries as they chipped away at the home side’s total.
However, there were close calls for both openers before stumps, with Jennings’ inside edge off Blake Cullen rebounding off his pad but somehow avoiding the wicket and Jones almost playing on to Brookes.
Images by Luke Adams and Dan Adams
