MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire v Northamptonshire
After a hard-fought and engaging draw against Middlesex at Lord’s to start the season - a game which went right down to the wire on Monday - Lancashire return home to Emirates Old Trafford and will bid for their first win of 2025.
Lancashire v Northamptonshire
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two
Friday April 11 - Monday April 14, 2025, 11am
Emirates Old Trafford
Match Guide
The Middlesex stalemate represented a solid start to the season, earning the Red Rose a 13-point haul as, chasing 309 during the final two sessions, they finished on 262-8.
Both sides had their victory chances, but there were many positives for Dale Benkenstein and Keaton Jennings, not least a run-filled debut for Australian overseas batter Marcus Harris, who brilliantly contributed 138 and 52.
Northamptonshire, meanwhile, suffered a home defeat to Kent inside three days at Wantage Road on Sunday. That was actually the first match in the opening round - across both divisions - to finish.
Northamptonshire were bowled out for 143 and then, chasing 259, 114.
Opposition
As aforementioned, Northamptonshire made a disappointing start to 2025.
They are under new leadership in terms of former Australia coach Darren Lehmann, who replaced the departing John Sadler during the winter.
Former Lancashire County Championship winner Luke Procter continues to captain the Midlanders, who finished fourth in last season’s second division.
Procter was their leading Championship run-scorer last term with 923, while evergreen new ball seamer Ben Sanderson was their top wicket-taker with 41.
They are without an overseas player for the start of the summer, with seamer Harry Conway only available for four matches in May, including against the Red Rose at Wantage Road. But they have signed two domestic seamers in Dom Leech from Yorkshire and former Australia Under 19s left-armer Liam Guthrie.
A key departure comes in the form of opening batter Emilio Gay, who has signed for Durham.
Nottinghamshire leg-spinning all-rounder Calvin Harrison has signed a two-match loan with the county and should debut.
Opposition player to watch
Former England Under 19s seamer Raphy Weatherall will be one to keep an eye on this summer as long as fitness allows him a good run of games for the Wantage Road county.
Kendal-born Weatherall came through the age-groups at Northamptonshire and impressed during a handful of appearances in each of the formats last season.
He made his first-team debut at the start of last summer and returned bests of 4-50 in both 50-over and T20 cricket.
Weatherall, aged 20, has a history of injury problems and he missed the latter stages of 2024 because of a stress fracture in his back.
Weatherall impressed for Northamptonshire in last week’s opener against Kent at Wantage Road, claiming three wickets in each innings.
Previous meeting
Lancashire beat Northamptonshire by an innings and 26 runs at Wantage Road in early September 2023, a season which saw the hosts drop down into Division Two and the Red Rose finish fifth in the top-flight.
Josh Bohannon, George Balderson and Luke Wells all starred with either bat or ball in a dominant victory.
Having elected to bowl first, the wickets were shared around as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 232 before the visitors amassed 524 all out into day three.
Bohannon posted a superb 175 from number three and Balderson an excellent 115 from the lower middle order. They shared 150 for the seventh wicket to navigate away from a touch of danger at 189-6.
Cumbrian seamer Jack White claimed four wickets for the hosts, but the damage had been done, and while Northamptonshire bettered their first-innings effort with 266 all out, they needed much, much more.
Luke Wells’ leg-spin wrapped up the win with 5-25 from 7.2 overs, claiming each of the last five wickets to fall.
What they said
Dale Benkenstein is hoping that there will be more life in the pitches at Emirates Old Trafford as the Red Rose bid to increase their win-rate at HQ.
Since the start of the 2021 season, immediately after the Covid pandemic, Lancashire have only won six matches at EOT in four summers, with 13 draws and three defeats.
Benkenstein said that matches against Kent and Somerset last season - one lost, one won - indicated the way forwards.
Ahead of this week’s Northamptonshire clash, the county’s head coach said: “We are leaving a bit more in the wicket, a bit more moisture. I don’t want them rolling it as much. I just want the ball to carry and the game to be able to go forward.
“In the past, it’s felt like a bit of a war of attrition.
“I do think the wicket can get better here, and you just want the contest between bat and ball to be a bit better.
“With communication with Matt, our groundsman, we had a good relationship last year, and I think we got the wickets right against Kent and then Somerset. We had a great game against Somerset, where there were 20 wickets on day one but it ended up going four days. There was carry in the pitch for most of the game.
“That’s what we are wanting to do. It’s not always possible with weather and that. But we also have to be able to play well in those conditions. And sometimes when you’ve been used to flat conditions, it can be a challenge when they ball carries.
“We’re now practicing on those kind of surfaces.
“And with the attack we’ve got, and two more experienced batters (Jones and Harris), we’re better lined up this year to deal with a wicket that can produce a result.”
How’s Stat!
Northamptonshire’s last victory over Lancashire in the Rothesay County Championship came at Wantage Road in August 2005 - 14 games ago.
The hosts won by 285 runs on that occasion, with the likes of Stuart Law, Andrew Symonds and Jimmy Anderson in Lancashire’s team. Our current director of cricket performance Mark Chilton was captain.
Northamptonshire’s last win at Emirates Old Trafford in the Championship came 20 games ago in 1999 - the year before the split to two divisions in this competition. They won on that occasion by 189 runs. Matthew Hayden captained the visitors in that game, while Graeme Swann also played for them.
Lancashire have won three of the last five Championship meetings with Northamptonshire, dating back to April 2021