MATCH PREVIEW: Middlesex v Lancashire
Lancashire’s promotion bid begins on the grandest of stages, at the Home of Cricket, against a Middlesex side who narrowly missed out on a return to Division One last season.
Middlesex v Lancashire
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two
Friday April 4 - Monday April 7, 2025, 11am
Lord’s
Middlesex finished third last term and, alongside the Red Rose, will be one of the favourites for success this time around.
Lancashire are actually the bookmakers’ favourites to win the Division Two title.
And an opening week win for Dale Benkenstein’s men would really boost the confidence and settle any nerves following a disappointing campaign in 2024.
Lancashire will have to wait for Jimmy Anderson’s return to county colours, after the seamer picked up a calf complaint during last week’s training camp at Desert Springs in Spain.
Opposition
There have been a few ins and outs at Lord’s this winter, most notably seamer Ethan Bamber departing to Warwickshire and ex-England Test opener Mark Stoneman going to Hampshire.
Middlesex have signed exciting young batter Ben Geddes, who crosses the River Thames from Surrey, while former Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar arrives on a non-overseas contract.
They have also signed South African seamer Dane Paterson on an overseas deal until the end of May.
County champions in 2016, Middlesex will continue to be captained by seamer Toby Roland-Jones.
They missed out last season on promotion behind Yorkshire and champions Surrey, despite holding second place in Division Two for a lot of the season.
Roland-Jones was their leading wicket-taker with 52 last summer, while all-rounder Ryan Higgins was their leading run-scorer with 1,133 from 13 appearances.
Opposing player to watch
Ryan Higgins is someone Lancashire could do with keeping quiet this week.
Not only did he have an excellent campaign with the bat last year, he also claimed 30 wickets with his skilful seamers.
He will bat in the middle order again and may well take the new ball. While he is not blessed with any sort of pace, he will find any bit of help on offer.
Higgins is very much a Darren Stevens sort of bowler, one who will be especially dangerous in early April conditions.
He is closing in on 300 first-class wickets and has spent the second half of his winter in Zimbabwe - his birth country - playing domestic cricket for the Rocks.
Previous meeting
Lancashire and Middlesex drew a late-season Division One match at Emirates Old Trafford in 2023, a rain-affected clash which saw days one and two heavily interrupted.
Their failure to win this September clash was a big blow to Middlesex, who ended up being relegated to Division Two.
Lancashire dominated what play there was. Tom Bailey and Luke Wood claimed three wickets apiece as the visitors were bowled out for 194 on day two.
The Red Rose then responded with 413 all out, including 97 for opener Luke Wells and 120 for Dane Vilas from the middle order in what was his last first-class match before retirement.
In the second innings, Middlesex compiled 160-3, including 65 not out for youngster Jack Davies, and held on for the draw.
Lancashire finished fifth in Division One that season.
What they said
Dale Benkenstein and Keaton Jennings struck the note of cautious optimism as the county’s coach and captain looked ahead to Lancashire’s opening game against Middlesex this weekend and the new season in general.
The Red Rose head into 2025 as the favourites to win Division Two, and with it gain promotion at the first time of asking.
Coach Benkenstein says that is definitely the aim, and insists his squad is now in a better place than it was at the end of September as relegation was confirmed. That is both because of the progression of his senior players and the development of the county’s exciting youngsters.
Benkenstein said: “Squad wise, we have a good experienced 12 or 13, and then there’s a bit of a gap. We have quite a lot of young players. That’s very exciting. It’s very nice for them to be getting opportunities. At the same time, it can creates some inconsistencies when they play.
“The key will be in four-day cricket keeping as many of our experienced players on the park.
“But the rigours of county cricket means it doesn’t always work.
“We may have a fairly young team again, and our job is to get them playing better cricket. I think we’ve had a good pre-season, and we’re seeing those improvements.
“Our signings, I think will make a difference.
“Marcus Harris is a Test player, and we feel that number four spot is something we needed to solidify with a player. He is a Test opener, but he will bat at four.
“Michael Jones is a very good signing - Lancashire born and bred. He will come in as an experienced batter in the top order with Keaton.
“The bowling, Anderson Philip comes back. I think we finished the season quite well last year, and he had a big role to play in that.
“A club like this, no one wants to be in the second division. I would want a squad that has some more experience. We’re two or three injuries away from having a very young team.
“But we are definitely setting out to get promoted.”
Captain Jennings said: “When you play at a club like Lancashire, which comes with 150-odd years of heritage, success and stories, you don’t want to be a part of the group that brings the club the other way.
“That’s what really hurts, and it stokes the fire to do better and fight to get the club back to Division One.
“But there’s no god given right to be in Division One. You have to play good cricket, and we have to do that walking out on Friday.”
The left-hander added: “My hopes are that we get promoted and win the T20 comp. That would be amazing.
“But I’d probably say quietly optimistic as well. I think we’ve got a good group and have signed quite nicely.”
How’s Stat!
This is Lancashire’s oldest first-class fixture, with the first match played by the Red Rose county taking place against Middlesex at Old Trafford in 1865.
The April 4 start will also be the earliest date on which Lancashire have ever played a County Championship match, beating last year’s previous record of April 5 against Surrey).