MATCH REPORT: Bohannon produces a thrilling innings but Middlesex game ends in a draw
Today's match report presented by C&C Insurance Brokers
A scintillating 87 runs off 69 balls by Josh Bohannon and unbeaten 67 by Matty Hurst were the highlights of the final day’s play at Emirates Old Trafford in 2025 as this Rothesay County Championship match with Middlesex ended in a draw.
Obtaining a result from a game in which 210 overs had been lost over the first three days always seemed a fairly unlikely prospect, but Lancashire made the best of the day by scoring quickly enough to post 375-5 and declare with a lead of 164 runs with 50 overs left in which to force a result, albeit without the injured James Anderson.
Tom Bailey made an early breakthrough trapping Josh de Caires lbw and snared Sam Robson with his first ball of spin after tea, while Arav Shetty snapped up his maiden first-class wicket. Middlesex pair Luke Hollman and Ryan Higgins dug in after tea to steer the visitors towards safety and despite Bailey ending Hollman’s defiant 90-ball 33, the draw was eventually agreed with Middlesex 99-4 halfway through the final hour.
Bohannon’s entertaining innings in a century partnership with Keaton Jennings quickly erased the 106-run deficit that existed at the beginning of play with Lancashire resuming day four on 105-0 in reply to Middlesex first innings 211 all out.
After Luke Wells was lbw for 62 to Toby Roland-Jones in the third over of the morning – after play had started on time for the first time in this match – Bohannon took centre stage with a hugely attractive, entertaining innings.
The Boltonian pulled Roland-Jones for the first of his 16 boundaries from his tenth ball faced and then proceeded to hammer the visitor’s attack around Emirates Old Trafford as he raced to his fastest-ever first-class fifty off 48 balls including a huge pulled six over square leg off Henry Brookes.
A second six followed off Zafar Gohar as Bohannon blasted 74 during a century partnership off 99 balls with Jennings as he also passed the 6,000-run milestone in first-class cricket.
Bohannon's fabulous innings ended when he was bowled aiming an almighty slog off Roland-Jones while Jennings, having reached his fifty steadily from 106 balls in his 200th first-class game, became Seb Morgan’s maiden first-class wicket when the bowler uprooted his leg stump for 61.
The loss of two set batters did not stop the flow of runs as Matty Hurst and Michael Jones added 86 in 12 overs, Hurst hitting a 54-ball half century and Jones contributing 33 off 35 balls.
The declaration arrived after George Balderson had contributed a cameo 23 off 12 balls including consecutive sixes off Morgan while Hurst, who hit four sixes, finished unbeaten on 67 from 68 balls.
That left Middlesex facing 12 overs before tea during which de Caires became Bailey’s 500th wicket for Lancashire in all formats when lbw for 15.
Forced to bowl spin after the break as the weather closed in, Bailey then snapped up Robson with his first ball when the opener edged to Bell at short leg for 21.
There was a nice moment when Arav Shetty claimed his maiden first-class wicket when bowling Leus du Plooy for 5 but Hollman and Higgins dug in to take the game into the final hour before Bailey bowled Hollman, but Ben Geddes joined forces with Higgins to steer Middlesex to safety.
Points: Lancashire 14 points, Middlesex 9 points.
“I was really pleased with the performance,” said interim Head Coach Steven Croft.
“Obviously, we lost a lot of time and overs to the rain, but the way the lads fronted up was excellent.
“We were a bowler down (in James Anderson), obviously one of the best, and a strike bowler down, and the way we were still trying to push for a win today was excellent.
“I think we set it up really well last night, and even losing those nine overs last night, it might have helped a little bit more today.
“But I thought as well that the wicket was a really good cricket wicket. There was a little bit in it for everyone, and probably more lateral movement than we've seen, and that made that batting performance even more pleasing, really, the way we went about it.
“We were really positive. Every partnership really counted, and really, really pleased with the way the lads took it on.
“I feel like we've had two bad sessions since I've been around at that Glamorgan game, which really cost us in that game.
But other than that, I've been really pleased with what I've seen, and especially this game. There’s really encouraging signs and it's been a really good team effort.
“Hopefully that continues next week and hopefully next year.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams, Dan Adams
