MATCH REPORT: Jennings half century as bowlers dominate on eventful opening day
Today's report brought to you by C&C Insurance
A day where the ball dominated throughout ended with Middlesex 38-2 in reply to Lancashire’s first innings 201 all out with James Anderson taking his 25th and 26th wickets of the season after a Keaton Jennings half century had earlier kept the Lancashire innings afloat.
It was an enthralling opening day in this Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Emirates Old Trafford where the visitors seam attack exploited the helpful conditions skilfully after captain Leus du Plooy called correctly at the toss.
The main Lancashire resistance came from Jennings who made a battling 67 during partnerships of 56 with Josh Bohannon and 41 with Michael Jones, while Chris Green was last out for 35 in his first game back at Lancashire.
George Balderson was the first wicket to fall, lbw to Ryan Higgins for 8, but Jennings and Bohannon fought back with their dogged second wicket stand in the face of some fine bowling from the Middlesex quartet who beat the bat with regularity.
Jennings hit a defiant six when Toby Roland-Jones dropped short, pulling the ball high over the man stationed at fine leg, but it was one of only a few highlights for the hosts as Middlesex kept up the pressure.
Their persistence paid off in the run up to lunch when Bohannon edged the first ball of Higgins second spell to wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell for 15.
Marcus Harris (5) then fell to a nice bit of bowling by Roland-Jones, who held his delivery back a touch and got Harris driving on the up to mid-on where Naavya Sharma took a nicely judged catch to his right.
That left Lancashire on 78-3 at the break, with Jennings soon reaching his fifty from 107 balls but witnessing further wickets falling at the other end.
Jones was bowled for 27 by a Morgan delivery that was nicely angled in to the right-hander before it straightened to hit off stump, while Matty Hurst edged a forward defensive push off Sharma that flew to Higgins at fourth slip.
Jennings excellent vigil was ended by an edge behind off Roland-Jones and Tom Hartley soon fell the same way off Higgins for 3.
Tea was taken when bad light stopped play at 4pm with Lancashire 172-7 and although Green helped shepherd the lower order over the two hundred mark, the excellent Morgan cleaned up to finish with 3-41.
That left 26 overs for Middlesex to bat, and they were quickly in trouble with Anderson having Sam Robson caught at the third attempt by Jones at first slip for 6 before ripping out the middle stump of Max Holden for 5.
That presented a great opportunity for Lancashire, but bad light then ended play at 5.51pm with 17 overs left.
Will Porterfield, Assistant Coach said:
“There's obviously a bit going on in the pitch and I thought it was a pretty good cricket wicket.
“Until the old adage that both teams have batted on it, we'll (wait) see how the game pans out.
“I think they bowled pretty well, and the lads grafted hard out there and probably ended up being around a par total for the first innings and to pick up a couple tonight was great.
“It would have been lovely if we'd managed to get a third but that's probably getting a little bit greedy.
“Keats stuck at it from the off. I'm not sure how many balls he faced but to get 60-odd in the manner he did was great.
“It's probably a pitch, especially today, he wouldn't have necessarily ever felt in on or ever be fluent but he thrived on it. He played a great knock.
“I think the experience of the likes of Keats has, and the experience we have in the order, you make that assessment pretty quickly when you're out there.
“You know from fairly early on that it's going to be hard work because you've got a new ball with a little bit of grass on the pitch in England against the Dukes. It's going to be tricky work so the lads assessed that pretty quickly and Keats stuck to his method very well.
“You'll see different lads with different methods, I think, throughout the game and how some will come a bit harder than others, but Keats trusted his defence and trusted his method and that paid him back today.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
