MATCH REPORT: Level pegging between Lancashire and Worcestershire at Southport
Today's report brought to you by C&C Insurance
Paul Coughlin hit the fastest-ever first-class fifty at Southport as Lancashire finished the third day on 281-8, just 11 runs ahead of Worcestershire with one day remaining.
A 73-run partnership between Keaton Jennings and Harry Singh had formed the backbone of the Lancashire first innings response to Worcestershire’s 270 on day three of this Rothesay County Championship match at Trafalgar Road.
Jennings made a determined 69 and Singh contributed his best first-class score of 36, before Coughlin smashed the record for the fastest half century on this ground off 46 balls set by Mark Butcher for Surrey in 1996, taking 36 balls to reach the landmark, hitting 4 sixes and 4 fours in a sensational finale to the day.
Coughlin added a fifth maximum before falling lbw to Tom Taylor off the last ball of the day for 61 off only 44 balls after adding 62 for the eighth wicket with Tom Hartley (22 not out).
With a day lost to rain the draw still appears to be the more likely outcome unless one of these teams can conjure up something special tomorrow.
After Lancashire resumed the day on 28-0, George Balderson fell early in the morning, edging behind off Beyers Swanepoel for 19 and Worcestershire could soon celebrate a further success.
Batsman on both sides have been troubled by the occasional delivery bouncing more than expected from the Harrod Drive end and one of these then did for Josh Bohannon who edged Matthew Waite to Adam Hose at first slip for 12.
In the face of some tight, accurate bowling Jennings and Singh dug in to prevent any further damage being done to the Lancashire innings before lunch, Singh playing some nice drives in passing his previous first-class best of 31.
Jennings showed great determination to steadily advance the innings through the morning session, his half century taking 127 balls and including just four boundaries with Lancashire 125-2 at the break.
Their excellent partnership ended at 73 when Singh, playing in his sixth Championship match in place of the ill absentee Marcus Harris, bottom edged a slower ball from Swanepoel onto his stumps after making a promising career-best 36. Michael Jones then did the same after making 4, caught in two minds about playing a shot to Matthew Waite, but withdrawing his bat too late and getting a bottom edge onto his stumps.
Jennings’ near four-hour vigil ended when he was caught at backward point for 69 after miscuing a cut at George Drissell to give the on-loan spinner his first wicket of the season, leaving Lancashire on 164-5 and still some distance away from Worcestershire first innings score.
And the Red Rose side suffered further losses when Chris Green (15) and Matty Hurst (24) both edged behind, Green attempting to drive Swanepoel (3-81) and Hurst nicking Drissell to Gareth Roderick.
An attacking cameo from Coughlin transformed the day either side of tea. The all-rounder went for his shots from the start, twice hitting Adam Finch over square leg onto railway lines in making 28 off 20 balls with Lancashire 231-7 and trailing by 39 runs at the interval.
Worcestershire took the new ball after the resumption, but Coughlin continued to hit out, ably assisted by some fine drives from Hartley, the pair taking 17 runs from the 82nd over from Swanepoel.
Coughlin sliced Swanepoel over extra cover for six and drove Taylor over long-on into one of the back gardens on Harrod Drive to race to 49 off 34 balls before rain halted what had been an entertaining twenty minutes’ play if you supported Lancashire.
After a 90-minute delay, play resumed at 6.25pm with four overs left, allowing Coughlin to set his record and then smash another six, his 5th, onto the railway lines before falling to the final delivery of the day.
“It’s always good fun when you can score quickly," said record-breaker Paul Coughlin.
“I think this ground gives you that opportunity with its short boundary and the ball seemed to run away quite nicely.
“It was nice to out there and help put us in a good position leading into tomorrow.
Regarding the huge six he hit that landed in a Harrod Drive back garden, Coughlin admitted: "I was aiming to hit it onto the train track!"
Regarding the prospects for the final day tomorrow he added:
“With the time out of the game it’s a bit frustrating because we’re in a pretty decent position.
“Coming in to tomorrow, first and foremost we’ll try to get to 300 for that batting point. From there we just keep reassessing, are we scoring fast enough. Are these valuable runs or would we prefer the time to be trying to take their wickets while they’re still behind.
“There’s a few different ways we can go about it.
“The ground is playing well and it would have been a great four day fixture.
“There’s still a lot of time left in the game, so we’re still pretty positive we can come out of this with a win.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
