MATCH REPORT: Northamptonshire seal 316-run victory
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Northamptonshire bowled Lancashire out for 129 to clinch a comprehensive 316-run victory early in the afternoon on the final day to keep their Rothesay County Championship Division two promotion hopes firmly in sight.
This was only the visitors fifth-ever win at Emirates Old Trafford in first-class cricket while the loss is Lancashire’s second heaviest Championship defeat in terms of runs.
Northamptonshire take 20 points from the match, and Lancashire 3.
Resuming the Lancashire second innings on 24-2, Josh Bohannon and nightwatch Tom Bailey held up Northamptonshire’s push for victory for 45 minutes before Bailey had his off stump removed by Liam Guthrie after keeping the visitors at bay for a total of 62 minutes in making 19.
Bohannon followed moments later for 10 after getting a terrific delivery from Luke Procter that pitched middle stump and straightened to hit off stump, while Arav Shetty was lbw to Ben Sanderson for 11 with a ball that looked to keep a touch low.
After making 11, Rocky Flintoff pulled a short ball from Procter into the leg side trap, caught by Saif Zaib stationed at deep square leg, but the most bizarre dismissal was that of Joe Moores (2), out for obstructing the field after using his hand to stop the ball he had just played going onto the stumps.
George Balderson fell to a bat/pad catch off Calvin Harrison for 6 with Lancashire 106-8 at lunch and they lost Noman Ali for 3 early in the afternoon before being briefly held up by the last pair of Ben Walkden, who top-scored with an unbeaten 22, and Mitch Stanley until the latter was bowled for 10 by Calvin Harrison at 2.30pm.
“It's pretty obvious we were out-skilled in probably every facet of the game,” said Josh Bohannon
Obviously, it’s frustrating, it stings, probably stings for a few days now.
“It's incredibly frustrating, we're chatting all the time (in the dressing room). It feels like we're having good chats, it feels like the work that the boys are putting in, in practice with the coaches is really valuable. It feels like we're making forward strides with that. Just ultimately, for whatever reason, it's not quite translating out into the middle yet.
“Everyone knows that confidence comes from winning and performing. That's pretty obvious. It's really hard because as a club, we're trying to develop younger players who we think are incredibly talented and got a really bright future, not only with us as a club, but just in the game of cricket in general.
“And ultimately, we want people to buy into what we're about as a club and as a team and the standards that we set.
“We're not going to point individuals out and say, we need to be better in this department or whatever. For me, it takes a real group collective for people, not just senior players, young players as well. But ultimately, that's led by senior players and putting performances in and showing that in experience.
“The standards that we set as a first-class county, that's what we're about.
“We're obviously in a difficult position at the minute, but everyone knows, through good performances, winning, that culture, the chats that you have around the dressing room change really quickly.
“And whether that success comes from the back end of the season, and who knows where we're going to end up, it can sort of fast forward to the start of next season.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
