Second XI: Barnard takes 5 wickets as Lancashire on top
Lancashire Cricket’s Second XI are in a strong position after Day Two of their four day friendly against Yorkshire at Weetwood Sports Ground in Leeds.
The Red Rose were bowled out for 352 at the end of the opening day, and, with Yorkshire set to resume on 8-0, were looking to take quick wickets in the morning session.
After a delayed start due to rain, Lancashire finally got onto the park and wasted no time going on the attack. Fast bowling trio Ollie Sutton, Jack Blatherwick and Ben Whitehouse started superbly and had the hosts four down just 14.3 overs into the day.
Sutton (3-32) struck first, dismissing Will Bennison, with Whitehouse taking the catch on the boundary. Owen Smith fell in the very next over, after Blatherwick (1-40) snuck one past his defences, and knocked his off stump out of the ground.
Just 11 balls later, Sutton had his second wicket of the innings, as he bowled Yorkshire captain Fin Bean. The opener looked to leave one alone, but it nipped back in and sent his off-stump cartwheeling, the same fate which befell Smith the over before.
Whitehouse (1-13) soon got in on the act, trapping Joe Thompson LBW, to leave the White Rose reeling on 47-4 before they had even reached the 20 over mark.
However, Yorkshire fought hard to get themselves back in the game, and a century partnership between Peter Greenfield and Joe Hayes (61) followed.
They put on 103 for the fifth wicket, batting into the afternoon session as they looked to repair the Yorkshire innings. It was Sutton who broke the partnership in the 54th over of the innings, bowling Hayes and once again dislodging the off stump.
That wicket fell with 150 runs on the board, and despite the best efforts of Greenfield, who finished not out on 102, Yorkshire struggled to muster many more runs.
It was the left-arm spin of Charlie Barnard who caused their lower order and tail big problems. He took the final five wickets to finish with excellent figures of 5-37 from 10 overs.
First, Barnard had Bradley Sylvester caught behind by Freddie Vaughan-Hawkins, before trapping Leo Wilson LBW in his very next over.
Jay Singh was the next wicket to fall, superbly caught by Harry Singh low to his right at first slip. Trialist Zak Tribe took the catch of Charlie Richardson at second slip moments, with Barnard wrapping up the innings, and his five-wicket haul, off the final ball of the 65th over, bowling Rizwan Ishfaq.
Yorkshire were bowled out for 212, giving the Red Rose a commanding 140-run lead with a little over a session to bat.
Despite losing Rian Maisuria in the 5th over, Singh (20) and Kesh Fonseka began to build on Lancs’ lead. The score had almost reached 50 before Singh was bowled by Bennison, which brought Vaughan-Hawkins to the middle.
The young wicketkeeper took the game to the Yorkshire attack, striking four boundaries and a six on his way to 31 from 36 balls. He reached 50 partnership with Fonseka, but fell to the bowling of Wilson, caught by Bennison at slip.
Opener Fonseka, unbeaten on 38 at the close, and Tribe, who is 4 not out overnight, saw Lancashire through to stumps 107-3. They will be looking to build on a lead of 247 on Day Three, with the Red Rose in a strong position.
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