SECOND XI: Bell stars with the bat as Lancashire almost pull off superb win
Lancashire Cricket’s Second XI almost pulled off an incredible innings victory on the second and final day of their two-day friendly with Essex at Billericay CC.
Lancs piled on the runs for the first half of the day to build a commanding lead before declaring. They got close to bowling the home side out but could not quite get over the line.
The Red Rose resumed Day Two 70 runs behind, with George Bell and Harry Singh at the crease, having just crossed 50 partnership.
They continued to score at a good rate, bringing up the century partnership before Singh reached his half-century not long after.
Bell batted with intent in the morning session, moving the score along with five boundaries and a six. It wasn’t long before he reached a superb hundred, clipping the ball off his hip and running two, bringing up three figures in just 137 balls.
The partnership continued to build before lunch. The pair raced to 200 for the third wicket off just 265 balls, with opening batter Bell reaching his 150 before the session was over, having hit 99 runs in that session.
Singh, so close to his century, fell agonisingly short early in the afternoon session. He was bowled by Mitch Killeen for 98, ending his mammoth 236 run partnership with Bell, and a wonderful knock from the Lancs number four.
Yet, Bell continued to be a thorn in Essex’s side. He found the fence a further five times after reaching 150 and was closing in on a phenomenal double hundred.
Just 10 runs shy of that milestone, though, the centurion was dismissed. He edged behind off the bowling of Sam Bear, out for a superb 190 from 226 balls.
The Red Rose did not declare yet, though. A rapid unbeaten 46-run partnership between Matty Hurst (24 not out) and Arav Shetty (25 not out) helped further increase Lancs’ lead. All-rounder Shetty scored his runs from just 10 balls, with four boundaries and a six.
Lancs declared with half of the day to go and were on the hunt for a superb two-day win. Things started perfectly, with Ali Zeb, who hit 85 in the first innings, chipping the ball back to Ben Walkden (2-13) who took a simple catch off his own bowling.
Spin came into the equation early, with Charlie Barnard trapping Areeb Rashid LBW, before quick bowler Charlie Parkinson (2-10) got in on the act, taking a couple of quick wickets.
Lancashire capitalised on these early wickets and surely sensed a real shot at victory. Barnard, who finished with figures of 3-45, trapped two more players LBW, and Shetty (1-25) backed up his runs with a wicket of his own.
Essex were on the ropes at 50-7 but managed to fightback well. A 51-run partnership between Aum Patel (31) and Naivedyam Dwivedi (28) helped rescue things for the hosts.
That partnership was broken by Walkden, who bowled Dwivedi after he tried to hit out over the leg side. Singh (1-17) dismissed Patel an over later, breaching his defences and bowling the Essex number six.
With one wicket left to get, Lancs couldn’t quite get over the line. Numbers 10 and 11, Xander Silverwood (2 not out) and Daniel Gladwell (18 not out) faced 18 balls and 24 balls respectively to hold out for a draw and deny Lancs a sensational victory.
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