Lancashire secure comfortable County Championship win over Northants on day four
Friday 17 May 2019 19:53, UK
Lancashire needed just 16 balls on day four to complete a 10-wicket victory over Northamptonshire in the Specsavers County Championship.
Having bowled Northants out for 200 late on day three, Lancashire returned on the final morning needing just 16 to win at Old Trafford and Keaton Jennings (4no) and Haseeb Hameed (13no), who hit back-to-back boundaries to seal it, ensured they did so with minimal fuss.
Live Royal London One-Day Cup Cricket
Richard Gleeson starred for Lancashire on his home debut, taking a career-best 10-113 in the match, while Jennings and captain Dane Vilas both scored 97 in the hosts' first innings.
Lancashire have made a strong start to the season as they aim to bounce back to Division One at the first time of asking, winning each of their first two games.
Rain ruined the prospect of an exciting finish at Taunton, where Somerset (11 points) and Surrey (12 points) drew.
Only six overs were possible in the morning session - Surrey improving their overnight 152-5, a lead of 134, to 187-5. Play did not resume until 2.15pm because of a wet outfield.
Somerset then dismissed Morne Morkel (27), Will Jacks (54) and Dean Elgar (17) to leave their opponents 247-8 but further interruptions followed before stumps were drawn with the visitors on 255-8, leading by 237.
Yorkshire finally overcame a determined Kent at Canterbury, earning a 172-run win late into day four - Ben Coad impressing, taking 6-52.
The hosts began the day in deep trouble at 34-3, still some 349 runs behind, but battled for 80.5 overs before finally succumbing, bowled out for 211.
Daniel Bell-Drummond top-scored with 41, while Fred Klaassen (13 off 110 balls) and Alex Blake (22 off 87) and Harry Podmore (29 off 99) of the lower order looked to sit in and survive.
They gave themselves every chance of doing just that and earning a hard-fought draw until Coad came back to dismiss Podmore and Mitch Claydon in consecutive overs to clinch victory for Yorkshire.
Warwickshire succumbed to a heavy 314-run defeat at home to Hampshire, being bowled out for just 109 on the final day at Edgbaston.
Having been set a hugely improbable target of 424 to win, the Bears began the day 42-2 and would only last a further 32.5 overs. Fidel Edwards (3-36) was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers.
Worcestershire knocked off the 81 runs they required for victory over Durham on the final morning at New Road to move to the top of Division Two, despite the best efforts of Chris Rushworth.
The small second-innings run chase didn't prove as straightforward as anticipated, with Rushworth (5-28) running through their top order, claiming a five-for to reduce Worcestershire to 55-5.
But, Ben Cox (15no) came in and his enterprising 20-ball cameo helped see the hosts over the line.
Glamorgan and Gloucestershire played out an entertaining draw in Newport, with the home side coming close to pulling off an incredible comeback victory.
Trailing by 213 after the first innings, Glamorgan were forced to follow on, but big hundreds for Nick Selman (150) and Marnus Labuschagne (137) helped the team to 481-8 declared and set Gloucestershire a final-day target of 269.
Glamorgan then reduced the visitors to 41-4 inside the first 13 overs of their reply, but Gloucestershire were ultimately able to rally to 137-6 and hold on for the draw.
Finally, Middlesex's match with Leicestershire at Lord's too finished in a stalemate, with the visitors 226-5 in pursuit of 305 when play ended.
Leicestershire skipper Paul Horton (36 off 90) and Hasan Azad (33 off 113) first frustrated the hosts, before Colin Ackerman (70no off 88) came in and entertained the crowd.
