Cricket is Back – Lancashire on Top at Lords
And breathe. The County Championship is back, the weather is glorious, and the Lords’ hum has returned.
With temperatures at NW8 promising to reach 20 degrees, the crowd swarmed into the Home of Cricket with spirits and voices high. The age-old pavilion proved a special sight, with benches full to the brim early in the morning session.
Having won the toss, the away skipper Keaton Jennings opted to put Middlesex into bat, coming as a slight surprise. Although tinged with green, the wicket looked to be a decent one to bat on. The early wicket of Nathan Fernandes, courtesy of Tom Bailey, seemed to validate the decision of the Lancs skipper.
Bailey continued to bowl with considerable nous, threating the duo of Sam Robson and Max Holden on a number of occasions, and was unfortunate not to claim his second wicket as Holden was dropped on 28 by Luke Wells at fine leg, misreading a violent pull shot, running eagerly in from the boundary rope and eventually tipping the ball over the boundary for the only maximum of the day.
The opening bowler’s tenacity couldn’t be matched by his partners with the new ball, as Robson, embarking on his testimonial year, combined with Holden to quash any momentum gained in the early overs, as they raced to a 122-run partnership, giving the hosts the advantage, as Robson fell moments before lunch for 70.
Holden finished with 69, leaving Middlesex in a commanding position at 178-3, whilst the South-African Leus du Plooy added a further 41 runs to the home sides tally, quietly probing away before being trapped on the pads by Tom Aspinwall.
Those are the highlights for Middlesex fans. You can turn off now.
Tom Aspinwall led Lancashire’s comeback, masterfully taking 4 wickets inside his 10 overs, and causing a painstaking collapse from the home side. 215-4 capitulated to 260 all out, as the Lancashire bowlers found rewards in bowling admirably consistent ‘line and lengths’ towards the backend of the afternoon session.
With 25 overs remaining in the day to formulate a comeback, Toby Roland-Jones’ side couldn’t find any answers to the staunch resistance of Jennings and Michael Jones, who steered the away side to stumps at 68/0, with the captain doing the bulk of the scoring, finishing unbeaten on 40.
Trailing by 192 runs, with all 10 wickets in hand, the red roses couldn’t have asked for much more on the opening day of the season, as Middlesex will be left bewildered with how the second half of the day unfolded.
Whilst disappointment for Middlesex fans has become a custom as of late, Surrey fans won’t be used to feeling deflated at stumps. Essex finished the opening day at Chelmsford on 356-4, with England hopeful, Jordan Cox, stealing the headlines with a blistering 117 runs.
Elsewhere in the County Championship, Johnny Bairstow’s first day in charge of Yorkshire proved to be difficult, as Hampshire finished the day 5 wickets down and 41 runs ahead of the visitors, having skittled them earlier in the day for just 121 runs.
Durham delivered on their promise to play an exciting style of cricket, ending the day on 370/9, against hosts Notts, whilst Somerset’s Tom Banton has put his side in a commanding position against Worcestershire, ending the day not out on 84 off just 103 balls – nourished by spectacular bowling figures of 5/36 in just 8 overs by Somerset’s Kasey Aldridge.
Tom Clark and John Simpson posted centuries to help boost Sussex to 386/5 at the close against Warwickshire, whilst Derbyshire trail Gloucestershire by 95 runs in a low-scoring affair.
Northamptonshire’s batters stumbled to 118/7 having dismissed Kent for just 231, as England opener Zak Crawley was dismissed for just 1 run, inviting a number of questions around his future in an England shirt. Glamorgan failed to post a significant total as Leicestershire trail by 164 runs, just the one wicket down, heading into Day 2.
That’s it for today. Some exhilarating cricket, some rather questionable cricket, but cricket is finally back.
