Sunday 7 May 2017

Sensational Croft bludgeons Lancashire to first 50-over victory


A magnificent century from Steven Croft inspired Lancashire to a 26-run win at Edgbaston in a high-scoring an highly-entertaining meeting against the defending champions Warwickshire.

The Lancashire skipper hit eight fours and as many sixes during his knock of 127 of 83 balls to steer the visitors to a competitive total of 351/8 on a fresh wicket with a short boundary.

There was support from Dane Vilas (55) and Jordan Clark (32) as Croft shared hundred-partnerships with both middle-order batsman, helping Lancashire to score 118 in the final 10 overs.

A remarkable 10-ball over from Oliver Hannon-Dalby saw Croft profit 35 runs with four maximums, with Keith Barker leaking 26 runs in another expensive set of deliveries.

Vilas kickstarted the innings alongside Croft with a 103-run stand inside 14 overs after the visitors reached 130/4 just after the halfway stage.

Croft led the comeback with a captain's knock - playing in his first One-Day Cup match of the campaign - adding a further 114 runs in less than 10 overs with Clark.

Jeetan Patel (3-48) was the pick of the Warwickshire bowlers, although all three of his wickets came in the final over of the innings.


Rikki Clarke swatted a quickfire 76 off 48, sharing a rapid stand of 126 runs in only 15 overs to help the Bears recover after losing the class and experience of Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell early on to Kyle Jarvis (2-58).

Warwickshire stumbled to 95/4 chasing 352 to win, but they ended up sliding to their fourth defeat of the season to all-but end their title defence.

Clarke and Tim Ambrose (68) gave Warwickshire hope of pulling off a remarkable run chase, but when both batsmen fell within the space of eight balls to leave the tail with too much work.

Simon Kerrigan (3-60) ripped through the middle order, bowling Matthew Lamb and Clarke, before he had Keith Barker (34) stumped to secure victory.

Warwickshire ended on 325 with nine balls remaining in their innings, with Ashley Giles tasting another defeat in the One-Day Cup in his first meeting against the Red Rose since returning to his parent club.

Lancashire desperately needed a victory after three defeats from their first three games, with two sides chasing more than 300 runs in recent weeks to beat Glen Chapple's side.

With the short boundary there was always a chance the home side could recover, with Ateeq Javid (28) providing extra depth to the batting, but when he was held by Croft off James Anderson (2-45) at  291/8, it was hard to see beyond Lancashire cruising to a comfortable win.

Monday 1 May 2017

Vikings deal damage with convincing one-day cup win


Lancashire slumped to a 79-run defeat in the Roses contest at Headingley after impressive knocks from Peter Handscomb (86) and Gary Ballance (85) left the visitors chasing 297.

The pair added 143 runs for the fourth-wicket stand to set Yorkshire up for a grandstand finish, but the Lightning bowlers fought back with a resilient bowling display, claiming six wickets for 66 in the space of 74 balls to restrict the score to 296/9.

However, the run chase never really got moving and starts from Alex Davies (43), Karl Brown (34) and Liam Livingstone (32) were not enough to prevent a second one-day cup defeat of the season for Glen Chapple's side. Adil Rashid (2-34) and Azeem Rafiq (4-47) constricted the visitors to a modest 217 all out inside 44 overs, as Lancashire failed to respond from their opening defeat at the hands of Leicestershire.

Yorkshire stood strong in dismal batting conditions after they were put into bat with their star-studded line up, including nine current or former international players. After Jonny Bairstow (28) clobbered back-to-back sixes and Adam Lyth dispatched a half volley off James Anderson into the stands, Ryan McLaren started to chip away at the top order.

The South-African seamer finished with 3-43 and until Stephen Parry's late burst of wickets, the bustling all-rounder was Lancashire's best hope of finding a breakthrough. Forcing Bairstow and Lyth  (30) to edge behind to Davies, McLaren then had England skipper Joe Root caught by compatriot Vilas at point for 21, restricting Yorkshire to 87/3 single-handedly.

Handscomb and Bairstow injected fluency and control to the innings, adding a hundred-partnership in as many deliveries to guideYorkshire towards a competitive total. Aussie Handscomb was the first to reach fifty in 57 balls, with the Melbourne Stars' batsman laying into the Lancashire bowlers as he approached three figures.


Yorkshire hit three sixes in quick succession, with Ballance starting the sequence off Anderson after he had reached a fifty of his own in 51 balls. Handscomb responded in the next over by hoisting Luke Procter over the leg-side boundary and then over the cover boundary three balls later, but he failed to convert his acceleration into a century, picking out Anderson on the mid-wicket fence for a brilliant 86 from 78 balls.

Tim Bresnan (11) and David Willey (1) both fell in quick succession after misting strokes, while Ballance also fell short of a hundred when he was judged lbw attempting a reverse-sweep to Parry (3-55). Rashid fell in the same way at the start of Parry's next over attempting a conventional sweep and a huge mix-up between Rafiq and Liam Plunkett saw the latter run out by Haseeb Hameed to become the sixth casualty for the addition of just 52 runs.

A resurgent display from Parry inspired Lancashire to a brilliant comeback at the back end of the innings, but the run chase continued to struggle with regular wickets preventing any of the visiting batsmen from opening up.

Davies hit a few out of the middle inside the powerplay, but Procter managed just 10 before he was bowled by Bresnan at the start of the sixth over. A scratchy innings from Hameed - who made 88 on his List A debut on Friday - saw the England batsman edge his first ball for four, before he nearly dragged the ball onto his stumps a few balls later.

It was Matthew Fisher (1-20) who claimed the prized wicket of Hameed (8), forcing a superb diving catch from Plunkett at wide mid-on. Davies hit six boundaries as he top-scored with 43, but he was the first of six Lancashire batsmen to fall to the potent Yorkshire spinners.

Rashid had the wicketkeeper-batsman trapped lbw at 80/3, before Livingstone attempted to alter Lancashire's fortunes with two sixes in an entertaining innings. The stand-in captain swivelled Plunkett into the stands over fine leg, before mimicking Jos Buttler with a perfectly-executed ramp shot in the seamer's next over to keep the scoreboard moving.

Karl Brown (34) was less fluent and continued to pick the fielders with signs of aggression and his frustration tolled when he was held well by Handscomb to give Rafiq the first of four victims. Livingstone fell at the end of the next over, chopping onto his own stumps for a brisk 32 from 37 deliveries, with Rashid collecting 2-34 from his allocation.

Vilas rebuilt alongside McLaren (16) in a 31-run stand, but with the run-rate starting to jump above ten runs per over, the pressure heaped on the visitors. McLaren picked out Lyth and long-off and Vilas (26) soon followed to a smart grab from Plunkett off Willey (2-53).

Clark thumped a huge six into the pavilion, followed by a straight six off Rafiq, with Tom Bailey (10)  finding Rafiq at third man after he had swatted Willey for a six over the square-leg boundary. A breezy 26 from 18 balls entertained, but Clark's task was too great and he soon picked out Handscomb on the mid-wicket fence, before Parry's top edge into the hands of Rashid brought the game to a fitting conclusion, with Rafiq picking up 4-47.

Monday 24 April 2017

Lancashire record historic comeback to stun Somerset


A miraculous turnaround saw Lancashire record their first Championship win of the season as they overcame being bowled out for 109 on the first day to beat Somerset by a hefty margin of 164 runs at Old Trafford.

Somerset collapsed to 130 all out on the final day after being set 295 runs to win, but four wickets from Ryan McLaren inspired victory for the Red Rose county after centuries from Liam Livingstone and Alex Davies brought the hosts back into contention.

Lancashire started the day with a lead of 254 runs after McLaren and Stephen Parry's overnight partnership of 44 runs ensured the home side had three more wickets in hand. The pair went on to add 77 runs for the eight wicket, before the final three Lancashire batsmen fell for seven runs.

South-African all-rounder McLaren proved instrumental towards the latter stages of the match, using the swinging conditions to his advantage to finish with figures of 4-37 and a match haul of 8-103 after scoring 45 alongside Parry (44).

In reply to Lancashire's 463 all out, Somerset capitulated, with James Hildreth top-scoring with 43 and veteran Marcus Trescothick (36) the only other significant contributor to a dismal second innings for the visitors.

Just five balls were bowled on the fourth morning before a brief rain delay saw five overs lost, with Lancashire pushing for a possible declaration to force victory. McLaren and Parry brought up their fifty partnership soon after the resumption and set about bolstering the overnight lead into a substantial target.

Parry achieved a career-best score, smothering Craig Overton for successive boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking under grey skies and floodlit conditions. McLaren reached 45 before Lewis Gregory (5-74) had the all-rounder caught by Dean Elgar at mid on, with Lancashire on 456/8.

Kyle Jarvis (0) did not last long, falling to an impressive diving catch in the covers by Jack Leach off Tim Groenewald (1-87) before Gregory proceeded to dismiss the other overnight batsman at the end of his next over, edging behind to Davies to become the third wicket to fall in the space of 13 balls.


A tantalising finish was on the cards when Somerset were asked to chase 295 runs in a minimum of 77 overs, but a rampant bowling display from McLaren, James Anderson and Jordan Clark chiefly dented any hopes of a victory for the visitors, who went on to suffer their second four-day defeat in was many attempts.

Somerset's run chase started brightly and Trescothick was given a potentially crucial life when he was  only on 6, as Davies jumped across Livingstone at first slip and failing to hold on. The visitors went to lunch on 29/0 and there was a feeling this missed opportunity could cost Lancashire, but no more runs were added after the interval before Elgar (8) was bowled by Jarvis, starting a devastating spell of bowling.

Lancashire claimed seven wickets for 78 runs in the afternoon session, with captain Tom Abell the next to depart for a 16-ball duck, edging McLaren's eighth ball of the innings behind to Davies down the leg side. 

Trescothick kicked on from his lifeline to hit seven boundaries and used his experience as a former Test opener to keep Somerset in with a chance of winning the match, but when he fell for 36 at 78/3 to a good low catch from McLaren off Anderson at second slip, there were significant doubts about the likelihood of Somerset chasing 295.

Anderson (2-30) had beaten the bat of both Somerset openers before lunch for no reward, but he bagged his second wicket when he bowled Steve Davies for 3. Crucial wickets continued to tumble after lunch, with Peter Trego (7) edging Jordan Clark (3-12) to Livingstone, before Hildreth fell for a defiant 43 when he was trapped lbw by McLaren at 103/6.

Josh Davey became the seventh casualty of the session when he too was pinned on the crease by McLaren for 2, sending Somerset to tea on 107/7 with little hope of rescuing the match. After being bowled out cheaply in their first innings, Lancashire went on to secure one of the greatest victories and certainly one of biggest comebacks in history, as Somerset's tail offered little resistance to Lancashire's bowlers.

There were still 37 overs left for Lancashire to finish the job, but it reality the home side needed only eight more overs to secure a 19-point win. Gregory (4) followed the example of Trego by edging Clark to Livingstone for a smart and instinctive catch at slip, while Leach took a swing at a rising delivery from Clark two overs later and was held at third man by Haseeb Hameed.

Fittingly, it was McLaren who wrapped things up for Lancashire with his fourth victim, bowling Groenewald for a duck to bowl Somerset out for 130 and secure an emphatic 164-run win, a margin that could hardly have been comprehended after the Red Rose were skittled for 109 on a crazy first day.

Livingstone's heroics with the bat ensured he made a winning start to his tenure as stand-in skipper on home soil, while Somerset remain rooted to the bottom of the Division One table after being beaten by Essex in their first game.

Lancashire 109 & 463: Livingstone 168, Davies 130, McLaren 45 & Gregory 5-74
Somerset 278 & 130: Hildreth 43, Trescothick 36; McLaren 4-37, Clark 3-12, Anderson 2-30 
Lancashire (19 pts) beat Somerset (5 pts) by 164 runs

Sunday 23 April 2017

Magnificent Livingstone leads from the front


A career-best 168 from Liam Livingstone has given Lancashire a chance of pulling off an unlikely victory on the final day of their Championship clash with Somerset at Old Trafford.

The stand-in skipper shared a mammoth 245-run partnership with Alex Davies, who hit his second ton of the season and his first on home soil to take the hosts to a strong position after they were dismantled for 109 in their first innings.

Livingstone later shared 86 runs with Rob Jones (35), but when both batsman fell in a mini collapse of four wickets for 25 runs either side of tea, it took a sturdy stand from Ryan McLaren (34*) and Stephen Parry (22*) to hold the innings together and steer Lancashire to close on 423/7 with a reasonable lead of 254.

The overnight pairing of Davies and Livingstone had already added 129 before the end of the second day, with Lancashire stumbling to 32/2 when they came together. By lunch they had taken their partnership 235 with both batsmen achieving centuries in a vital morning session for the Red Rose.

For Davies it was his second century of the summer and another crucial contribution after Haseeb Hameed made another single-figure score, while Livingstone's maturity from the first innings was on show once again, as he thrived with the responsibility of playing a captain's innings.

The 150-partnership helped Lancashire to overturn Somerset's first-innings lead 169 runs, as both Davies and Livingstone continued to score freely against the seamers. Davies started the day 22 runs shy of his first hundred at Old Trafford, having been dismissed for 99 in 2015 against Kent.

Although Livingstone scored marginally quicker, it was the wicketkeeper-batsman who reached three figures first in 218 balls with 13 fours. It was not long before Livingstone made his case for international selection with a brilliant hundred and his first as Lancashire captain.


Not content with sneaking a quick single, Livingstone pulled off a trademark shot on one leg, whipping the ball over the mid-wicket boundary to bring up a century in 192 balls with his second six. Lancashire went to lunch in a healthy position on 258/2, with Davies and Livingstone hoping to kick on and extend the lead further, but Somerset had other ideas as Lewis Gregory had Davies trapped lbw for 130.

With a partnership of 245 runs at an end, it was down to Jones to support Livingstone in a bid to steer Lancashire towards safety. Livingstone reached a career-best score - beating the 140 not out he made for England Lions over the winter - in sharing a strong stand of 86 with Jones, who was looking to prove himself after shouldering arms and falling without scoring in the first innings.

He hit five boundaries in a guided and calculated innings, with Livingstone reaching his 150 in 279 balls with his 18th boundary. The partnership looked as though it would last until tea, but two very important breakthroughs came before the break in one over from Craig Overton (2-87).

Jones was wrapped on the pads by the towering paceman for 35 and Dane Vilas fell in the same manner three balls later without scoring, as Lancashire lost a batch of wickets to restore balance to the match.

Livingstone will have been disappointed to fall soon after tea, becoming the third wicket to fall for just five runs, as he advanced and skied Jack Leach straight to Dean Elgar at mid-off, falling for a brilliant 168 at 360/6. McLaren and Jordan Clark adopted a watchful approach to help Lancashire rebuild after the flurry of wickets either side of tea, putting on 19 runs in just under 12 overs before a rush of blood to the head cost Clark his wicket.

The all-rounder jumped down the wicket to Leach (2-88) and was stumped for 5, leaving McLaren and Parry with the task of holding the innings together and building a stronger lead. Whether Lancashire intend to go after victory tomorrow is unclear, but with the threat of rain before lunch on the final day, an unbroken stand of 44 runs from the eighth-wicket pair represented huge relief for the home dressing room.

McLaren and Parry batted a further 18 over without ever looking to be in any real danger from Somerset, with one or two half-hearted lbw appeals from Gregory. Lancashire closed on 423/7 with a lead of 254 runs, with the possibility of rain helping the home side's prospects of saving a draw after their collapse on the opening day, while Somerset will hope the rain stays away and a final-day run chase is on the cards.

Saturday 22 April 2017

Davies and Livingstone lead Red Rose comeback



A spirited partnership between Alex Davies (78*) and Liam Livingstone (57*) boosted Lancashire's hopes of rescuing a positive result out of their match against Somerset at Old Trafford.

The pair added an unbroken stand worth 129 runs for the third wicket to see the home side to close on 152/2, trailing by 17 runs, after a frustrating morning session with the ball saw Somerset take total control.

South-African Dean Elgar carried his bat for more than six hours to finish unbeaten on 113 - outscoring Lancashire's entire first innings effort of 109 on the first day - with Jack Leach (52) registering a maiden fifty in a 96-run stand with the opening batsman.

The overnight partnership helped stretch Somerset's lead to 169 and two early second innings wickets threatened to end the game inside two days, but Davies and Livingstone stood strong to give their side a fighting chance of salvaging the match from a seemingly hopeless position.

With 18 wickets falling on the first day, Lancashire were hoping to claim the final two wickets quickly and overturn a minimal lead, but it soon became clear the pitch and overhead conditions were totally different to the first day.

By contrast only four wickets fell in the entire second day, but it took some time for the first batsman to fall as Elgar and Leach made Lancashire toil. Elgar passed 10,000 first-class runs in the early stages of the day, with Leach providing trusty company to help advance the overnight score of 153/8 into a dangerous territory.

Ryan McLaren failed to hold onto a tough chance at third slip with Elgar on 85 and the Proteas batsman made the most of his life by reaching three figures before lunch. Leach had issues with the odd short ball from Kyle Jarvis, but otherwise he made an accomplished Number 10 batsman and his free-scoring approach kicked in the closer he came to a maiden fifty.


The milestones eventually arrived in 131 deliveries and it would have been fitting to see Elgar compete his century alongside Leach, but the ball after reaching his fifty he edged a rising delivery from Jordan Clak (1-16) behind to Davies, ending a 96-run partnership with Elgar.

Tim Groenewald was happy to provide company for Elgar as he reached a ton in 205 balls with 11 fours before lunch, with the visitors on 276/9. Thankfully for Lancashire there were only two more runs to be added after the break before Jarvis (1-60) bowled Grownewald for 20, leaving Elgar unbeaten on a fine 113.

Somerset's confidence continued to increase when they snared Haseeb Hameed (7) cheaply for the second time in the match, prodding at a short delivery from Lewis Gregory (2-24) to Peter Trego at third slip. Gregory bagged his second wicket of the day soon after when he clattered Luke Procter's stumps, sending the left-hander packing for 4.

At this stage - with the score at 27/2 - there was a very real risk of Lancashire being beaten inside two days against a rampant bowling attack, but Davies led the fightback alongside his skipper Livingstone to bring the Red Rose towards parity before the close.

Davies went to his third fifty in red-ball cricket this season in 108 deliveries with his seventh boundary, finding life particularly comfortable against the left-arm spin of Leach, punching him through the covers off the back-foot on a number of occasions.

Livingstone advanced to his second half-century of the match following his 68 yesterday, adding 129 runs alongside the Lancashire wicketkeeper to give his side a fighting chance of turning the game around.

Friday 21 April 2017

Wickets tumble at Old Trafford as Somerset take control


Lancashire recovered from being bowled out for 109 against Somerset by taking eight wickets on an entertaining first day at Old Trafford. 

Captain Liam Livingstone's lone effort of 68 was the sole highlight in a frustrating batting effort for the Red Rose, but Ryan McLaren (4-46) and Luke Procter (3-36) starred with the ball to minimise the Somerset lead to 44 by the close.

Somerset's seamers made the most of friendly bowling conditions after opting to bowl first, with Lancashire falling to 1/2 inside the first four overs of the day. 

Much like Livingstone, South-African batsman Dean Elgar became the pillar of Somerset's reply, hitting an unbeaten 66 to steer the visitors to 153/8.

Craig Overton proved to be the chief destroyer for Somerset, claiming 5-47 with the assistance of Josh Davey (2-33) at the top of the innings and Tim Groenewald (3-8) to mop up the tail.

Openers Alex Davies and Haseeb Hameed both fell without scoring in the opening minutes of the match, with the Lancashire faithful subjected to a disastrous first session of the season on home soil.

Hameed's second duck in a row came after he edged Davey behind to Steven Davies, while his namesake Alex was caught by Marcus Trescothick at first slip. Procter, who was the only other batsman to reach double figures in Lancashire's innings, showed signs of leading a comeback with 24, including three boundaries.


However, he was the first of three quick wickets for the deadly Overton, as he reduced the hosts to 39/5 with lunch still 45 minutes away. Procter was lured into an edge behind to Davies, while Rob Jones survived just eight balls before he was wrapped on the pads without scoring.

Dane Vilas (4) marked Overton's third breakthrough in four overs, as he too found himself trapped on the crease with an emphatic lbw appeal. McLaren (2) departed five balls later with an edge which flew low to Elgar off Groenewald, leaving the hosts in a dire situation at 42/6.

There was a degree of support for Livingstone's defiance in the shape of Jordan Clark, who helped steer Lancashire to lunch without another setback. However, a rampant Overton returned after the interval to put a stop to his resilience, forcing an edge to skipper Tom Abell to send Clark back to the pavilion for 9.

Overton took his figures to 5-26 with the wicket of Stephen Parry at the start of his next over with a sharp caught and bowled chance, as the Lancashire spinner became the fourth batsman to fall for a duck. 

Groenewald's efficient nine-over spell - including six maidens - brought Somerset three wickets and he continued to make a dent in the tail-end by having Kyle Jarvis (1) caught at first slip by Trescothick, leaving Livingstone with little option but to throw the bat and buy as many runs as possible.

The stand-in skipper went to his first fifty of the campaign in 88 balls in some style, clobbering a huge six into the pavilion, taking Lancashire into three figures with a hard-fought vigil containing 11 boundaries. He was, however, the final man to fall, with Jack Leach holding onto the catch at deep mid-wicket and bring Lancashire's innings to an end. 

Somerset's openers started in stark contrast to Hameed and Davies, with Elgar and Trescothick reaching 42 before the first scalp arrived for Lancashire. McLaren's first victim was the veteran and former England opener Trescothick, who edged behind to Davies for 20, while Somerset's young skipper Abell (1) fell soon after when he was judged lbw to McLaren.


Procter backed up his sturdy effort with the bat by removing the potentially dangerous James Hildreth with the final ball before tea, as he was bowled for 21 with Somerset on 63/3. James Anderson will have been frustrated with his lack of wickets before the break given the friendly conditions for his seam talents, but he struck the first blow after tea by accounting for Steve Davies (1), extracting an edge through to Alex Davies.

Elgar carried his bat until the close, reaching an invaluable fifty in 111 deliveries, but wickets continued to fall at the other end after a frustrating 52-run stand with Peter Trego. Somerset lost four more men for 36 runs before the end of an incredible opening day, with Trego (19) also trapped lbw by McLaren.

Procter chipped in with three important wickets and two scalps in back-to-back deliveries to get Lewis Gregory (9) and Davey (0). Overton (8) followed his teammates with a contentious lbw decision at 145/8, before Elgar and Leach steered Somerset to close with a handy lead of 44 runs.

Monday 17 April 2017

Sangakkara and Borthwick thrive to deny Lancs victory


A masterclass from Kumar Sangakkara (136) and a maiden century in Surrey colours for Scott Borthwick (108*) prevented Lancashire from claiming an improbable victory on the final day at The Oval.

The Sri-Lankan veteran made his 57th first-class hundred and shared a mammoth partnership worth 256 runs for the third wicket, batting for 65 overs to help Surrey recover after they had been made to follow-on.

Lancashire needed nine wickets to push a victory, but the Red Rose were made to settle for a draw after managing to claim two scalps on the fourth day. The players shook hands at 4.50 with Surrey on 323/3 in their second innings, a positive result for both sides after Lancashire fell to 67/5 on the first morning, before making Surrey bat again after they were dismissed for 319.

The final day started brightly for the visitors against the former Durham pairing of Borthwick and Mark Stoneman. The overnight duo looked to settle in against the left-arm spin of Stephen Parry but a lapse in concentration saw Stoneman stumped for 27 after being deceived by the flight of the delivery.

Despite making a positive start and finding an early breakthrough, it was not long before reality settled in for Lancashire's bowlers against the resilience and expertise of Sangakkara, who found able company in the sometimes unconventional, but highly effective Borthwick.


Both left-handers went to lunch on the verge of half-centuries after adding nearly 90 runs in the hour and a half before the interval. It was Borthwick who went to fifty first in 129 balls, bringing up the hundred-partnership in 159 deliveries not long after.

Sangakkara's general disdain and air of confidence against the spinner had been lacking on the third afternoon as Parry and Simon Kerrigan were allowed to dominate the middle order in Surrey's first innings, but he made Lancashire pay for the majority of the final day, reaching the 85th fifty of his first-class career.

Much like Shivnarine Chanderpaul before him, Sangakkara proved age was merely a number, as he continued to charge the spinners and drive Kyle Jarvis and Ryan McLaren through the covers with ease. Sangakkara began to take charge of the partnership, while Borthwick favoured powerful sweep shots against the spinners on his way to a maiden ton for his adopted club.

It was the 39-year-old he reached three figures first, once again charging the spinner for his eleventh boundary, completing a 154-ball century. The pair entered tea with a healthy partnership on 189, with the match drifting towards a draw, but for the Surrey duo there was still something to be excited about heading into the final session of the match.

While Borthwick was on the verge of his first hundred for Surrey, the duo were hoping to record the highest third-wicket stand against Lancashire and if they had done so they would have toppled a 130-year-old record worth 305 runs.

One of the milestones the pair were hoping to realise came soon after play resumed, as Borthwick reached a 233-ball ton in his second appearance for the club. Kerrigan looked shocked when he bowled Sangakkara for 136, ending the 256-run partnership with Borthwick and all-but signalling the end of the contest.

There was just enough time for Haseeb Hameed to turn his arm from the Pavilion End of the ground, before the players shook hands on a draw.

Lancashire 470: Chanderpaul 182, Clark 140; Footitt 5-118
Surrey 319 & 323-3 dec (follow-on): Sangakkara 136, Borthwick 108 not out
Match Drawn. Lancashire 13 pts, Surrey 9 pts