Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "stanley-park"
Run Fest at Stanley Park
Northamptonshire 370-4 Lancashire 372-6
The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.
After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.
Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.
Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.
Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.
Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.
George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.
Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.
It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.
The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.
After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.
Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.
Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.
Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.
Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.
George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.
Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.
It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.
Essex return for a 10th visit to Stanley Park
Essex first visited Blackpool’s Stanley Park for a County Championship match in 1924 and have returned on eight occasions since. Lancashire won that first meeting and have won twice more since then so the results to date show Lancashire with three wins, Essex with two wins and four games drawn.
That first visit in 1924 was just one year before the ground was named Stanley Park and in a low scoring, but close, contest, Lancashire came out on top by 35 runs. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Lancashire lost cheap wickets early but Harry Makepeace, opening the innings, held firm and made 100 out of the final total of 209 with Alfred Pewtress’ 35 being the next best effort. Claude Ashton and Johnny Douglas both took four wickets for Essex for 26 and 59 runs respectively.
In reply Essex made 180, mainly thanks in no small part to a 10th wicket partnership of 55 runs by skipper and top scorer Frank Gilligan, 33, and Laurie Eastman, 29 not out. Cecil Parkin and Dick Tyldesley both took four wickets with the former’s costing 80 runs and the latter’s 45 runs.
Charlie Hallows made 50 in Lancashire’s second knock that equalled the Essex effort of 180, Joe Hipkin, with his with slow left arm deliveries, taking 4-26. Needing 210 for victory, Jack O’Connor, 50, and Douglas, 45 not out, made every effort to take them to victory but Parkin prevailed and his 6-62, giving him match figures of 10-142, as Essex were dismissed for 174. It was Parkin’s second 10-wicket or more haul at the ground having taken 15-95 against Glamorgan the previous year.
It was a celebratory event when Essex returned in 1925 because it marked the opening of the new pavilion that had cost £4,500 to build and which was, along with the ground, to be the gift of Sir Lindsay Parkinson to the Blackpool club. Sir Edwin Stockton, Lancashire’s president, did the honours after which Percy Perrin won the toss, Essex batted after a rain delay and were dispatched for just 98 to which Jack Russell contributed exactly half, finishing 49 not out. All four Lancashire bowlers took wickets with Frank Watson the pick of the bunch with 4-26.
The inclement weather hung about for the three days and took chunks of play away so that only three innings got underway. Lancashire lost two wickets for three runs as Hallows and Don Davies both failed to score [the latter was one of the journalists to lose his life at the Manchester United 1958 Munich air disaster] but 58 not out from skipper Jack Sharp enabled him to declare at 203-7 with Eastman taking 4-45. But rain prevailed and Essex meandered to 184-7 from 110 overs as the match petered out to a draw.
Essex returned again in August 1930 with Lancashire on their way to their sixth County Championship title and their fourth in the previous five years. After Peter Eckersley won the toss, Lancashire batted and on the back of 72 by Watson and a career-best 54 by number nine Frank Booth totalled 308 all out with Ken Farnes taking 4-51 from 29 testing overs.
The Essex reply owed much to opener Dudley Pope, 45, and number 10 Peter Smith, 49, as they fell 109 runs behind Lancashire with 199 all out with Dick Tyldesley taking 5-54. Second time around only Eddie Paynter [who played a couple of games for Blackpool in the early 1920s before returning home due to ‘home sickness’] with 63 made much headway against Smith’s leg breaks and googlies that earned him 5-28 and reduced Lancashire to 176 all out.
Needing 285 for victory, Essex fell well short but without Jimmy Cutmore, who scored 69.37% of their total, they would have lost by more than the 174-run deficit that they finished with. Cutmore with 77 was the only double figure scorer of the innings as the other 10 batsmen managed only 30 runs between them so that Essex were dismissed for 111. Ted McDonald was the most successful of the Lancashire bowlers with 4-26.
It was 1948 before Essex appeared in Blackpool once more and again rain interfered badly with play so much that only two innings were completed. In what play was possible, batsmen reigned supreme and it all began with Dickie Dodds scoring 51 out of an Essex opening partnership of 76. Thereafter his partner Sonny Avery was run out for 146 made in 315 minutes and with Tom Pearce making 137 and Trevor Bailey 60 not out, Essex were able to declare at 478-7 on the second day. Avery and Pearce put on a visiting club ground record 147 for the fifth wicket while Pearce and Bailey added a championship ground record 111 for the sixth wicket [the Indian tourists put on 113 in 1959.]
Lancashire replied with 494 all out with Winston Place making 176, Jack Ikin 99 and captain Ken Cranston 74 and a much delayed drawn game was dominated by the batsmen with Lancashire’s Dick Pollard, 3-145, Essex’s Ray Smith, 3-135, and Peter Smith’s 3-152, all conceding over 100 runs and Bailey and Cranston both conceding 87.
Ten years later in 1958 Essex were back at the seaside and even though it was towards the end of the holiday season in early September there was a good sized crowd there to see the action. On a Stanley Park wicket that in those days nearly always favoured the batsmen, Essex chose to bat and made 271 all out from 76.3 overs. Charles Williams top scored with 86 and there were 40s from Dodds, 45 and passing 1,000 runs for the season in the process, Gordon Barker, 48, and Doug Insole, 48, while Brian Statham took 4-53 and Malcolm Hilton 4-65.
Lancashire took a very modest first innings lead with 279-8 before declaring, with the bulk of the runs coming from their numbers two, three and four batsmen, Alan Wharton, 80, Geoff Pullar, 71, and Peter Marner, 67. The Essex bowlers, Bailey, 3-84, Alan Hurd, also 3-84, and Ken Preston, 2-74, shared the wickets as they bowled 58.3 of the 62.3 overs bowled.
Hilton 5-78, and Statham 3-15 reduced Essex to 157 all out second time around with only Barker, 41, and Michael Bear, 30 not out, making much impression. So with Lancashire requiring only 150 runs for victory, it looked odds on a red rose victory. But it was not to be because, despite 55 from skipper Cyril Washbrook no other batsman reached 20 and with Hurd, 6-60, and Bailey, 4-15, sharing the wickets Lancashire, in their 35th game at the ground, went down to only their second ever defeat at Stanley Park by 26 runs [Northamptonshire had been the first visiting team to taste success in 1957.]
Essex were back in 1960 and with skipper Doug Insole winning the toss, his side batted and it was Insole himself who, with the help of a certain ‘Barnacle’ Bailey led the way to a first day total of 334-9 from 120 overs. Insole made 105 and with Bailey, 82, put on 199 runs for the fourth wicket and this is still a ground record for that wicket for a visiting side. Ken Higgs was the most successful bowler with 6-60, including a late in the day hat-trick when he dismissed Micky Bear, Roy Ralph and Bertie Clarke and, being there, I can confirm that it was a relief after the lengthy Insole/Bailey stand.
Essex declared overnight and Lancashire took all the second day, 119 overs, to make 368-6 with Bob Barber making 97, Geoff Pullar 82, and Ken Grieves 52. It therefore all boiled down to a one-innings game on the last day. And after Essex had used 50.1 overs to make 228-7 declared, Lancashire went for the runs early on but once wickets began to fall, they shut up shop and the two Jacks, Bond, 33, and Dyson, five and batting down the order, held on at 157-8 from 43 overs.
It was a quick return to Stanley Park for Essex as they were back in 1961 when rain ruined the second day of the game but, after two early declarations, turned out fine again for Essex to snatch victory on the final day. Geoff Smith made 74 from the Essex first innings total of 252-8 declared and there was just time for Lancashire to reach 15 without loss before the close. They were only able to add 38 runs on the rain ruined second day and declared at 53-0 in order to try to force a result.
And a result there was but unfortunately it went in Essex’s favour. After they had declared at 59-2, Lancashire were set 259 for victory but the damp conditions suited Bill Greensmith’s leg break and googly bowling and he finished with an excellent 7-46 as only Roy Collins with 41 could make much headway as Lancashire were dismissed for 176 to lose by 82 runs.
Essex returned in 1963 and after Grieves won the toss, his side made a modest 187 all out with Bob Bennett, the future Lancashire chairman, top scoring with 44 as Preston took 5-54 for Essex. Resuming on their overnight 69-2, Essex went on to make 239 on the second day with Barker making 118 and Lancashire’s leg spinner Tommy Greenhough taking 6-60. Lancashire, 133-3, then took an 81-run lead by the close of the second day and went on to declare at 256-9 with Marner making 63 and Barry Knight taking 4-61. Requiring 205 for victory, Essex closed on 157-3, Barker once again in the runs, this time with 54 not out, and the match was drawn.
It was 17 years before Essex next appeared at Stanley Park and with the first day of the game washed out, without something spectacular happening there was never much chance of a positive result. And so it proved as Lancashire made 244 all out with skipper Frank Hayes making 41 and welcome runs from down the order from David Hughes, 32, and Paul Allott, 30 not out, as David Acfield wheeled away for 31.2 overs to take 4-72. And with 46 from Ken McEwan and 45 from Mike Denness, the latter in his final first-class match, Essex almost reached parity at 226 all out with Hughes taking 5-40. There was sufficient time remaining for Lancashire to score 152-3 with Andrew Kennedy making 92, before stumps and the match were drawn.
So Essex make their 10th visit to Stanley Park for next Monday’s LV= County Championship Division One game, which sees sixth-placed Lancashire, 87 points, take on second-placed Essex, 106 points. It should prove to be a fascinating contest and, weather permitting, good crowds are expected for all four days.
That first visit in 1924 was just one year before the ground was named Stanley Park and in a low scoring, but close, contest, Lancashire came out on top by 35 runs. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Lancashire lost cheap wickets early but Harry Makepeace, opening the innings, held firm and made 100 out of the final total of 209 with Alfred Pewtress’ 35 being the next best effort. Claude Ashton and Johnny Douglas both took four wickets for Essex for 26 and 59 runs respectively.
In reply Essex made 180, mainly thanks in no small part to a 10th wicket partnership of 55 runs by skipper and top scorer Frank Gilligan, 33, and Laurie Eastman, 29 not out. Cecil Parkin and Dick Tyldesley both took four wickets with the former’s costing 80 runs and the latter’s 45 runs.
Charlie Hallows made 50 in Lancashire’s second knock that equalled the Essex effort of 180, Joe Hipkin, with his with slow left arm deliveries, taking 4-26. Needing 210 for victory, Jack O’Connor, 50, and Douglas, 45 not out, made every effort to take them to victory but Parkin prevailed and his 6-62, giving him match figures of 10-142, as Essex were dismissed for 174. It was Parkin’s second 10-wicket or more haul at the ground having taken 15-95 against Glamorgan the previous year.
It was a celebratory event when Essex returned in 1925 because it marked the opening of the new pavilion that had cost £4,500 to build and which was, along with the ground, to be the gift of Sir Lindsay Parkinson to the Blackpool club. Sir Edwin Stockton, Lancashire’s president, did the honours after which Percy Perrin won the toss, Essex batted after a rain delay and were dispatched for just 98 to which Jack Russell contributed exactly half, finishing 49 not out. All four Lancashire bowlers took wickets with Frank Watson the pick of the bunch with 4-26.
The inclement weather hung about for the three days and took chunks of play away so that only three innings got underway. Lancashire lost two wickets for three runs as Hallows and Don Davies both failed to score [the latter was one of the journalists to lose his life at the Manchester United 1958 Munich air disaster] but 58 not out from skipper Jack Sharp enabled him to declare at 203-7 with Eastman taking 4-45. But rain prevailed and Essex meandered to 184-7 from 110 overs as the match petered out to a draw.
Essex returned again in August 1930 with Lancashire on their way to their sixth County Championship title and their fourth in the previous five years. After Peter Eckersley won the toss, Lancashire batted and on the back of 72 by Watson and a career-best 54 by number nine Frank Booth totalled 308 all out with Ken Farnes taking 4-51 from 29 testing overs.
The Essex reply owed much to opener Dudley Pope, 45, and number 10 Peter Smith, 49, as they fell 109 runs behind Lancashire with 199 all out with Dick Tyldesley taking 5-54. Second time around only Eddie Paynter [who played a couple of games for Blackpool in the early 1920s before returning home due to ‘home sickness’] with 63 made much headway against Smith’s leg breaks and googlies that earned him 5-28 and reduced Lancashire to 176 all out.
Needing 285 for victory, Essex fell well short but without Jimmy Cutmore, who scored 69.37% of their total, they would have lost by more than the 174-run deficit that they finished with. Cutmore with 77 was the only double figure scorer of the innings as the other 10 batsmen managed only 30 runs between them so that Essex were dismissed for 111. Ted McDonald was the most successful of the Lancashire bowlers with 4-26.
It was 1948 before Essex appeared in Blackpool once more and again rain interfered badly with play so much that only two innings were completed. In what play was possible, batsmen reigned supreme and it all began with Dickie Dodds scoring 51 out of an Essex opening partnership of 76. Thereafter his partner Sonny Avery was run out for 146 made in 315 minutes and with Tom Pearce making 137 and Trevor Bailey 60 not out, Essex were able to declare at 478-7 on the second day. Avery and Pearce put on a visiting club ground record 147 for the fifth wicket while Pearce and Bailey added a championship ground record 111 for the sixth wicket [the Indian tourists put on 113 in 1959.]
Lancashire replied with 494 all out with Winston Place making 176, Jack Ikin 99 and captain Ken Cranston 74 and a much delayed drawn game was dominated by the batsmen with Lancashire’s Dick Pollard, 3-145, Essex’s Ray Smith, 3-135, and Peter Smith’s 3-152, all conceding over 100 runs and Bailey and Cranston both conceding 87.
Ten years later in 1958 Essex were back at the seaside and even though it was towards the end of the holiday season in early September there was a good sized crowd there to see the action. On a Stanley Park wicket that in those days nearly always favoured the batsmen, Essex chose to bat and made 271 all out from 76.3 overs. Charles Williams top scored with 86 and there were 40s from Dodds, 45 and passing 1,000 runs for the season in the process, Gordon Barker, 48, and Doug Insole, 48, while Brian Statham took 4-53 and Malcolm Hilton 4-65.
Lancashire took a very modest first innings lead with 279-8 before declaring, with the bulk of the runs coming from their numbers two, three and four batsmen, Alan Wharton, 80, Geoff Pullar, 71, and Peter Marner, 67. The Essex bowlers, Bailey, 3-84, Alan Hurd, also 3-84, and Ken Preston, 2-74, shared the wickets as they bowled 58.3 of the 62.3 overs bowled.
Hilton 5-78, and Statham 3-15 reduced Essex to 157 all out second time around with only Barker, 41, and Michael Bear, 30 not out, making much impression. So with Lancashire requiring only 150 runs for victory, it looked odds on a red rose victory. But it was not to be because, despite 55 from skipper Cyril Washbrook no other batsman reached 20 and with Hurd, 6-60, and Bailey, 4-15, sharing the wickets Lancashire, in their 35th game at the ground, went down to only their second ever defeat at Stanley Park by 26 runs [Northamptonshire had been the first visiting team to taste success in 1957.]
Essex were back in 1960 and with skipper Doug Insole winning the toss, his side batted and it was Insole himself who, with the help of a certain ‘Barnacle’ Bailey led the way to a first day total of 334-9 from 120 overs. Insole made 105 and with Bailey, 82, put on 199 runs for the fourth wicket and this is still a ground record for that wicket for a visiting side. Ken Higgs was the most successful bowler with 6-60, including a late in the day hat-trick when he dismissed Micky Bear, Roy Ralph and Bertie Clarke and, being there, I can confirm that it was a relief after the lengthy Insole/Bailey stand.
Essex declared overnight and Lancashire took all the second day, 119 overs, to make 368-6 with Bob Barber making 97, Geoff Pullar 82, and Ken Grieves 52. It therefore all boiled down to a one-innings game on the last day. And after Essex had used 50.1 overs to make 228-7 declared, Lancashire went for the runs early on but once wickets began to fall, they shut up shop and the two Jacks, Bond, 33, and Dyson, five and batting down the order, held on at 157-8 from 43 overs.
It was a quick return to Stanley Park for Essex as they were back in 1961 when rain ruined the second day of the game but, after two early declarations, turned out fine again for Essex to snatch victory on the final day. Geoff Smith made 74 from the Essex first innings total of 252-8 declared and there was just time for Lancashire to reach 15 without loss before the close. They were only able to add 38 runs on the rain ruined second day and declared at 53-0 in order to try to force a result.
And a result there was but unfortunately it went in Essex’s favour. After they had declared at 59-2, Lancashire were set 259 for victory but the damp conditions suited Bill Greensmith’s leg break and googly bowling and he finished with an excellent 7-46 as only Roy Collins with 41 could make much headway as Lancashire were dismissed for 176 to lose by 82 runs.
Essex returned in 1963 and after Grieves won the toss, his side made a modest 187 all out with Bob Bennett, the future Lancashire chairman, top scoring with 44 as Preston took 5-54 for Essex. Resuming on their overnight 69-2, Essex went on to make 239 on the second day with Barker making 118 and Lancashire’s leg spinner Tommy Greenhough taking 6-60. Lancashire, 133-3, then took an 81-run lead by the close of the second day and went on to declare at 256-9 with Marner making 63 and Barry Knight taking 4-61. Requiring 205 for victory, Essex closed on 157-3, Barker once again in the runs, this time with 54 not out, and the match was drawn.
It was 17 years before Essex next appeared at Stanley Park and with the first day of the game washed out, without something spectacular happening there was never much chance of a positive result. And so it proved as Lancashire made 244 all out with skipper Frank Hayes making 41 and welcome runs from down the order from David Hughes, 32, and Paul Allott, 30 not out, as David Acfield wheeled away for 31.2 overs to take 4-72. And with 46 from Ken McEwan and 45 from Mike Denness, the latter in his final first-class match, Essex almost reached parity at 226 all out with Hughes taking 5-40. There was sufficient time remaining for Lancashire to score 152-3 with Andrew Kennedy making 92, before stumps and the match were drawn.
So Essex make their 10th visit to Stanley Park for next Monday’s LV= County Championship Division One game, which sees sixth-placed Lancashire, 87 points, take on second-placed Essex, 106 points. It should prove to be a fascinating contest and, weather permitting, good crowds are expected for all four days.
Essex Provide High Drama at Blackpool
Essex 282 and 292-8 dec, Lancashire 145 and 383
Lawrence of Arabia is perhaps the best known individual of that name and during his career he was often the hero of the day. But it was Dan of that ilk who was the hero of the day and took the plaudits at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last week. Lawrence of Essex not only struck a magnificent 135 in the Essex second innings, striking eight fours and nine sixes, but he held the match-winning catch at leg slip with just 10 balls remaining to win the game for his county.
The first day, 10 July, was bathed in sunshine in the early morning but by 11am clouds were building up and there was only time for 4.1 overs before the rain came. Just enough time, it should be said for Nick Browne to lose his wicket to the fourth ball of the game, caught by Colin de Grandhomme at a wide fourth slip before he had scored. Sir Alastair Cook had opened his account with one of his trademark shots, a square cut through point that raced to the boundary and with the country’s then leading runscorer Tom Westley striking two boundaries, it was 12-1. And an unlikely restart in the gloom at 5.30pm produced just three balls before bad light, followed almost immediately by more rain ended play for the day.
On the morning of the second day Blackpool chairman David Cresswell was to comment, ‘It is absolutely amazing how after the almost Biblical amounts of rain we have had over the past three days that play should start on time today.’ And it was, for the groundsman and his crew had done a marvellous job and there was a full day’s play on a sunny but a rather cool and very windy day.
And the day belonged to Westley who made 135 in 325 minutes with 18 fours. He was ably assisted by Paul Walter, 76 in 156 minutes with four fours and three sixes, and the pair put on a ground record for a visiting team, 155 for the fifth wicket, overtaking the 152 added by Peter Kirsten and Kim Barnett for Derbyshire in 1981. The end result was Essex were all out for 282 in 92.2 overs. For Lancashire Tom Bailey took 5-59 and Will Williams 3-71 with Walters’ 76 being his top score of the season.
There was just time for Luke Wells to emulate Browne’s brief knock, bowled by Jamie Porter from the fourth ball of the innings before Lancashire closed on 37-1, Keaton Jennings on 12 and Josh Bohannon on 20.
After a 45-minute delay due to overnight rain, the third day belonged entirely to Essex who whittled their way through the Lancashire batting in 44.4 overs as the red rose boys were dismissed for a modest 145. Bohannon’s 44 and Phil Salt’s 35 not out were the main contributors as Sam Cook took 4-42 and Walter 3-20, his first championship wickets of the season; there was a wicket each for Porter and Doug Bracewell for 38 and 24 runs respectively.
The Essex lead of 137 had not been extended when both openers were dismissed, Browne from his third ball when he fell leg before wicket to Bailey and Alistair Cook from his second when he cut Williams straight to Vilas at point. Westley only made five but then came a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Lawrence and Matt Critchley before Tom Hartley bowled the latter for 40 to make it 122-4.
In partnership with Lawrence, Walter was threatening to repeat his first innings’ effort when Bohannon held a fine catch leaning almost over the boundary at long on and Walter was gone for 24, with two fours and one six, at 165-5. Two quick wickets then went down for 21 runs and then the carnage began as all the Lancashire bowlers were put to the sword.
In company with a belligerent Bracewell, Lawrence set about the bowling with gusto and the pair added a visiting team ground record 106 for the eighth wicket. There was nothing the Lancashire bowlers could do to stop it and even with nine fielders round the boundary the ball continually defeated them. Indeed the last five overs the pair were together they added an incredible 90 runs!
The onslaught ended when Lawrence, from the final over of the day, struck Wells to long-off for what would have been another six had not Jennings been stationed there to take the catch. He had made 135 from 125 balls in 205 minutes and with Bracewell 61 not out from 35 balls in 34 minutes with five fours and four sixes, Essex closed on 292-8. Bailey again was Lancashire’s most successful bowler with 3-71.
Essex declared overnight, setting Lancashire a massive 430 for victory in 96 overs. And they made a positive start, Jennings and Wells putting on 58 in 15.5 overs before the former was well caught by a diving Will Buttleman for 30. Bohannon joined Wells and continued the attack, taking the total to 155 from 34.1 overs before the latter, dropped at short leg when he had made 24, was caught by the same fielder off Critchley for 75 with 11 fours and two sixes, made in 110 minutes from 126 balls.
Vilas unfortunately completed a pair before Porter caught Bohannon in the deep off Walter for 68. Rob Jones and Salt then continued the chase and put Lancashire in a strong position with a partnership of 85 in 22.4 overs but at 279 the fifth wicket was lost when Salt, 41, was caught at backward square leg by Sam Cook. At that point there were still 30.5 overs remaining and with Lancashire requiring a further 151 runs and Essex five wickets, the game was still in the balance.
Jones, who was dropped by Browne at short leg on 49, was going strong and with de Grandhomme as his partner the total advanced to 294 before the New Zealander was caught at fine leg by Porter off Walter for nine. Jones and Hartley kept the momentum going until Hartley, 17, edged Sam Cook to slip to make it 359-7.
Jack Blatherwick perished quickly, caught and bowled by Porter for one to make it 360-8 but Bailey, a more than useful lower order batsman, stayed put while Jones ran to a superb century from 149 balls with 11 fours and one six. By now Lancashire were playing for a draw and the Essex field had closed in significantly.
On seven Bailey skied what appeared to be a sitter to Walter at mid-on but he inexplicably dropped it but it was not costly for two balls later in trying to cut a ball it flew down to third man where Simon Harmer took an excellent diving catch and he was gone for eight.
Last man Will Williams was protected to a degree by Jones but even so he managed to keep out, quite comfortably, 17 balls and with Jones stealing a single from the final ball of the 94th over, it looked odds on a draw … but no! He resisted the first ball but the second went down the leg side and, unwisely as it turned out, Jones tried a leg glance off Bracewell but only succeeded it feathering it to Lawrence who took a nice clean catch; Jones had gone after battling for 241 minutes, 170 balls, for a fine 111 and the game was won and lost. For Essex, Bracewell had 3-50 and Critchley 3-70.
The celebrations began with the Essex players hugging one another in their delight before handshakes all round ended a thoroughly sporting contest on a sporting wicket that had produced just over 1100 runs.
Despite the bracing weather, there had been good crowds on three days and as chairman Cresswell commented, ‘There is nothing better than seeing Stanley Park with a healthy crowd on and, despite the weather spoiling the first day, the hosting of the match has been a huge success.’ He stressed that it had taken plenty of effort from volunteers and committee men as ‘even little jobs take time and effort’, adding ‘The investment in upgrading the drainage was well worth the money spent and this was much appreciated by Lancashire. We look forward to their return on 9 August when Kent Spitfires will be the visitors.’
Lawrence of Arabia is perhaps the best known individual of that name and during his career he was often the hero of the day. But it was Dan of that ilk who was the hero of the day and took the plaudits at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last week. Lawrence of Essex not only struck a magnificent 135 in the Essex second innings, striking eight fours and nine sixes, but he held the match-winning catch at leg slip with just 10 balls remaining to win the game for his county.
The first day, 10 July, was bathed in sunshine in the early morning but by 11am clouds were building up and there was only time for 4.1 overs before the rain came. Just enough time, it should be said for Nick Browne to lose his wicket to the fourth ball of the game, caught by Colin de Grandhomme at a wide fourth slip before he had scored. Sir Alastair Cook had opened his account with one of his trademark shots, a square cut through point that raced to the boundary and with the country’s then leading runscorer Tom Westley striking two boundaries, it was 12-1. And an unlikely restart in the gloom at 5.30pm produced just three balls before bad light, followed almost immediately by more rain ended play for the day.
On the morning of the second day Blackpool chairman David Cresswell was to comment, ‘It is absolutely amazing how after the almost Biblical amounts of rain we have had over the past three days that play should start on time today.’ And it was, for the groundsman and his crew had done a marvellous job and there was a full day’s play on a sunny but a rather cool and very windy day.
And the day belonged to Westley who made 135 in 325 minutes with 18 fours. He was ably assisted by Paul Walter, 76 in 156 minutes with four fours and three sixes, and the pair put on a ground record for a visiting team, 155 for the fifth wicket, overtaking the 152 added by Peter Kirsten and Kim Barnett for Derbyshire in 1981. The end result was Essex were all out for 282 in 92.2 overs. For Lancashire Tom Bailey took 5-59 and Will Williams 3-71 with Walters’ 76 being his top score of the season.
There was just time for Luke Wells to emulate Browne’s brief knock, bowled by Jamie Porter from the fourth ball of the innings before Lancashire closed on 37-1, Keaton Jennings on 12 and Josh Bohannon on 20.
After a 45-minute delay due to overnight rain, the third day belonged entirely to Essex who whittled their way through the Lancashire batting in 44.4 overs as the red rose boys were dismissed for a modest 145. Bohannon’s 44 and Phil Salt’s 35 not out were the main contributors as Sam Cook took 4-42 and Walter 3-20, his first championship wickets of the season; there was a wicket each for Porter and Doug Bracewell for 38 and 24 runs respectively.
The Essex lead of 137 had not been extended when both openers were dismissed, Browne from his third ball when he fell leg before wicket to Bailey and Alistair Cook from his second when he cut Williams straight to Vilas at point. Westley only made five but then came a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Lawrence and Matt Critchley before Tom Hartley bowled the latter for 40 to make it 122-4.
In partnership with Lawrence, Walter was threatening to repeat his first innings’ effort when Bohannon held a fine catch leaning almost over the boundary at long on and Walter was gone for 24, with two fours and one six, at 165-5. Two quick wickets then went down for 21 runs and then the carnage began as all the Lancashire bowlers were put to the sword.
In company with a belligerent Bracewell, Lawrence set about the bowling with gusto and the pair added a visiting team ground record 106 for the eighth wicket. There was nothing the Lancashire bowlers could do to stop it and even with nine fielders round the boundary the ball continually defeated them. Indeed the last five overs the pair were together they added an incredible 90 runs!
The onslaught ended when Lawrence, from the final over of the day, struck Wells to long-off for what would have been another six had not Jennings been stationed there to take the catch. He had made 135 from 125 balls in 205 minutes and with Bracewell 61 not out from 35 balls in 34 minutes with five fours and four sixes, Essex closed on 292-8. Bailey again was Lancashire’s most successful bowler with 3-71.
Essex declared overnight, setting Lancashire a massive 430 for victory in 96 overs. And they made a positive start, Jennings and Wells putting on 58 in 15.5 overs before the former was well caught by a diving Will Buttleman for 30. Bohannon joined Wells and continued the attack, taking the total to 155 from 34.1 overs before the latter, dropped at short leg when he had made 24, was caught by the same fielder off Critchley for 75 with 11 fours and two sixes, made in 110 minutes from 126 balls.
Vilas unfortunately completed a pair before Porter caught Bohannon in the deep off Walter for 68. Rob Jones and Salt then continued the chase and put Lancashire in a strong position with a partnership of 85 in 22.4 overs but at 279 the fifth wicket was lost when Salt, 41, was caught at backward square leg by Sam Cook. At that point there were still 30.5 overs remaining and with Lancashire requiring a further 151 runs and Essex five wickets, the game was still in the balance.
Jones, who was dropped by Browne at short leg on 49, was going strong and with de Grandhomme as his partner the total advanced to 294 before the New Zealander was caught at fine leg by Porter off Walter for nine. Jones and Hartley kept the momentum going until Hartley, 17, edged Sam Cook to slip to make it 359-7.
Jack Blatherwick perished quickly, caught and bowled by Porter for one to make it 360-8 but Bailey, a more than useful lower order batsman, stayed put while Jones ran to a superb century from 149 balls with 11 fours and one six. By now Lancashire were playing for a draw and the Essex field had closed in significantly.
On seven Bailey skied what appeared to be a sitter to Walter at mid-on but he inexplicably dropped it but it was not costly for two balls later in trying to cut a ball it flew down to third man where Simon Harmer took an excellent diving catch and he was gone for eight.
Last man Will Williams was protected to a degree by Jones but even so he managed to keep out, quite comfortably, 17 balls and with Jones stealing a single from the final ball of the 94th over, it looked odds on a draw … but no! He resisted the first ball but the second went down the leg side and, unwisely as it turned out, Jones tried a leg glance off Bracewell but only succeeded it feathering it to Lawrence who took a nice clean catch; Jones had gone after battling for 241 minutes, 170 balls, for a fine 111 and the game was won and lost. For Essex, Bracewell had 3-50 and Critchley 3-70.
The celebrations began with the Essex players hugging one another in their delight before handshakes all round ended a thoroughly sporting contest on a sporting wicket that had produced just over 1100 runs.
Despite the bracing weather, there had been good crowds on three days and as chairman Cresswell commented, ‘There is nothing better than seeing Stanley Park with a healthy crowd on and, despite the weather spoiling the first day, the hosting of the match has been a huge success.’ He stressed that it had taken plenty of effort from volunteers and committee men as ‘even little jobs take time and effort’, adding ‘The investment in upgrading the drainage was well worth the money spent and this was much appreciated by Lancashire. We look forward to their return on 9 August when Kent Spitfires will be the visitors.’
Lancashire shoot down the Spitfires!
In what turned out to be a rather one-sided contest at Stanley Park on Wednesday, Lancashire’s big guns shot down the Spitfires from Kent comfortably, winning the game by 125 runs, the margin being lessened by a brave last-wicket partnership of 37 by Matt Quinn and Jaskaran Singh, the latter on his List A debut.
Jack Leaning won the toss and decided to field and when he caught Keaton Jennings at second slip for one with the total on 15 the decision, at that point, seemed as though it might be a good one. However, that was the highlight of the Kent bowling performance as from then on all the bowlers were put to the sword.
George Bell, 71 from 97 balls with seven fours, and Josh Bohannon, a faultless 105 from 117 balls with four fours and four sixes, added 112 for the second wicket before Dane Vilas, a quick-fire 51 from 37 balls with five fours and two sixes, and George Balderston, an even quicker 57 from 28 balls with five fours and four sixes, helped to take Lancashire to an impressive 328-5. Singh was the most successful Kent bowler with 3-74.
From Kent’s recent batting performances this looked likely to be a total beyond their reach … and so it proved. They lost Ben Compton early for four, and although Daniel Bell-Drummond battled hard for 80 minutes in making a top score of 38 with five fours, no other batsman survived anywhere near as long with Harry Finch’s 31 being the closest to his score.
Led by George Balderston, 4-52, his figures only ruined by some big hitting by the last-wicket pair, Singh 19 not out with two fours and one six, and Quinn 15 with a four and a six, the Lancashire bowlers whittled their way through the Kent batting. Indeed 148-4 became 166-9 in the space of 18 balls before Tom Aspinwall took his first List A wicket when he had Quinn caught by Blatherwick and Kent were all out for 203 in 39.4 overs.
On a sun-kissed day and watched by a very healthy crowd, Lancashire’s victory took them to second place in the table on net run rate behind Nottinghamshire who lead Group A by one point.
Jack Leaning won the toss and decided to field and when he caught Keaton Jennings at second slip for one with the total on 15 the decision, at that point, seemed as though it might be a good one. However, that was the highlight of the Kent bowling performance as from then on all the bowlers were put to the sword.
George Bell, 71 from 97 balls with seven fours, and Josh Bohannon, a faultless 105 from 117 balls with four fours and four sixes, added 112 for the second wicket before Dane Vilas, a quick-fire 51 from 37 balls with five fours and two sixes, and George Balderston, an even quicker 57 from 28 balls with five fours and four sixes, helped to take Lancashire to an impressive 328-5. Singh was the most successful Kent bowler with 3-74.
From Kent’s recent batting performances this looked likely to be a total beyond their reach … and so it proved. They lost Ben Compton early for four, and although Daniel Bell-Drummond battled hard for 80 minutes in making a top score of 38 with five fours, no other batsman survived anywhere near as long with Harry Finch’s 31 being the closest to his score.
Led by George Balderston, 4-52, his figures only ruined by some big hitting by the last-wicket pair, Singh 19 not out with two fours and one six, and Quinn 15 with a four and a six, the Lancashire bowlers whittled their way through the Kent batting. Indeed 148-4 became 166-9 in the space of 18 balls before Tom Aspinwall took his first List A wicket when he had Quinn caught by Blatherwick and Kent were all out for 203 in 39.4 overs.
On a sun-kissed day and watched by a very healthy crowd, Lancashire’s victory took them to second place in the table on net run rate behind Nottinghamshire who lead Group A by one point.
Durham CCC Preview
A Warm (and hopefully Dry) Welcome to Durham
Gerry Wolstenholme
Durham pay their second visit to Blackpool for a County Championship game later this week, 17 to 20 May, since becoming a first-class county in 1992. We welcome their officials, players and supporters and look forward to some fine weather to witness a game that pits fifth-placed Durham, 61 points, against bottom-placed Lancashire, 61 points.
Durham, newly promoted from Division Two this season, defeated Worcestershire by 185 runs at Chester-le-Street for their one victory with three games drawn and one abandoned. Their leading runscorer is South African David Bedingham with 490 runs, including two centuries, 144 and 138, while Callum Parkinson leads the bowlers with 13 wickets at an average of 46.69. Colin Ackermann, 112, and Matthew Potts, a magnificent 149 not out as nightwatchman, have also made centuries.
Meanwhile Lancashire have struggled somewhat after, like Durham, having their first game abandoned. Since then they have drawn one and lost three. Keaton Jennings leads the way with the bat with 343 runs at42.87 with a best of 172 while the only other centurion is up and coming wicketkeeper Matthew Hurst, who made 104 in the defeat by Nottinghamshire. Nathan Lyon leads the bowlers with 112 wickets at 26.91 each with George Balderston, 11, and Will Williams, 10, hot on his heels.
As for the history between the two clubs, Durham first appeared in Blackpool in August 1908 in a Minor Counties North match when, in a low scoring contest, the visitors won by 27 runs. The north east county returned for Minor County matches in 1922 and 1928. In the first of these games Lancashire Second XI won by nine wickets with Joe Massey, later to play for Blackpool for a number of years, scored 60 while Harry Tyldesley in the first Durham innings took 5-28 and Albert Rhodes took 7-40 in the second innings.
In 1928 it was a much closer contest with Lancashire coming out the winners by just one run and this after being bowled out for 72 in the first innings and being obliged to follow-on! Second time around Len Horridge made 63 and future England Test wicketkeeper Bill Farrimond made 70 from an all-out total of 231 Set 111 to win Durham were dismissed for 109 thanks to 5-33 from Frank Rushton.
It was 75 years later before Durham returned to Blackpool in 2003 for a Second XI Championship game and once again it was a close fought game. Paul Horton’s 70 helped Lancashire to 285 all out to which Durham replied with 220, Gary Keedy taking 5-33. Only Australian Steven Crook, 31, made much headway in the second innings as Lancashire were dismissed for 101, setting Durham a target of 167. But the Lancashire attack, Crook, 4-48, Oliver Newby, 1-40, Keedy 3-32 and Gary Yates, 2-35, restricted Durham to 159 to suffer defeat by seven runs.
Then came Durham’s first-class debut at Blackpool in 2007 when the scheduled four-day game ended in two days. Durham won the toss, decided to bat and were dismissed for 166 thanks to Glenn Chapple’s magnificent 7-53; only Australian Michael Di Venuto with 78 made any significant contribution. At the close of day one, Lancashire were not much better placed at 137-8 but the following morning Luke Sutton, 66 not out, and Sajid Mahmood, 41, continued their ninth wicket partnership to put on 69 and take Lancashire to 183 all out. Otis Gibson, 8-68 was the destroyer with the second best bowling figures for a visiting bowler at Blackpool [Tommy Mitchell’s 8-33 for Derbyshire in 1933 being the only figures to better that return].
Durham’s second innings followed the same pattern as the first and only Dale Benkenstein, Lancashire’s current coach, with 77 enabled them to reach 185. The wickets were shared between Mahmood 4-51, Chapple 3-33 and Blackpool’s Steven Croft 3-40. But Lancashire run chase began badly, 7-2 became 44-3 before Stuart Law 82 not out and VVS Laxman, 55 not out, took their side to victory by seven wickets at 169-3 with two days to spare.
Finally, in 2011, Durham Second XI visited to play two T20 games on 31 May. Durham won the first by four wickets; Lancashire 123 all out, Jordan Clark, now with Surrey, top scoring with 33, Durham 126-6, winning off the final ball of their 20 overs. The second game was even more disastrous for Lancashire who were dismissed for 82 in 18.3 overs, Clark once more top scoring, this time with a more modest 26 and Ben Raine taking 3-8. Durham, thanks to 48 off 47 balls by future England opener Mark Stoneman made short work of their target, scoring 86-3 off 14.3 overs.
And so we come up to date with the prospect of an intriguing contest ahead of us. Let us hope for fine weather, a large crowd and some good cricket; ‘Play up! Play up! and play the game!’ as Henry Newbolt wrote in 1892!
Gerry Wolstenholme
Durham pay their second visit to Blackpool for a County Championship game later this week, 17 to 20 May, since becoming a first-class county in 1992. We welcome their officials, players and supporters and look forward to some fine weather to witness a game that pits fifth-placed Durham, 61 points, against bottom-placed Lancashire, 61 points.
Durham, newly promoted from Division Two this season, defeated Worcestershire by 185 runs at Chester-le-Street for their one victory with three games drawn and one abandoned. Their leading runscorer is South African David Bedingham with 490 runs, including two centuries, 144 and 138, while Callum Parkinson leads the bowlers with 13 wickets at an average of 46.69. Colin Ackermann, 112, and Matthew Potts, a magnificent 149 not out as nightwatchman, have also made centuries.
Meanwhile Lancashire have struggled somewhat after, like Durham, having their first game abandoned. Since then they have drawn one and lost three. Keaton Jennings leads the way with the bat with 343 runs at42.87 with a best of 172 while the only other centurion is up and coming wicketkeeper Matthew Hurst, who made 104 in the defeat by Nottinghamshire. Nathan Lyon leads the bowlers with 112 wickets at 26.91 each with George Balderston, 11, and Will Williams, 10, hot on his heels.
As for the history between the two clubs, Durham first appeared in Blackpool in August 1908 in a Minor Counties North match when, in a low scoring contest, the visitors won by 27 runs. The north east county returned for Minor County matches in 1922 and 1928. In the first of these games Lancashire Second XI won by nine wickets with Joe Massey, later to play for Blackpool for a number of years, scored 60 while Harry Tyldesley in the first Durham innings took 5-28 and Albert Rhodes took 7-40 in the second innings.
In 1928 it was a much closer contest with Lancashire coming out the winners by just one run and this after being bowled out for 72 in the first innings and being obliged to follow-on! Second time around Len Horridge made 63 and future England Test wicketkeeper Bill Farrimond made 70 from an all-out total of 231 Set 111 to win Durham were dismissed for 109 thanks to 5-33 from Frank Rushton.
It was 75 years later before Durham returned to Blackpool in 2003 for a Second XI Championship game and once again it was a close fought game. Paul Horton’s 70 helped Lancashire to 285 all out to which Durham replied with 220, Gary Keedy taking 5-33. Only Australian Steven Crook, 31, made much headway in the second innings as Lancashire were dismissed for 101, setting Durham a target of 167. But the Lancashire attack, Crook, 4-48, Oliver Newby, 1-40, Keedy 3-32 and Gary Yates, 2-35, restricted Durham to 159 to suffer defeat by seven runs.
Then came Durham’s first-class debut at Blackpool in 2007 when the scheduled four-day game ended in two days. Durham won the toss, decided to bat and were dismissed for 166 thanks to Glenn Chapple’s magnificent 7-53; only Australian Michael Di Venuto with 78 made any significant contribution. At the close of day one, Lancashire were not much better placed at 137-8 but the following morning Luke Sutton, 66 not out, and Sajid Mahmood, 41, continued their ninth wicket partnership to put on 69 and take Lancashire to 183 all out. Otis Gibson, 8-68 was the destroyer with the second best bowling figures for a visiting bowler at Blackpool [Tommy Mitchell’s 8-33 for Derbyshire in 1933 being the only figures to better that return].
Durham’s second innings followed the same pattern as the first and only Dale Benkenstein, Lancashire’s current coach, with 77 enabled them to reach 185. The wickets were shared between Mahmood 4-51, Chapple 3-33 and Blackpool’s Steven Croft 3-40. But Lancashire run chase began badly, 7-2 became 44-3 before Stuart Law 82 not out and VVS Laxman, 55 not out, took their side to victory by seven wickets at 169-3 with two days to spare.
Finally, in 2011, Durham Second XI visited to play two T20 games on 31 May. Durham won the first by four wickets; Lancashire 123 all out, Jordan Clark, now with Surrey, top scoring with 33, Durham 126-6, winning off the final ball of their 20 overs. The second game was even more disastrous for Lancashire who were dismissed for 82 in 18.3 overs, Clark once more top scoring, this time with a more modest 26 and Ben Raine taking 3-8. Durham, thanks to 48 off 47 balls by future England opener Mark Stoneman made short work of their target, scoring 86-3 off 14.3 overs.
And so we come up to date with the prospect of an intriguing contest ahead of us. Let us hope for fine weather, a large crowd and some good cricket; ‘Play up! Play up! and play the game!’ as Henry Newbolt wrote in 1892!
Durham match report
Runs in the Sun – 1340 of them!
Gerry Wolstenholme
Over four sun-kissed days at Blackpool’s Stanley Park, spectators, and there were plenty of them each day, were treated to a run fest as Lancashire and Durham produced a most enthralling game in their Vitality County Championship match.
Not only was there the return to County Championship cricket for England captain Ben Stokes, for the first time in two years, but, with the game ending late on the final day, spectators witnessed a total of 1340 runs, the second highest ever in a Championship game at Stanley Park, only falling eight runs short of the highest scoring game at the ground [against Derbyshire in 1994].
In addition there had only been one batsman previously who had scored a century in each innings of a match in Blackpool [Warwickshire’s Jim Stewart in a murderous performance in 1959 – I was there!] and then to use an old cliché rather like London buses two came along in this game, which eventually ended late on the final day.
And the outcome was a satisfactory one for home supporters, for, the game that had the distinct possibility of slipping away from them at lunch on the final day, was finally won, relatively comfortably by 60 runs thanks to an inspired spell of pace bowling by George Balderson. He snapped up four of the final five wickets and was instrumental in the run out of the fifth, finishing the innings with figures of 4-52.
When Durham captain Scott Borthwick won the toss it was something of a surprise when he elected to field, although in fairness at that time the day was rather overcast and could have assisted his pace bowlers. Be that as it may, Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings embarked on an even-time 87-run partnership before the former was caught by Colin Ackermann at slip off Matthew Potts for 29.
Jennings and Josh Bohannon, 39, added a further 76 before Stokes made his first significant contribution to the match by having the latter caught by Callum Parkinson. George Bell, eight, went cheaply, before New Zealander Tom Bruce joined Jennings, who passed his century from 137 balls with 15 fours, before departing for 114 when Borthwick took a catch off Parkinson with the total at 214-4.
Bruce went on to make 46 before Stokes caught and bowled him and with wickets falling, it was left to Sajid Mahmood, indulging in a sort of rake’s progress, to enlighten the closing stages by smiting six fours and one six in his 40 not out that left Lancashire on 350-9 at the close.
Mahmood went swiftly on the second morning for 46 and, with Nathan Lyon six not out, Lancashire were dismissed for 357 with Ben Raine and Potts taking three wickets each for 67 and 100 respectively.
Durham began sedately enough but the crowd sat up when Lyon came on and had Borthwick caught by Wells for 10. Thereafter, only a 94-run partnership by the two South Africans, David Bedingham, and Ackermann, 44, added significantly to the total. Tom Aspinwall, in an excellent spell dismissed Ackermann, caught brilliantly one-handed over his head at slip by Jennings, to claim his initial first-class wicket and he was to add four more to finish with an excellent 5-41.
And it was Bedingham, who struck eight stylish boundaries and two sixes that enabled Durham to get remotely close to Lancashire’s total as he made 101 in 142 balls before, nine balls later and without adding to his score, playing on to Aspinwall. Graham Clark’s 24 was the best of the rest as Durham were bowled out for 236, a deficit of 121 runs. Complementing Aspinwall’s magnificent performance, Lyon took 4-59, including winning the dual against Stokes by having him caught by Bruce for only two.
When Lancashire went in again, Potts had to retire from the attack through injury after bowling just three overs and Stokes, who took over, quickly had Wells, six, caught by Potts. And before the close, Raine had Bohannon, 38, caught behind by Ollie Robinson to leave Lancashire at 91-2 when stumps were drawn.
Nightwatchman Will Williams departed quickly on the morning of day three and whilst most of the Lancashire batsmen made contributions, the innings belonged once more to Jennings. And he became the second batsman to score a century in each innings on the ground when after 147 balls and 11 fours and two sixes he completed his second century of the game. He went on to make 155 in 283 balls with 18 fours and two sixes before Stokes had him caught by Borthwick with the total then 313-7.
Of the rest, Bruce once again contributed a hard struck innings of 42 and when Matty Hurst, 30, was caught by Borthwick off the persevering Parkinson, the innings was declared at 353-9. Stokes, bowling at a fast pace throughout, took 5-98, his ninth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Durham required a massive 475 for victory. Three wickets, two more to Aspinwall, were lost by the time the total had reached 97 but Bedingham and Robinson saw Durham safely to the close at 134-3.
A goodly attendance saw an entertaining last morning’s play with Bedingham and Robinson looking in no difficulty and, indeed, growing in confidence as the innings progressed. Lancashire rotated their bowlers wisely but had lost Mahmood to injury early on, thus their options were more limited. Lyon bowled a superb morning spell but the two Durham batsmen were unbeaten at lunch having added 147 runs thus putting Durham in with a fighting chance of an unlikely victory.
The Durham pair continued after the break, both having passed their centuries, Bedingham from 154 balls with 13 fours and one six, Robinson from 132 balls with 11 fours and three sixes, and when they were parted they had added 216 runs for the fourth wicket. This was a new fourth wicket record for a visiting team at Blackpool, surpassing the 199 that Trevor Bailey and Doug Insole had painstakingly (once again I was there!) put on in 1960.
Bedingham’s downfall for 103 came soon after lunch when, he edged a ball from Lyon and Hurst gleefully snapped up the catch; that made it 313-4. The pendulum was perhaps beginning to swing back to Lancashire!
And so it proved because, despite Robinson batting magnificently, wickets began to tumble with perhaps the most crucial one being that of Stokes. He began very cautiously but then he struck a mighty six into Stanley Park (one of six that required another ball during the day) and two fours to seemingly kick-start his innings. Then against Wells’ leg spin he tried two reverse sweeps both of which were abortive and in trying the stroke a third time he was bowled at 350-5 with 18 to his name.
Was this the beginning of the end? It was when at 380 Jennings made a most significant move when he introduced Balderson into the attack again at the north end. He rewarded his captain with two wickets in one over, Clark, 14, caught by Jennings and Paul Coughlin caught at slip second ball. And in his following over Raine, three, played a trifle too early to a slower ball and Balderson gratefully took the return catch, 384-8.
Potts was run out in a misunderstanding over a second run with Robinson who just managed to cross in mid-wicket to prevent himself from being the victim. And then there was Parkinson. He held on bravely while Robinson farmed the strike as best he could and in doing so advanced to a career-best 171 not out, from 206 balls with 18 fours and four sixes, before Balderson returned to the attack at the south end and, left to fend for himself, Parkinson succumbed to the final ball of an over, caught by Jennings without scoring but at least he survived for 17 balls that enabled Robinson to shepherd Durham to a very gallant 414 all out but it spelt defeat by 60 runs.
It was a magnificent game, watched by large crowds under mainly blue skies and finally the groundsman and his staff need due recognition for providing a superb cricketing track that gave both batsmen and bowlers a chance.
Future dates for the diary for Lancashire games at Stanley Park are 9 June, Lancashire Thunder v Sunrisers, 7 July Lancashire Thunder v South East Stars and finally 28 July Lancashire Lightning v Kent Spitfires … don’t miss them!
Gerry Wolstenholme
Over four sun-kissed days at Blackpool’s Stanley Park, spectators, and there were plenty of them each day, were treated to a run fest as Lancashire and Durham produced a most enthralling game in their Vitality County Championship match.
Not only was there the return to County Championship cricket for England captain Ben Stokes, for the first time in two years, but, with the game ending late on the final day, spectators witnessed a total of 1340 runs, the second highest ever in a Championship game at Stanley Park, only falling eight runs short of the highest scoring game at the ground [against Derbyshire in 1994].
In addition there had only been one batsman previously who had scored a century in each innings of a match in Blackpool [Warwickshire’s Jim Stewart in a murderous performance in 1959 – I was there!] and then to use an old cliché rather like London buses two came along in this game, which eventually ended late on the final day.
And the outcome was a satisfactory one for home supporters, for, the game that had the distinct possibility of slipping away from them at lunch on the final day, was finally won, relatively comfortably by 60 runs thanks to an inspired spell of pace bowling by George Balderson. He snapped up four of the final five wickets and was instrumental in the run out of the fifth, finishing the innings with figures of 4-52.
When Durham captain Scott Borthwick won the toss it was something of a surprise when he elected to field, although in fairness at that time the day was rather overcast and could have assisted his pace bowlers. Be that as it may, Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings embarked on an even-time 87-run partnership before the former was caught by Colin Ackermann at slip off Matthew Potts for 29.
Jennings and Josh Bohannon, 39, added a further 76 before Stokes made his first significant contribution to the match by having the latter caught by Callum Parkinson. George Bell, eight, went cheaply, before New Zealander Tom Bruce joined Jennings, who passed his century from 137 balls with 15 fours, before departing for 114 when Borthwick took a catch off Parkinson with the total at 214-4.
Bruce went on to make 46 before Stokes caught and bowled him and with wickets falling, it was left to Sajid Mahmood, indulging in a sort of rake’s progress, to enlighten the closing stages by smiting six fours and one six in his 40 not out that left Lancashire on 350-9 at the close.
Mahmood went swiftly on the second morning for 46 and, with Nathan Lyon six not out, Lancashire were dismissed for 357 with Ben Raine and Potts taking three wickets each for 67 and 100 respectively.
Durham began sedately enough but the crowd sat up when Lyon came on and had Borthwick caught by Wells for 10. Thereafter, only a 94-run partnership by the two South Africans, David Bedingham, and Ackermann, 44, added significantly to the total. Tom Aspinwall, in an excellent spell dismissed Ackermann, caught brilliantly one-handed over his head at slip by Jennings, to claim his initial first-class wicket and he was to add four more to finish with an excellent 5-41.
And it was Bedingham, who struck eight stylish boundaries and two sixes that enabled Durham to get remotely close to Lancashire’s total as he made 101 in 142 balls before, nine balls later and without adding to his score, playing on to Aspinwall. Graham Clark’s 24 was the best of the rest as Durham were bowled out for 236, a deficit of 121 runs. Complementing Aspinwall’s magnificent performance, Lyon took 4-59, including winning the dual against Stokes by having him caught by Bruce for only two.
When Lancashire went in again, Potts had to retire from the attack through injury after bowling just three overs and Stokes, who took over, quickly had Wells, six, caught by Potts. And before the close, Raine had Bohannon, 38, caught behind by Ollie Robinson to leave Lancashire at 91-2 when stumps were drawn.
Nightwatchman Will Williams departed quickly on the morning of day three and whilst most of the Lancashire batsmen made contributions, the innings belonged once more to Jennings. And he became the second batsman to score a century in each innings on the ground when after 147 balls and 11 fours and two sixes he completed his second century of the game. He went on to make 155 in 283 balls with 18 fours and two sixes before Stokes had him caught by Borthwick with the total then 313-7.
Of the rest, Bruce once again contributed a hard struck innings of 42 and when Matty Hurst, 30, was caught by Borthwick off the persevering Parkinson, the innings was declared at 353-9. Stokes, bowling at a fast pace throughout, took 5-98, his ninth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Durham required a massive 475 for victory. Three wickets, two more to Aspinwall, were lost by the time the total had reached 97 but Bedingham and Robinson saw Durham safely to the close at 134-3.
A goodly attendance saw an entertaining last morning’s play with Bedingham and Robinson looking in no difficulty and, indeed, growing in confidence as the innings progressed. Lancashire rotated their bowlers wisely but had lost Mahmood to injury early on, thus their options were more limited. Lyon bowled a superb morning spell but the two Durham batsmen were unbeaten at lunch having added 147 runs thus putting Durham in with a fighting chance of an unlikely victory.
The Durham pair continued after the break, both having passed their centuries, Bedingham from 154 balls with 13 fours and one six, Robinson from 132 balls with 11 fours and three sixes, and when they were parted they had added 216 runs for the fourth wicket. This was a new fourth wicket record for a visiting team at Blackpool, surpassing the 199 that Trevor Bailey and Doug Insole had painstakingly (once again I was there!) put on in 1960.
Bedingham’s downfall for 103 came soon after lunch when, he edged a ball from Lyon and Hurst gleefully snapped up the catch; that made it 313-4. The pendulum was perhaps beginning to swing back to Lancashire!
And so it proved because, despite Robinson batting magnificently, wickets began to tumble with perhaps the most crucial one being that of Stokes. He began very cautiously but then he struck a mighty six into Stanley Park (one of six that required another ball during the day) and two fours to seemingly kick-start his innings. Then against Wells’ leg spin he tried two reverse sweeps both of which were abortive and in trying the stroke a third time he was bowled at 350-5 with 18 to his name.
Was this the beginning of the end? It was when at 380 Jennings made a most significant move when he introduced Balderson into the attack again at the north end. He rewarded his captain with two wickets in one over, Clark, 14, caught by Jennings and Paul Coughlin caught at slip second ball. And in his following over Raine, three, played a trifle too early to a slower ball and Balderson gratefully took the return catch, 384-8.
Potts was run out in a misunderstanding over a second run with Robinson who just managed to cross in mid-wicket to prevent himself from being the victim. And then there was Parkinson. He held on bravely while Robinson farmed the strike as best he could and in doing so advanced to a career-best 171 not out, from 206 balls with 18 fours and four sixes, before Balderson returned to the attack at the south end and, left to fend for himself, Parkinson succumbed to the final ball of an over, caught by Jennings without scoring but at least he survived for 17 balls that enabled Robinson to shepherd Durham to a very gallant 414 all out but it spelt defeat by 60 runs.
It was a magnificent game, watched by large crowds under mainly blue skies and finally the groundsman and his staff need due recognition for providing a superb cricketing track that gave both batsmen and bowlers a chance.
Future dates for the diary for Lancashire games at Stanley Park are 9 June, Lancashire Thunder v Sunrisers, 7 July Lancashire Thunder v South East Stars and finally 28 July Lancashire Lightning v Kent Spitfires … don’t miss them!
County Championship Cricket
Kent’s fifth Championship visit to Stanley Park
Next Sunday, 22 June, Kent visit Stanley Park to play Lancashire in a Rothesay County Championship Division 2 clash that sees both sides struggling at the wrong end of the table. Kent are bottom with two wins and 65 points from their seven matches while winless Lancashire have 66 points gathered from their two defeats and five drawn matches. It is, therefore, an important game for both counties who are desperate to get away from the wrong end of the table.
Kent opening batsman Ben Compton is their leading scorer having hit three centuries in his 688 runs, average 52.92, while Tawanda Muyeye has a creditable 437 with one century and three half-centuries averages 33.61. Australian Grant Stewart, also with one century and two half-centuries, has 439 runs at an average of 43.90 while captain Daniel Bell-Drummond has a double century to his name in his 392 runs.
Zimbabwean Nathan Gilchrist leads the bowling with 23 wickets at 26.34 runs apiece with a best of 7-100 while Stewart has 15 wickets at 26.93, Kashif Ali 11 at 50.72 and Joey Evison is the only other bowler with double figures, 10 at 29.00.
Australian Marcus Harris with 825 runs at an average of 63.46 with three centuries and three half centuries puts him over 300 runs ahead of his nearest challengers, Keaton Jennings, 513 runs at an average of 36.64 with one century and two half-centuries and Luke Wells, 504 at 38.76. Only Josh Bohannon, 391 runs at 30.07, of the other batsmen has a century to his name.
Of the bowlers, George Balderstone, 19 wickets at 32.97, leads the way while the two Toms, Bailey, 15 at 40.20, and Hartley, 14 at 41.28, are close behind.
The history of the Blackpool games against Kent began in 1961 when a rain-interrupted match was drawn. Batting first Lancashire opened with a 77-run partnership between Bob Barber, 24 and Geoff Pullar, 57, but then wickets fell regularly until they reached 202-9. There followed a 52-run partnership for the last wicket between Ken Higgs, 27, and Colin Hilton, 22 not out, his career-best score to that time. Their final total of 254, in which Kent’s Yorkshire-born leg spinner David Baker took 5-87, was still 122 too many for Kent who, after an opening partnership of 54 to which Peter Richardson contributed the innings’ top score of 34, were dismissed for 132. Roy Collins took his 50th wicket of the season and finished with 5-39 while Brian Statham took his 1500th first-class wicket and Hilton reached 150 wickets for his career.
Rain interfered with the remainder of the match so Lancashire declared on 199-3, Brian Booth, 88 not out, and Ken Grieves, 57, putting on 119 for the third wicket. There was insufficient time left for a result so Kent batted out time at 167-3 with Lancashire using seven bowlers. Bob Wilson, 46, top scored for Kent while 37-year-old Arthur Phebey, played the last of his 320 games for the county.
Three years later Kent were at Stanley Park once more in August 1964 and once again the match was drawn. There was a crowd of 3,000 on the opening day when Kent won the toss and put Lancashire in to bat on a pitch about which the Liverpool Daily Post reported, ‘There was an air of uncertainty about the green pitch’.
And so it proved as Duncan Worsley took 65 minutes over his 10 runs and only Bob Entwistle, 25, and Peter Marner, a top score of 37, provided some bright moments with a fourth-wicket stand of 50 made in 25 minutes. Geoff Clayton was his usual sheet-anchor self, taking two hours and 10 minutes over his 36 and along the way ‘aroused some critical comment from the crowd’! And with Alan Dixon taking 5-63 and young reserve wicketkeeper, 17-year-old Alan Knott playing only his fourth Championship game, taking five catches, Lancashire were dismissed for a painful 169 made in four hours and five minutes. Kent made inroads into the Lancashire total in the final 95 minutes, and with opener Mike Denness making 53 they closed on 115-3.
Day two saw the all (subsequently) international Lancashire attack of Statham, 4-75, Ken Higgs, 3-67 Ken Shuttleworth, 1-45, and Sonny Ramadhin, 1-24, bowl Kent out for 212, a lead of 43 runs. David Nicholls top scored with 81 but Kent’s last five wickets fell for 41 runs.
Lancashire’s second innings owed a lot to Worsley who batted over four hours and made his maiden first-class century for Lancashire, 104, with his only serious support coming from Grieves who made 72. Otherwise, Kent whittled their way through the Lancashire batting order to dismiss them for 285, leaving Kent to score 243 for victory.
Time was against them but, after losing Brian Luckhurst early again, they made every effort early in their innings. But with Higgs bowling an unbroken and economic 90-minute spell and Ramadhin’s 20 overs costing just 39 runs, with three wickets, Kent had to settle for the draw at 193-6 with Wilson holding the innings together with 75 not out.
Two years later when a 65-over restriction in the first innings of games was introduced in an attempt to make the matches more dynamic and appealing to spectators, Kent returned to Stanley Park. And even with a moderate total of 251-8 in the statuary 65-overs Kent won the game by an innings and 30 runs! And a legendary England bowler finished with 6-9 in the first innings!
Lancashire batted first and made a paltry 62 all out in 40.1 overs with four players making double figures but none of them reaching 20! Worsley made 14, Harry Pilling and Keith Goodwin (career average 5.78) both made 13, and Shuttleworth made 11. Derek Underwood was the destructive bowler with figures of 10.1-7-9-6!
Kent had a lead of 22 when they lost their first wicket and with their first four making a combined 188, Luckhurst 40, Denness 45, Wilson 47 and Colin Cowdrey 56, they continued to reach their 251-8, a lead of 189. Jimmy Cumbes was the most successful bowler taking a then career-best 4-42.
Following on, Barry Wood in only his seventh game for Lancashire made 31 and was only outscored by Worsley with 76 not out. Notwithstanding, a total of 159 spelt an innings defeat with Underwood taking 4-59 to give him match figures of 10-68 to become the first visiting player to return a 10-wicket haul in 47 Championship games at the ground. His record stood for 31 years, overtaken by Graeme Welsh of Warwickshire’s 11-140 in 1997.
And Kent’s last visit to Blackpool was 22 years ago in 2003 when a game of 1211 runs ended in a draw with Lancashire just behind in the scoring, albeit in two innings to Kent’s one, 602 to 609!
In the first three days of the match only 13 wickets fell in 267 overs for 949 runs and Kent with a ground record 602-6 declared had the better of that equation. Ed Smith, 203, just failed by two runs to break the visitors’ record individual score on the ground (Peter Kirsten 204 not out for Derbyshire in 1981), Matt Walker made 150, Mark Ealham 95 and Geraint Jones 66 not out.
On the final day Lancashire were bowled out in their first innings for 365 with the last five wickets going down for 35 runs, quite contrary to what had preceded it! With the best part of a day remaining Kent hopes were high and when three wickets were down for 12 runs, prospects for their victory were high. However, it was not to be as Carl Hooper held the innings together with a 290-minute 128 not out, helped by 40 from Chris Schofield’s 85-minute 40 and rearguard action by Glenn Chapple and Warren Hegg who held out for 47 and 88 minutes respectively for nine and 16 not out. So with Lancashire 244-6 from 84 overs the game was drawn. And Hooper became the third player in the history of the game to score a century against all 18 counties.
But for the moment the focus is most definitely on the fight to get away from the foot of the Division 2 table and perhaps from then on, to fight for a promotion place! Well we can hope, can’t we? Don’t miss it, 22 to 25 June at Stanley Park.
Next Sunday, 22 June, Kent visit Stanley Park to play Lancashire in a Rothesay County Championship Division 2 clash that sees both sides struggling at the wrong end of the table. Kent are bottom with two wins and 65 points from their seven matches while winless Lancashire have 66 points gathered from their two defeats and five drawn matches. It is, therefore, an important game for both counties who are desperate to get away from the wrong end of the table.
Kent opening batsman Ben Compton is their leading scorer having hit three centuries in his 688 runs, average 52.92, while Tawanda Muyeye has a creditable 437 with one century and three half-centuries averages 33.61. Australian Grant Stewart, also with one century and two half-centuries, has 439 runs at an average of 43.90 while captain Daniel Bell-Drummond has a double century to his name in his 392 runs.
Zimbabwean Nathan Gilchrist leads the bowling with 23 wickets at 26.34 runs apiece with a best of 7-100 while Stewart has 15 wickets at 26.93, Kashif Ali 11 at 50.72 and Joey Evison is the only other bowler with double figures, 10 at 29.00.
Australian Marcus Harris with 825 runs at an average of 63.46 with three centuries and three half centuries puts him over 300 runs ahead of his nearest challengers, Keaton Jennings, 513 runs at an average of 36.64 with one century and two half-centuries and Luke Wells, 504 at 38.76. Only Josh Bohannon, 391 runs at 30.07, of the other batsmen has a century to his name.
Of the bowlers, George Balderstone, 19 wickets at 32.97, leads the way while the two Toms, Bailey, 15 at 40.20, and Hartley, 14 at 41.28, are close behind.
The history of the Blackpool games against Kent began in 1961 when a rain-interrupted match was drawn. Batting first Lancashire opened with a 77-run partnership between Bob Barber, 24 and Geoff Pullar, 57, but then wickets fell regularly until they reached 202-9. There followed a 52-run partnership for the last wicket between Ken Higgs, 27, and Colin Hilton, 22 not out, his career-best score to that time. Their final total of 254, in which Kent’s Yorkshire-born leg spinner David Baker took 5-87, was still 122 too many for Kent who, after an opening partnership of 54 to which Peter Richardson contributed the innings’ top score of 34, were dismissed for 132. Roy Collins took his 50th wicket of the season and finished with 5-39 while Brian Statham took his 1500th first-class wicket and Hilton reached 150 wickets for his career.
Rain interfered with the remainder of the match so Lancashire declared on 199-3, Brian Booth, 88 not out, and Ken Grieves, 57, putting on 119 for the third wicket. There was insufficient time left for a result so Kent batted out time at 167-3 with Lancashire using seven bowlers. Bob Wilson, 46, top scored for Kent while 37-year-old Arthur Phebey, played the last of his 320 games for the county.
Three years later Kent were at Stanley Park once more in August 1964 and once again the match was drawn. There was a crowd of 3,000 on the opening day when Kent won the toss and put Lancashire in to bat on a pitch about which the Liverpool Daily Post reported, ‘There was an air of uncertainty about the green pitch’.
And so it proved as Duncan Worsley took 65 minutes over his 10 runs and only Bob Entwistle, 25, and Peter Marner, a top score of 37, provided some bright moments with a fourth-wicket stand of 50 made in 25 minutes. Geoff Clayton was his usual sheet-anchor self, taking two hours and 10 minutes over his 36 and along the way ‘aroused some critical comment from the crowd’! And with Alan Dixon taking 5-63 and young reserve wicketkeeper, 17-year-old Alan Knott playing only his fourth Championship game, taking five catches, Lancashire were dismissed for a painful 169 made in four hours and five minutes. Kent made inroads into the Lancashire total in the final 95 minutes, and with opener Mike Denness making 53 they closed on 115-3.
Day two saw the all (subsequently) international Lancashire attack of Statham, 4-75, Ken Higgs, 3-67 Ken Shuttleworth, 1-45, and Sonny Ramadhin, 1-24, bowl Kent out for 212, a lead of 43 runs. David Nicholls top scored with 81 but Kent’s last five wickets fell for 41 runs.
Lancashire’s second innings owed a lot to Worsley who batted over four hours and made his maiden first-class century for Lancashire, 104, with his only serious support coming from Grieves who made 72. Otherwise, Kent whittled their way through the Lancashire batting order to dismiss them for 285, leaving Kent to score 243 for victory.
Time was against them but, after losing Brian Luckhurst early again, they made every effort early in their innings. But with Higgs bowling an unbroken and economic 90-minute spell and Ramadhin’s 20 overs costing just 39 runs, with three wickets, Kent had to settle for the draw at 193-6 with Wilson holding the innings together with 75 not out.
Two years later when a 65-over restriction in the first innings of games was introduced in an attempt to make the matches more dynamic and appealing to spectators, Kent returned to Stanley Park. And even with a moderate total of 251-8 in the statuary 65-overs Kent won the game by an innings and 30 runs! And a legendary England bowler finished with 6-9 in the first innings!
Lancashire batted first and made a paltry 62 all out in 40.1 overs with four players making double figures but none of them reaching 20! Worsley made 14, Harry Pilling and Keith Goodwin (career average 5.78) both made 13, and Shuttleworth made 11. Derek Underwood was the destructive bowler with figures of 10.1-7-9-6!
Kent had a lead of 22 when they lost their first wicket and with their first four making a combined 188, Luckhurst 40, Denness 45, Wilson 47 and Colin Cowdrey 56, they continued to reach their 251-8, a lead of 189. Jimmy Cumbes was the most successful bowler taking a then career-best 4-42.
Following on, Barry Wood in only his seventh game for Lancashire made 31 and was only outscored by Worsley with 76 not out. Notwithstanding, a total of 159 spelt an innings defeat with Underwood taking 4-59 to give him match figures of 10-68 to become the first visiting player to return a 10-wicket haul in 47 Championship games at the ground. His record stood for 31 years, overtaken by Graeme Welsh of Warwickshire’s 11-140 in 1997.
And Kent’s last visit to Blackpool was 22 years ago in 2003 when a game of 1211 runs ended in a draw with Lancashire just behind in the scoring, albeit in two innings to Kent’s one, 602 to 609!
In the first three days of the match only 13 wickets fell in 267 overs for 949 runs and Kent with a ground record 602-6 declared had the better of that equation. Ed Smith, 203, just failed by two runs to break the visitors’ record individual score on the ground (Peter Kirsten 204 not out for Derbyshire in 1981), Matt Walker made 150, Mark Ealham 95 and Geraint Jones 66 not out.
On the final day Lancashire were bowled out in their first innings for 365 with the last five wickets going down for 35 runs, quite contrary to what had preceded it! With the best part of a day remaining Kent hopes were high and when three wickets were down for 12 runs, prospects for their victory were high. However, it was not to be as Carl Hooper held the innings together with a 290-minute 128 not out, helped by 40 from Chris Schofield’s 85-minute 40 and rearguard action by Glenn Chapple and Warren Hegg who held out for 47 and 88 minutes respectively for nine and 16 not out. So with Lancashire 244-6 from 84 overs the game was drawn. And Hooper became the third player in the history of the game to score a century against all 18 counties.
But for the moment the focus is most definitely on the fight to get away from the foot of the Division 2 table and perhaps from then on, to fight for a promotion place! Well we can hope, can’t we? Don’t miss it, 22 to 25 June at Stanley Park.
