By John Virr – 2nd X1 Scorer
Start of play was delayed due to a shower but commenced at 11.25 am with the format of today and tomorrow “flexible”. Yorkshire bowled first and started with 4 maidens: 2 each for the Bens, Coad and Cliff.
Lancashire made steady progress and it was the 17th over before a breakthrough was made – Will Rogers having George Harris caught behind by Harry Duke – he made 28 from 52 balls with 5 fours and had added 58 for the first wicket.
George Bell joined Fonseka and they remained unbeaten at lunch with Lancashire 86-1 from 23 overs. They continued their partnership after lunch to 116 from 142 balls before Fonseka was brilliantly caught by Owen Smith at slip off Jawad Akhtar, anticipating the reverse sweep – Fonseka made 67 from 122 with 9 fours.
Harry Singh helped Bell add 67 for the third wicket before he was caught at mid off by Akhtar to give Will Bennison a wicket; Lancashire 241-3. Bell completed his century from 101 balls with 12 fours. At tea Lancashire had moved on to 294-3 – Bell 138 not out from 132 balls and Flintoff 18 not out from 30 balls.
Perhaps with tomorrows bleak weather forecast in mind a declaration was made and Yorkshire started their reply post tea.
Finlay Bean was run out for 6 and Will Bennison bowled also for 6. Harry Duke and Yash Vagadia added 46 in 56 balls before the latter was adjudged lbw for 17 from 31 balls, Yorkshire 58-3. Duke was joined by Jawad Akhtar and they remained together at the close having added 45 in 107 balls to close on 103-3: Akhtar 22 not out and Duke 44 not out.
We wait to see what the weather brings tomorrow.
DAY 2
Well the weather forecast proved incorrect – instead of rain all day we were able to start at 12.45pm after an early lunch had been taken. Yorkshire declared at their overnight 103-3 with a potential “full days! Play ahead.
Ben Coad dismissed Tom Bailey, caught behind by Harry Duke, for 6 but Rocky Flintoff and Harry Singh added 57 in 63 balls before Singh was caught at mid off by Ben Cliff for 44 from 35 balls, giving Will Rogers a wicket.
Brad Sylvester bowled Vaughan-Hawkins for 1 (74-3) but some late hitting from Flintoff took Lancashire to 104-3 leaving Yorkshire with 296 to win from 57 overs plus the last hour.
Finlay Bean and Will Bennison added 61 for the first wicket before Bean was caught at deep mid-wicket for 32 from 46 balls with 4 fours and a six. Tea was reached at 66-1 and at 4.07 pm rain came and called a stop to proceedings. Yorkshire finished 93-1, Bennison 41 not out and Duke 18 not out.
Next action sees us return to Championship action with a 4 day game against Glamorgan at Sheffield Collegiate scheduled to start at 11 am on Monday 8th June.
