EDGBASTON (third day of four): Lancashire (20pts) beat Warwickshire (3) by seven wickets
LANCASHIRE supporters — and there were plenty of them at Edgbaston yesterday — will take some dissuading that this, at last, is going to be their year. Most were not alive when the county previously won the championship outright — in 1934 — and only the pensionable among them would remember the days when the title was shared with Surrey in 1950. Last night, though, Lancashire stood at the top of first division table, six points clear of Sussex, each having played seven matches.
A three-day victory was secured shortly after 6pm after Warwickshire lost their last eight wickets for only 53 runs in the afternoon session. The home side, 144 behind on first innngs, had fought back gamely to reach 172 for two, raising hopes of setting Lancashire a challenging target in excess of 150. Then Brad Hodge changed the course of proceedings with a fine bit of bowling to dismiss Nick Knight.
The Victorian, a useful occasional off spinner, went wide on the crease from round the wicket to Knight and deceived him with an arm-ball that drew no shot. Knight had batted very soundly for his 80 from 144 balls, playing Gary Keedy particularly well. The left-arm spinner was always going to be the chief threat on this very dry, turning pitch but Knight had upset his rhythm and length. Once he was out, Keedy was twice the bowler, tormenting the Warwickshire middle order to finish with six for 81, his first five-wicket haul of the season.
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Under clear blue skies, Warwickshire had begun the day with their highest opening partnership of the season. The fact that it is only 65 gives a clue to why they have posted so many disappointing totals this summer. Tom Smith made the breakthrough, extracting some extra bounce from what was an uneven pitch from the first day to find Ian Westwood’s edge.
Keedy, introduced in the sixteenth over, took his first wicket in his eighth when Mark Wagh was caught at short leg off bat-pad. Once the feisty Knight-Jonathan Trott alliance, which realised 76 in 19 overs, had been broken, Keedy settled on to a consistent length and spun the ball to varying degrees. Trott, back when better forward, was beaten by a good one that turned.
Likewise, Dougie Brown went fatally back to be legbefore, completing a pair in an unhappy match that he will want to forget. Nor did Moeen Ali look at all comfortable against the spinning ball, umpire Steve Garratt’s dreaded finger being raised yet again when the England Under-19 left-hander padded up to a ball that spun sharply out of the rough.
Jim Troughton became Keedy’s fourth leg-before victim when he went back and across his stumps and tried to work the ball across the line.
Hodge, meanwhile, had been bowling very tidily at the other end, giving nothing away. When he had Heath Streak caught off bat-pad at silly point, then defeated Jimmy Anyon’s attempted sweep, he returned his best figures in this country, three for 21 from 16 overs.
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Soon afterwards Lee Daggett was well taken at silly point, leaving Lancashire with 82 to win. After losing three quick wickets, they were glad it was so few.