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Match report & player reaction from each day in Liverpool
Day Three
A thrilling third day performance from Lancashire saw them earn what could be a Championship-winning victory after seeing off fellow title rivals Hampshire by the barest of margins at Aigburth.
As news filtered through from Edgbaston of Warwickshire’s travails against Somerset, this game turned into a winner takes all clash with Lancashire turning out to be the team that held their nerve on a day of unbelievable tension that could not have had a closer finish as the Red Rose got over the line by one wicket.
With Hampshire resuming on 158 for seven Lancashire needed quick wickets to keep the target manageable and Tom Bailey duly obliged, trapping Felix Organ in front for eight before Keith Barker feathered one behind for four.
When George Balderson finished the innings off with the wicket of Mohammad Abbas for six, Bailey’s figures were a career-best seven for 37 with the Preston-born seamer also claiming 50 wickets for the season at 16.86.
With the bowlers completing their part of the bargain in setting a target of 196 it was over to the batters and Alex Davies, playing his final innings in front of the Red Rose faithful before a move to Warwickshire, quickly showed he meant business.
Two consecutive boundaries off Barker and a towering six over mid on off Liam Dawson’s first delivery were the highlights as the wicketkeeper batter took the game to Hampshire in typically dynamic fashion.
Balderson played his part too and when the young all-rounder was bowled around his legs by Dawson for 12, the opening pair had put on 55 runs and made serious inroads to the target of 196.
But as has been the pattern with this game, there was more drama to come and only two more runs had been added when Davies cut a wide one from Barker straight to Mason Crane at point and was out for 44 from 43 balls.
At 57 for two there was no need to panic and Josh Bohannon and Luke Wells brought a sense of calm to proceedings as they took the took the total past the 100 mark before Bohannon became Crane’s first victim off the leg spinner’s third delivery which was edged to James Vince at slip.
Wells continued to bat nicely and had struck six boundaries when he nicked one through to Vince for 39 off Brad Wheal to leave Lancashire 118 for four and the host’s nerves beginning to jangle.
Lancashire’s two most experienced players were now at the crease and skipper Dane Vilas and the evergreen Steven Croft finally began to make the home crowd believe as they steered the Red Rose to 150.
Crane continued to look the most potent of the Hampshire attack and when he had Croft lbw for 20 there was another flicker of belief in the visitor’s that was quickly extinguished by Vilas and Danny Lamb’s intelligent running between the wickets.
And then suddenly Crane picked up two more victims when Lamb edged to second slip and Luke Wood was caught at bat pad before the tension became almost unbearable when Crane, who finished with five for 41, ran Bailey out without scoring with just three runs needed.
Jack Blatherwick scrambled a single to keep the strike for another Crane over and the England spinner picked up his fifth wicket when the number 10 edged to Joe Weatherley to bring Matt Parkinson to crease.
With a Hampshire crowd around the bat, the leg spinner negotiated two balls before Vilas swept a four off Dawson to claim the victory ahead of an agonising wait for news from Birmingham.
Day Two
A chaotic second day at Aigburth saw Hampshire edge ahead of Lancashire in their quest to secure a first County Championship since 1973 as wickets continued to tumble in this low scoring tussle between two of the season’s title contenders.
The end result after six absorbing sessions was that the visitors are 160 runs ahead with three wickets in hand although nervous eyes continue to be cast on the ongoing action at Edgbaston where both these sides need Warwickshire to slip up against Somerset.
Lancashire had resumed on 25 for three, chasing Hampshire’s modest total of 143, and the Red Rose’s chances were immediately dented by the loss of Josh Bohannon who was brilliantly caught one-handed at second slip by Joe Weatherley off Keith Barker for 13.
Barker was charging in at this point but it was the more subtle charms of Mohammad Abbas that struck next as nightwatchman Jack Blatherwick edged to Ian Holland at third slip to reduce Lancashire to 27 for five.
Barker’s brilliance continued with Dane Villas next to go, driving straight to Liam Dawson for seven and Danny Lamb lasting just three balls before he edged one to Weatherley without scoring.
The hosts desperately needed some inspiration at 47 for seven and they found it in Steven Croft and Luke Wood with the latter bludgeoning five fours and a six off just 41 balls on his way to a crucial 37.
When Wood departed after nicking a Brad Wheal delivery through to Tom Alsop, he and Croft had put on 46 vital runs for the eighth wicket and when Croft himself was dismissed skying an Abbas delivery to Dawson at mid off for 40, Lancashire were almost on par with their opponents.
Abbas’ fifth wicket ensured they fell just two runs short but even that tiny advantage looked a chasm when Hampshire lost Ian Holland to the third ball of their second innings as he edged a Tom Bailey ball to Bohannon without scoring.
0 for one quickly became one for two with makeshift opener Mason Crane’s stumps spread by Bailey before the seamer claimed his third wicket when Alsop nicked one to Davies for two to leave Hampshire three for 15.
Lancashire looked to be right in the game when Nick Gubbins played Balderson on for six but James Vince had other ideas as he and Dawson compiled a sixth wicket partnership of 80 after tea.
As the gloom began to descend the game turned again with Matt Parkinson trapping Vince in front for 69 and the tireless Bailey claiming his first five wicket haul of the season with the dismissal of Dawson for 41.
Day One
Lancashire look to have the slight advantage in their must win game against Hampshire at Aigburth after dismissing the visitors for just 143 in the first innings of what could be a thrilling Championship decider.
Just six-and-a-half points separated the top four teams in Division One at the start of play, with Hampshire in pole position and Warwickshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire hot on their heels.
But following an impressive opening day with the ball in Liverpool, Lancashire stuttered with the bat, closing on 23 for three after losing both Alex Davies and George Balderson to Mohammad Abbas’ accurate swing bowling.
The day begun well for the Red Rose, who having won the toss and inserted Hampshire, quickly reduced their opponents to one for one after Ian Holland was snaffled at short leg by Dane Vilas off Tom Bailey for just a single.
The second wicket pair of Joe Weatherley and Tom Alsop dug in diligently to compile a partnership of 42 before all rounder Balderson entered the attack and removed Alsop who edged to Danny Lamb at second slip for 24.
One wicket quickly became two as Balderson enticed Nick Gubbins to edge his third ball through to wicketkeeper Davies without scoring, with Lancashire celebrating again when the former England Under 19s skipper, who finished with figures of three for 21, ended Weatherley’s resistance with another nick to Davies, leaving Hampshire 48 for four.
A massive stroke of luck accounted for Liam Dawson, who departed after lunch for ten, when his drive was deflected onto the stumps by Bailey’s fingertips, before the key figure of James Vince was dismissed in the same over attempting a big drive which was edged through to Davies.
At this point the league leaders were 71 for six which became 91 for seven when Davies took a stunning catch down the leg side off Luke Wood to dismiss Keith Barker for nine.
Some resistance was badly needed and Felix Organ and Mason Crane provided it with the latter taking full advantage of being dropped on 0 to help take Hampshire to 129 before Matt Parkinson claimed his first victim of the game with the dismissal of Organ, caught by Josh Bohannon, for 22.
Parkinson would go on to take the final two wicket to finish with three for nine, but his teammates failed to press home the advantage as Abbas bowled Davies for four and tempted Balderson to edge behind for five either side of Barker trapping Luke Wells in front without scoring.
