Category: Lancashire

By Will Macpherson at Lord's on September 21st, 2017

County cricket: Middlesex v Lancashire, Surrey v Somerset and more – live!

Get the latest updates from Lord’s and around the grounds
Report: Middlesex and Lancashire thriller nears climax
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10.29am BST

Two huge play and misses outside off in the first three balls of the day from Livi…

10.28am BST

Starting on time at Headingley, which is good. But not at the Ageas, because of bad light. I’m convinced Essex won’t lose that game.

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on September 15th, 2017

County cricket live: Essex set to seal title plus Surrey v Yorkshire – live!

If Lancashire fail to beat Somerset, Essex will be county champions
Ten Doeschate paves way for march of the Essex boys
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9.31am BST

Good morning. Today should be the day. Lancashire are in all sorts of trouble at Taunton, where there’s rain on the way. When they fail to win that game – which, surely, surely they won’t win – Essex will be the County Champions for the first time since 1992. To be honest, Essex better win because I have already written 1,000 words on them doing so.

So I’m Will Macpherson and I’m at the sun-drenched Oval to tell you about all that and more. Here, Surrey have Yorkshire following on. Will the pitch break up? Can they force a win? I don’t know if it mean anything, but Andy Hodd just scored a superb overhead kick in Yorkshire’s football match. There’s Div 1 action at Uxbridge too. It’s a tussle for points. Middlesex currently have none.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Lancashire • Sport • Surrey • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Edgbaston on September 14th, 2017

Essex complete victory at Warwickshire and await title deeds from Somerset

• Essex 369-9; Warwickshire 201 & 112 (Essex won by an innings and 56 runs)
• Somerset 335; Lancashire 133 & 247-8 (Lancs lead by 45 with two wickets left)

It has barely been a title race, but it will at least last another day. Essex did their bit, thrashing Warwickshire – whose relegation is inevitable – by an innings for the second time this summer, but second-placed Lancashire would not lie down. Somerset need two more tail-end wickets and then there will be a chase, but it should not be vast: Lancashire’s lead stands at just 45.

Essex, as they have since June, had the look of champions at Edgbaston, and were mighty clinical in polishing off woeful Warwickshire. This was the fifth innings defeat of a sorry season; the rebuild has begun but has plenty of miles ahead.

County Championship Division One • Cricket • Essex • Lancashire • Somerset • Sport • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at Edgbaston on September 14th, 2017

Essex complete victory at Warwickshire and await title deeds from Somerset

• Essex 369-9; Warwickshire 201 & 112 (Essex won by an innings and 56 runs)
• Somerset 335; Lancashire 133 & 247-8 (Lancs lead by 45 with two wickets left)

County Championship Division One • Cricket • Essex • Lancashire • Somerset • Sport • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at Edgbaston on September 14th, 2017

County cricket: Essex close on title at Warwickshire, and more – live!

Live updates from around the county grounds
The Spin: Blofeld made cricket fun for all but TMS has bottled his spirit
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10.49am BST

Rob Mason describes himself as “yet another Essex fan…”

“Loving the recent work of two 24-year-olds from North East London: Jamie Porter and Harry Kane,” he writes.

10.48am BST

A lesser spotted wicket at the Oval!

Freddie van den Bergh has two, Marsh gone, stumped. 181 for two, and a long way to go to avoid the follow-on.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Lancashire • Sport • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval and Ali Martin at Edgbaston on September 13th, 2017

County cricket live – Surrey v Yorkshire, Warwickshire v Essex and more!

Live updates from around the county grounds
Email Will here with your thoughts, or Tweet him here
Day one roundup from the latest round of matches
Broad: unfazed England are fired up for Ashes

11.15am BST

As someone has pointed out on twitter: the bowler’s Holden, the batsman’s ….

Congrats to Felix Organ who is making his debut for @hantscricket v @Middlesex_CCC at @UxbridgeCC. Welcome to the PCA pic.twitter.com/spFGFTIm6w

11.11am BST

Morning Stuie!

@willis_macp morning will! Out all day so cmon glos

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Hampshire • Lancashire • Middlesex • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval and Ali Martin at Edgbaston on September 12th, 2017

County cricket live – Surrey v Yorkshire, Warwickshire v Essex and more!

County Championship updates from around the grounds
Email Will with your thoughts or Tweet him here
Gary Naylor’s county cricket talking points

10.57am BST

News from the Oval is that Mark Stoneman looks in absolutely delightful touch. He’s moved to 18, after back to back boundaries off Sidebottom, through cover point and square-leg.

10.54am BST

Morning Will and chums. Warwickshire lead by 13 after four overs is the optimistic way of looking at things here at sunny-ish Edgbaston, where Jamie Porter has continued his golden season for champions-elect Essex with the early wickets of Sam Hain and Jonathan Trott – both lbw – in his first nine balls.

First one trapped Hain on the back leg as the bat jacknifed down at an awkward angle, then Trott was pinned on the front pad. If there was a day for Ian Bell to end a drought of centuries that goes back to April last year, this is it. Chris Woakes back for the Bears, while Neil Wagner is in for his second spell as the Essex overseas left-armer. Tom Westley plays too.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Hampshire • Lancashire • Middlesex • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Old Trafford on September 07th, 2017

County cricket live – Lancashire v Essex, Hampshire v Surrey and more!

Live updates from around the county grounds
Email Will here or Tweet him here, if you fancy
England v West Indies: third Test – live!

10.14am BST

Welcome to Old Trafford for day three of the fourth to last round of county cricket – live! for this fine summer! I’m Will Macpherson and I’m here to guide you through the action from here and the other eight games on offer. There’s some other cricket on offer, apparently, but we need not mention that.

The weather is nice now but nasty later, I’m told. The chances of a result in this Lancashire-Essex game, given the loss of day one, were pretty slim as is, but losing the final session today would end all hope. Haseeb Hameed batted beautifully last night and resumes on 85 this morning. He’s dug his team out of a horrible hole, to be honest.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Hampshire • Lancashire • Middlesex • Sport • Surrey • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson on September 06th, 2017

County cricket: Lancashire v Essex, Surrey v Hampshire and more – live!

Updates from Old Trafford and around the grounds
Somerset make soggy progress as rain wrecks day
The Recap: sign up for the best of our coverage

9.59am BST

That room in the picture ATL is the one that I’m sat in. It’s brightened a touch – wouldn’t think the covers’ll be on for that much longer.

9.58am BST

Good news from Headingley!

Captains out there for the toss.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Hampshire • Lancashire • Over by over reports • Sport • Surrey

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on August 30th, 2017

Sussex see off a green Glamorgan and ask a question of Nottinghamshire

• Sussex 268 & 211/9; Glamorgan 294 & 182
• Sussex won by one wicket

A staggering win for Sussex, a day of rain at Kent and positions of strength for Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire: the race for Division Two’s two promotion spots is bubbling beautifully, and this was a seismic day of action.

Sussex’s was an extraordinary win, against Glamorgan – who picked a green team as their big names rested up for T20 Finals Day. Chris Jordan docked the tail to finish with five for 46 as Glamorgan made 182 at their Colwyn Bay ground. Sussex’s pursuit of 209 got off to the worst possible start as Lukas Carey had Luke Wells caught behind first ball and soon enough they were 10 for two. Stiaan van Zyl and Chris Nash rebuilt, before Andrew Salter dismissed Van Zyl (lbw) and Luke Wright (stumped) with successive deliveries to leave Sussex 100 for four.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Derbyshire • Durham • Essex • Glamorgan • Gloucestershire • Lancashire • Northamptonshire • Nottinghamshire • Somerset • Sport • Sussex • Warwickshire • Worcestershire

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on August 30th, 2017

County cricket: Surrey v Middlesex, Lancashire v Warwickshire and more – live!

Live updates from around the groundsPing Will an email here; or send him a tweet @willis_macpThe Spin: cherish the slow and steady run accumulators 11.33am BST The rain is very, very light at the Oval, but the full covers are coming on. The forecast i…

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Lancashire • Middlesex • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on August 29th, 2017

Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone hits double century against Warwickshire

• England prospect scores unbeaten 215 to build massive lead
• Essex bowlers bring leaders back into the game against Somerset

The sense that Liam Livingstone is a rare talent who will end up playing all three formats for England was emphatically strengthened by his brilliant maiden double-century for Lancashire against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.

Livingstone’s unbeaten 215 (from 318 balls with 25 fours and three sixes, one of which – a pull off Olly Stone – brought up his century) leaves Lancashire 284 runs ahead with four first-innings wickets in hand at the game’s halfway stage. A golden opportunity awaits to close the gap on the Division One leaders Essex before their visit to Old Trafford next week. Lancashire will go into that game second, and look the team best placed to haul Essex down.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Derbyshire • Durham • Essex • Gloucestershire • Kent • Lancashire • Leicestershire • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Nottinghamshire • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire • Worcestershire

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on August 28th, 2017

Round-up: Toby Roland-Jones does his best to undo patchwork Surrey

• England bowler takes two early wickets for Middlesex at The Oval
• Essex recover after being bowled out for 159 against Somerset

Had you presented this rather patchwork Surrey XI to Alec Stewart, the director of cricket, back in April, he might just have choked on his tea. Zafar Ansari, Dom Sibley and Mark Footitt are off the staff, Kumar Sangakkara and Mark Stoneman are otherwise engaged, and Tom Curran leads the list of the injured. Thus Ollie Pope and Ryan Patel are debuting as two of four 19-year-olds. And is that really Rikki Clarke?

Having been asked to bowl first Surrey’s thrown-together side did very well indeed to bowl Middlesex out for 247. But then their openers ran into Toby Roland-Jones, returning from and emboldened by his England experience. His four overs before stumps saw Patel (whose medium pace had been better than tidy) hurried into turning to leg gully, then Rory Burns – suddenly the senior batsman – caught behind by a beauty that left him.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Derbyshire • Durham • Essex • Lancashire • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Nottinghamshire • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at the Ageas Bowl on August 06th, 2017

County cricket: Hampshire v Lancashire, Yorkshire v Essex and more – live!

Latest County Championships updates from Division 1 and 2
Keep up with the Test match at Old Trafford here
Email will.macpherson.freelance@theguardian.com
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12.09pm BST

Dom Sibley’s first champo innings for Warwickshire is over. He made 20 and has been caught at second slip off Finn. Warks are 34 for two.

12.07pm BST

Dropped! Al Davies has been shelled at second slip by Vince off Dawson. He has 31. Turned and flew fast, but should have been taken. He’s with Livingstone. Buttler in next.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Essex • Hampshire • Lancashire • Sport • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 29th, 2017

Simon Harmer grabs nine wickets for Essex and they do for Middlesex

• Compton hits first century since August but to no avail
• Derbyshire end tortuous two-year wait for a victory

These are heady days for Essex cricket. After defeating Middlesex by an innings and 34 runs, despite losing a day to rain, they sit proudly top of the County Championship by 28 points, after seven years out of the top flight. They have won three in succession and, whisper it, in turning over the title winners so emphatically, have the look of champions themselves.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Derbyshire • Durham • Essex • Glamorgan • Gloucestershire • Hampshire • Kent • Lancashire • Leicestershire • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 28th, 2017

County Championship roundup: Cook and Browne pile on pain for Middlesex

• Middlesex 246 & 27-0; Essex 542-3dec
• Essex in control after openers put on 373

Essex have the champions on the rack thanks to a remarkable opening stand of 373 between Alastair Cook and Nick Browne.

By the time Cook edged a turner from Ollie Rayner to slip for 193, two shy of his highest Championship score, the record books were dog-eared and relieved: this was Essex’s largest ever opening stand (surpassing Graham Gooch and Paul Prichard’s 316 against Kent here in 1994), and the largest partnership in any game between them and Middlesex.

County Championship Division One • Cricket • Essex • Hampshire • Kent • Lancashire • Leicestershire • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Nottinghamshire • Somerset • Sport • Warwickshire

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By Ali Martin at Edgbaston on June 26th, 2017

Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the pink for Lancashire against Warwickshire

• Lancashire 273; Warwickshire 23 for 1
• Veteran West Indian hits unbeaten century in day-night Championship game

County cricket’s pink ball plunge was devised chiefly as a training tool for England’s cricketers ahead of their maiden floodlit Test against West Indies this summer. But at Edgbaston, where this historic first will be staged, it was a Caribbean batsman with a seemingly unquenchable thirst for runs who dominated on day one of Warwickshire versus Lancashire.

While Jimmy Anderson struck late in proceedings to see the home side to 23 for one by the close – if anyone is going to revel in the delights of the pink Duke it will surely be England’s swing king – his Lancashire team-mate, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, shone brightest under lights, with an unbeaten 117 proving the glue for a total of 273 from the Red Rose first up.

County Championship Division One • Cricket • Lancashire • Sport • Warwickshire

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 22nd, 2017

County Championship roundup: Simon Harmer spins Essex to victory

• Essex 14 points clear after condemning Warwickshire to innings defeat
• Lancashire move into second and Durham beat Glamorgan

Having played half their games, promoted Essex sit 14 points clear atop the County Championship after Simon Harmer, perhaps the signing of the season, spun them to victory against Warwickshire, who were skittled for 94, by an innings and 164 runs. Harmer took seven consecutive wickets to finish the job and end with eight in the innings and 14 for 126 in the match, a career best.

Holding up early in the season, Harmer had been waiting for a wicket such as this. He catches flies at second slip and provides handy late runs, too. On a track turning sharply, his were classic off-spinner’s wickets, lbws and close catches with hoards round the bat. The only other wicket to fall was the first and most important, Ian Bell, done by the angle of Neil Wagner, playing his final game for Essex. Mohammad Amir, who confidently said he could help Essex win the Championship as he was unveiled, will replace him from Monday.

County Championship Division One • Cricket • Durham • Essex • Glamorgan • Hampshire • Kent • Lancashire • Sport • Warwickshire • Worcestershire

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By Will Macpherson at Lord's on June 19th, 2017

Sam Robson jogs a few memories as Middlesex make merry against Yorkshire

• Middlesex 337-4 v Yorkshire
• Hampshire frustrate Lancashire, Essex go slow against Warks

The first five games of Middlesex’s title defence have not exactly gone to plan. Some of their cricket has been passive, and injuries and call-ups have been disruptive, not least for this game, with the batting backbone of Nick Gubbins, Dawid Malan and Adam Voges all absent. The impressive unbeaten run is gone, too, and they are winless.

But they like playing Yorkshire – who have lost their past three at Lord’s, and their last three against Middlesex, all in remarkable fashion – and through centuries from Sam Robson (152 not out) and Paul Stirling (111), the latter’s long overdue first in Championship cricket, they have carved a strong position on a pitch that appears green but largely played true (save for a couple that stayed low) under a beating sun. As they tend to when Stirling is in town, runs flowed freely throughout.

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Durham • Essex • Glamorgan • Hampshire • Kent • Lancashire • Leicestershire • Middlesex • Nottinghamshire • Sport • Warwickshire • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

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By Press Association on June 12th, 2017

Lancashire’s Stephen Parry takes five as Middlesex’s 21-game unbeaten run ends

• Middlesex 180 & 236; Lancashire 309 & 111 for 2
• Eight-wicket win secured by Haseeb Hameed and Steven Croft

A first five-wicket Championship haul for Stephen Parry and a timely knock from the England opener Haseeb Hameed ensured there were no scares for Lancashire as they wrapped up an eight-wicket win against the title holders Middlesex at Southport.

County Championship Division One • Cricket • Lancashire • Middlesex • Sport

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