Lancashire struggle in the heat

11:59am Friday 25th July 2008

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LANCASHIRE build up a healthy lead of 190 going into the final day of their County Championship game against Hampshire today.

But they are seven wickets down as the visitors hit back late at Old Trafford.

At the close of play, Lancashire were 121 for seven, giving Hampshire a fighting chance.

Earlier, Lancashire had ripped through the Hampshire order.

Lancashire duo Dominic Cork and Gary Keedy took two key wickets apiece as Hants reached lunch 235 for seven replying to 357.

Sajid Mahmood then had Dimitri Mascarenhas caught by wicketkeeper Luke Sutton before Hampshire were all out for 288.

However, the home side lost Lou Vincent, Iain Sutcliffe and Stuart Law cheaply to find themselves 49 for three.

Francois du Plessis rallied with a decent knock of 31 before he was caught and bowled by Imran Tahir.

While the middle order failed to contribute.

Elsewhere, Mark Ealham took three wickets for no runs to keep Nottingham-shire on course to beat out-of-sorts Yorkshire.

Samit Patel and Graeme Swann took advantage of Yorkshire’s woes by bagging two more half-centuries in a second-innings 350 all out by tea on day three in this LV County Championship Division One match.

But it was Ealham’s late show which put the skids under an attempted fightback as the visitors closed on a vulnerable 107 for four, in pursuit of a distant 403.

Yorkshire had to get by without overseas pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, off the field with a sore neck and shoulder while Patel (60) and Swann (57) added to Nottinghamshire’s gains.

Patel’s 114-ball 50 was by necessity a more studious innings, mostly made while runs on the board were still a requirement rather than luxury.

Swann had more freedom to batter Yorkshire morale, clubbing six fours and a six from only 73 balls, before a clatter of wickets gave the White Rose a glimmer of hope.