Match report day 4: Lancs v Warks in Championship 2003 by Neil Adams

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Scorecard:

Lancashire v Warwickshire

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Summary for Day 4

At 5.20pm the tannoy announcement confirmed the inevitable draw. The rain once again having the final say after intervening for the last time at 5.15pm. The rain seemed to take great pleasure as it knocked the final nail into Lancashire coffin - how inappropriate, or did the rain just put Lancashire out of their misery? Not for the first time (and probably not the last time this season) Lancashire walked away from the game with 12 points and a significant number of plaudits. Unfortunately, heaped praise and persistent rain do not equal a championship winning outcome. Unless Lancashire gain success over Sussex (2 games) and Surrey (1 game) by the time mid September arrives, the county will find itself finishing in "No-man's land". Neither in danger of relegation, but no closer to gaining the title. This is not a criticism of the club. The team have worked unbelievably hard this season and without the intervention of the elements, they would be on top of the table. On the fourth morning of this match, Lancashire failed to wrap-up Warwickshire 1st innings as quickly as would have been desirable. The bowling was slightly wayward, and Dougie Brown was batting well. The follow-on was duly enforced just before midday under grey skies. The rain held off as Lancashire tried to remove 10 more wickets. Just after 5pm, the rug was pulled from under Lancashire's feet - thank god 9 wickets were not down at the time!

 

Bowling Performance of the Day

Lancashire's bowlers worked very hard to try and capture 12 wickets on the final day. Truthfully, no one bowler turned in the inspiration spell which might have offered a chance of victory. Chapple bowled poorly in the morning session. Keedy struggled throughout the game (A knock-on from his operation?). Wood bowled with enormous effort. Hooper kept one end tied up (12 overs for 13 runs). The honour for best bowler goes to Peter Martin. He bowled nearly 10 overs unchanged either side of tea from the Warwick Road end in a last ditch attempt to secure a win. He finished with 2 for 57 and his spirited effort never went unnoticed. His ball to dismiss Ian Bell was fabulous, and very similar to Bell's first innings dismissal. At least Bell stayed on his feet this time!

 

Batting Performance of the Day

Mark Wagh (Not the Australian!) scored 76 runs from 146 balls (7 x 4 & 1 x 6). Wagh played a dogged innings before the tea interval after arriving at the crease at 2.10pm. He only scored 16 runs (1 x 4). Initially, after the tea break, Wagh continued to dig in his heels and only occasionally play an aggressive shot. However, in Keedy's 21st over, Wagh despatched the spinner for a straight 6 toward the Brian Statham end. From that moment on, Wagh appeared to gain in confidence and play a number of fine strokes around the wicket

 

Fielding Performance of the Day

Once again, this award goes to Warren Hegg. The extremely unpredictable bounce throughout the match kept Hegg on his toes. He must be covered in bumps and bruises!!

 

Highlights of the Day

• Finding out Warwickshire had been deducted a quarter of a point for their slow bowling. Why only a quarter of a point considering the very late finish time on the first day? - who knows!!
• Watching John Wood knock-over Nick Knight's off stump. Who would have backed John Wood to dismiss Knight twice in the match?

 

Lowlights of the Day

• Lancashire conceded far too many extras during the final phase of Warwickshire's first innings - 24 to be precise from just 11 overs. The previous day Lancashire conceded just 12 extras from 70 overs.
• The realization that the loss of the third days play had indeed cost Lancashire victory
• The below par fielding by Kyle Hogg at long-leg when he dropped Ian Bell (He failed to move to the ball perhaps thinking that Glen Chapple fielding at deep square leg was more likely to catch it) However, this missed opportunity just before the tea interval was unlikely to have changed the outcome of the match
• Gary Keedy struggled to take any wickets in Warwickshire's second innings and did not bowl an accurate line or length - very unusual

 

Contentious Discussion Point of the Day

Nothing to report

 

Key Notes of the Day

• 200 for 8 in the 73rd over - Brown 36* Waqar 11*
• 50 partnership - 229 for 8 in the 76th over - Brown 49* Waqar 17*
• 50 Brown from 79 balls (7 x 4 & 1 x 6) - 231 for 8 in the 77th over - Waqar 18*
• 250 for 8 in the 80th over - Brown 51* Waqar 22*
• Waqar caught Wood bowled Keedy 22 (Mid-off) - 251 for 9 in the 80th over - Brown 52* - 11.42am
• Richardson caught Swann bowled Wood 4 (3rd slip) - 255 all out from 81 overs - Brown 52* - 11.48am
• Follow-on enforced and second innings commenced at 11.58am
• Powell 1 edge drops just short of Hooper at second slip - 8 for 0 in the 5th over
• Lunch - 39 for 0 from 16 overs - Knight 26* Powell 5* - Minimum 67 overs left
• 52 for 0 in the 20th over - Knight 37* Powell 7*
• Powell bowled Chapple 21 (Full ball) - 76 for 1 in the 25th over - Knight 47* - 2.09pm
• 50 Knight from 83 balls (4 x 4) - 83 for 1 in the 28th over - Wagh 4*
• Knight bowled Wood (Off-stump) 56 - 91 for 2 in the 31st over - Wagh 6* - 2.29pm
• 100 for 2 in the 36th over - Wagh 11* Bell 2*
• Bell 6 dropped by Hogg (Long-leg) - 109 for 2 in the 41st over - Wagh 12*
• Tea - 125 for 2 from 53 overs - Wagh 16* Bell 17* - Minimum 30 overs remaining
• 50 partnership - 141 for 2 in the 59th over - Wagh 26* Bell 21*
• 150 for 2 in the 60th over - Wagh 36* Bell 25*
• Bell caught Law bowled Martin 28 (Looped over 2nd slip but held by Law moving from first slip) - 163 for 3 in the 63rd over - Wagh 41* - 4.37pm
• 50 Wagh from 124 balls (3 x 4 & 1 x 6) - 177 for 3 in the 66th over - Troughton 4*
• Troughton caught Swann bowled Martin (3rd slip) 4 - 183 for 4 in the 67th over - Wagh 55* - 4.54pm
• 200 for 4 in the 1st over - Wagh 69* Frost 3*
• 5.15pm - rain forces early abandonment of match - 211 for 4 in the 73rd over
• Wagh 76* Frost 3*
• Lancashire 12 points, Warwickshire 8 points
• Warwickshire deducted a quarter of a point for slow bowling

 

Lancashire Man of the Match

Not for the first time this season, Glen Chapple produced a tremendous wholehearted performance with the bat and ball. He scored 132 runs and finished with match figures of 5 for 116. His batting has improved significantly this season, and his first innings bowling session on the second day was the best spell I have witnessed this year

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Neil Adams http://www.cricketimages.co.uk/adams-report/intro.html)