Bailey, Phillip bursts give Lancashire survival hopes a boost

Lancashire made up for lost time and maintained their Vitality County Championship Division One survival hopes after Tom Bailey and Anderson Phillip impressed with the new ball against Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Bailey and Phillip fully justified Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings decision to put the home side into bat in reducing them to 22 for 5 and then 56 for 7 in seamer-friendly conditions when play got underway after lunch. The duo both picked up three wickets to give Lancashire an ideal start to a game they have to win to keep alive their chances of remaining in the top flight for another season.

Lancashire began the game 15 points adrift of third from bottom Nottinghamshire but last week's win over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford had kept them in contention.

Bailey bowled eight overs on the trot and returned excellent figures of 3 for 9 while Phillip had 3 for 44 from seven overs.

Worcestershire had already guaranteed their safety during a recent run of three wins in four matches and their eighth-wicket pair of Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek led a partial recovery. They plundered 63 in seven overs but the rain which had washed out the morning's play returned after tea.

Worcestershire made two changes from the side in action against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl with the fit again Waite and Jack Home replacing the injured Tom Taylor and spinner Amar Virdi. Lancashire kept faith with the side which had defeated Somerset.

Bailey's second delivery of the opening over accounted for Gareth Roderick who drove at a ball of full length which was swinging away and he edged to Will Williams at fourth slip.

Jake Libby square cut Phillip for four but then was stuck in the crease and nicked another ball which moved away to Harry Singh at third slip. Rob Jones was undone by an excellent full length swinging delivery from Phillip and was caught behind. Kashif Ali steered Bailey to first slip and then Brett D'Oliveira pushed at the same bowler and perished at second slip.

Adam Hose off drove Bailey to the ropes to move into double figures but it became 39 for 6 when Ethan Brookes played forward and was bowled with a fullish-length delivery which did just enough to nip away.

Phillip came back into the attack to replace Bailey after a superb opening spell of 8-4-9-3 and he soon claimed his third scalp when Hose tried to on drive a delivery slanted towards leg stump and ended up deflecting to Jennings at second slip.

Waite decided attack was the best policy and pulled and on drove Williams for sixes in his first over which cost 15 runs. Van Beek also went on the attack and he struck Balderson and Williams for further maximums.

By tea the eighth wicket pair had added 63 in just seven overs but the players were unable to return for the final session after a heavy downpour.