Lancashire: Darren has no Hayden place! (25 July 1997)

25 July 1997

Darren has no Hayden place!

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

FLOODLIT hero Darren Shadford faced a tough championship test for Lancashire at Southampton today.

The young Oldham-based paceman, who took three wickets in four balls in a dramatic finish to Monday's day-night game againt Yorkshire, found bowling at Hampshire's Ossie run machine Matthew Hayden in daylight a very different task - especially on such a flat pitch.

He conceded 45 runs in just six overs, and also bowled a number of no-balls, as Hayden raced to 90 in an unbroken opening partnership of 171 with Jason Laney.

And the pair punished the Lancs attack further today progressing to 192, with Hayden on 92.

Shadford has struggled in the championship after making a sensational return to the first team in June with seven wickets in the match against Kent and three more in the first innings at Worcester.

Since then the 22-year-old has bowled 53 overs without taking a wicket, and conceded 257 runs. Lancashire have encouraged him not to worry about the runs, but to try to shock batsmen with his pace, and that's exactly what he did on Monday night under the Old Trafford lights with a series of Yorkers. But with Glen Chapple set to return to contention after his stomach muscle problems for Lancashire's next game against Warwickshire at Blackpool a week on Wednesday, the pressure was on Shadford to perform today.

Hampshire needed another 249 to avoid the follow on and dent Lancashire's hopes of a fourth consecutive championship victory after they had piled up 569-8 declared, their highest total of the season.

Skipper Mike Watkinson extended his overnight 102 to 135 before being run out by a direct hit from Hayden at point, Shadford hit a career-best 30 and Ian Austin smashed 69 from 60 balls, his third consecutive championship half century taking him past 500 first class runs for the season.

Hayden, who hit 235 in Hampshire's last championship game at Northlands Road, became the second man to reach 1,000 runs this season when he passed 35.