Spinners put Lancashire in control

Gary Yates and Gary Keedy three wickets each Photos © John Dawson

Lancashire's spin bowlers have given the county a good chance of victory against Durham at Manchester. Gary Keedy and Gary Yates took three wickets each to take Durham to 123-6 at the close (a narrow lead of just b48 with only the lower-order to bat).

On a dry pitch the spinners generally sent down 160 overs, a factor which played to Lancashire's superiority in that department. Even so Durham's poor position resulted as much from their own batting vulnerability as from the turning ball.

They had cleared the first innings with one wicket down and progressing smoothly until Simon Katich (23) was easily out in the tenth over after tea. He was taken aback to be given out caught at the wicket to Yates, after which the batsmen appeared to panic. Jon Lewis cut Keedy to point after a good innings of 47, and Paul Collingwood miscued his attempt to the left-arm spinner over the top. Gary and Andrew Pratt, both left-handers, were out to Yates, caught at the wicket and bowled without offering a stroke respectively. Visiting captain Nick Speak attained 12 n.o. in spite of charging, and missing, Yates.

Earlier Durham had hoped that their own spinners would bowl them to a lead when Lancashire began the morning at 299-4. However 37 runs were hammered from the eight overs of Nicky Phillips and Michael Gough, after which Durham took the new ball. Quick bowler John Wood returned 3-29 in 11 overs.

Even so Graham Lloyd reached his first championship fifty of the summer off 120 deliveries and then hit 36 more from 37 balls before he was out trying to hit Phillips for six. Mike Smethurst closed on 4-81 as the Lancashire innings ended at 445. In contrast to his Lancashire counterparts Phillips took 1-95 for 36 overs.