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Frizzel County Championship Division 2:
Old Trafford
Day 3
End of Innings
Tea
Lancashire Vs Somerset
Somerset: 302/6dec
Lancashire: 305/4dec
M Chilton: 143*
M Loye: 0* (Did Not Face)
Captain Marvel Hammers Home and Sets Up A Tense Last Session!
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Lancashire captain Mark Chilton pulled one out of the bag, hammering 143 runs from 193 balls including four 4's. The top singluar score in an innings so far this season was hardly a slog fest, Chilton played himself in allongside Ian Sutcliffe and reached his 50 in 79 balls at a healthy strike rate, both batsmen wanted to let loose but this idea went down the drain when Ian Sutcliffe prodded a medium pace delivery to Francis at cover point who said "thank you very much" as he threw the ball high into the air in jubilant celebrations, the opening partnership was finally broken and it was Johnson who got the breakthrough, Sutcliffe failed to make a further impact after scoring a half century and went for 57.
Ian Sutcliffe prods one to cover point, a soft dismissal
Brad Hodge perishes trying to drive Andy Caddick through the covers
A new batsmen in meant slowing down the pace for Mark Chilton which is why he scored so few boundarys during his time at the crease, he couldnt afford two new men in as that would have meant Lancashire hardly had any chance of winning the match, as it happened the man at the other end should have taken a leaf out of the captains book, Brad Hodge lasted 6 deliveries and scored five runs, after scoring a single form the last ball of the previous over he was on strike the next, he hammered Andy Caddick to the boundary in Caddick's second ball and tried to do so the delivery after, Caddick was to smart however, he dropped his pace and it worked, Hodge edged straight to Parsons at third slip.
Flintoff hammers a six .......
..... but is dismissed almost as softly as Sutcliffe
The "Dangerman" Andrew Flintoff arived at the crease just as Lancashire needed to up the tempo, Somerset had a plan and stuck to it, strategic field placements meant that Flintoff had to go up and over from the start which was to be his undoing, he tried to play himself in but struggled to pierce the field. His only outlet was the paddle down to fine leg, however, this was risky as he was facing Andy Caddick and Johnson, neither are slow bowlers, he was dropped twice attempting this shot, once by Caddick himself who dropped him after a top edge form his own bowling and once by the wicket keeper and a top edge came his way. Flintoff decided that there was only one thing for it and with the run rate slowing he started slogging, Caddick pitched one that was sliding down leg and Flintoff caught it well and sent it sailing out of the ground, the next ball he tried to hammer one through the cover but drove it straight at the area packed with fielders, Burns didnt have to move.
Mark Chilton scores a rare boundary on his way to an unbeaten 143
Stuart Law scored 5 boundarys on his way to 40 but perished to a well placed yorker
The final partnership between Mark Chilton and Stuart Law proved vital, the Aussie gave himself room outside off stump and sprayed the ball all over the place, if it wasnt to the boundary it was at least one, Chilton rotated the strike well and added a few boundarys himself, Law finally met his match when a yoker found ins way under the bat and into off stump, Chilton decided to come off just after Tea when this wicket fell to give themsleves a chance in the field of a few quick wickets before stumps. Good Captaining.
The pressure is on Somerset not to lose wickets, they dont neccesarily need to score many runs but wickets are the key, they are capabale of batting through but the Lancashire bowlers will be hungry, its getting exciting down at Old Trafford!
Scorecard:
Batting Statistics:
Bowling Figures:
Mark Chiltons Spider:
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