SECOND XI MATCH REPORT: Middlesex record innings victory at Liverpool

SECOND XI MATCH REPORT: Middlesex record innings victory at Liverpool

Lancashire put in a stronger batting performance on the third day of this Second Eleven Championship match at Aigburth, but it was not enough to deny Middlesex a deserved win by an innings and 77 runs, with Thilan Walallawita taking five second-innings wickets.

Red Rose opening pair Harry Singh and Sav Perera resumed Lancashire’s second innings on 22 without loss but trailing by 316 runs and made a great start to the day by extending their partnership to 92, with left-hander Perera reaching his half-century reached after 122 balls. .

Walallawita’s introduction into the attack was enough for the visitors, with the left-arm spinner striking with his third delivery of the innings as Perera became the first of his five wickets after going to first slip for 53. Sam Perry also smashed the seventh of the spinner. ball to first slip for 1 with Lancashire 103 for two at lunch.

After batting for three hours and ten minutes, Singh fell for 36, caught behind down the leg side by substitute Joseph Cracknell from Blake Cullen, eleven overs into the afternoon session, the first of five wickets to fall for 43 runs in 11 overs, with Walallawita added to his figure by having Cian Dickinson stumped for 5 by going down the wicket to the spinner, and Ollie Sutton caught first slip for 9.

Zak Perrin was lbw to Blake Cullen for 0, Arav Shetty hit Josh de Caires long on into the hands of Naavya Sharma for 46 off 84 balls after hitting 7 fours, and Joe Moores, after hitting a straight six off left-arm spinner Eddie Campion smashed the same bowler against wicketkeeper Cracknell for 23 at stroke tea, with Lancashire 199 for eight and Middlesex set for victory.

They had to wait after left-hander Muhammad Bilal, on 10, beat De Caires to get another catch at first slip, as Louis Backhouse hit five sixes, all off a suffering De Caires, in an entertaining 23-ball attack of 34 as the de last two wickets added 65 runs. Corey Flintoff hit another six, also off poor de Caires, to finish unbeaten on 25.

Fittingly, it was Walallawita who had the final say, ending with figures of five for 44 when he caught Backhouse at deep midwicket for another big hit as Lancashire were all out for 296 and Middlesex secured a convincing victory inside three days.

TEAMS
LANCASHIRE
Harry Singh (captain), Sav Perera, Sam Perry, Arav Shetty, Cian Dickinson, Zak Perrin, Ollie Sutton, Joe Moores (wkt), Corey Flintoff, Dom Hayes, Louis Backhouse, Muhammad Bilal.

MIDDLE SEX
Rob White (wkt), Josh de Caires, Steve Eskinazi, Joseph Cracknell (captain), James Isbell, Caleb Falconer, Blake Cullen, Jack Nelson, Ishaan Kaushal, Thilan Walallawita, Eddie Campion, Naavya Sharma.

Middlesex replacement: Joseph Cracknell for Rob White as wicketkeeper (start of day 3)

SCORECARD & VIDEOS