Lancashire punished as defeat looks likely

HASEEB Hameed struck a career-best 247 not out against former club Lancashire as Nottinghamshire took control of the Vitality County Championship Division One match at Trent Bridge.

Hameed scored almost half his side’s 501 runs as Nottinghamshire turned an overnight deficit of 52 with seven wickets down into a first-innings lead of 172. And Lancashire closed day three in deep trouble on 100 for six in their second innings, still 72 behind.

Bolton-born Hameed, who is in his first season as Nottinghamshire’s red-ball captain, was at the crease for 10 hours and 21 minutes and found brilliant support from England fast bowler Olly Stone, who made a career-best 90.

Stone’s new-ball partner Dillon Pennington then followed up his three firstinnings wickets with three more as Lancashire made a woeful start to their second innings, before Dane Paterson and Lyndon James combined to take another three.

Lancashire finally broke through 65 overs into the day as Tom Bailey uprooted Stone’s off-stump.

Even with the eighth-wicket stand broken, Lancashire still needed another 19 overs to finish the job. Dane Paterson stuck around for an hour, finding the boundary four times before he was bowled by leg-spinner Luke Wells for 18.

Wells was the first casualty of Lancashire’s second innings, caught at third slip off Pennington, who struck again three balls later as Josh Bohannon nicked behind.

Pennington struck for a third time when George Bell edged to second slip before Paterson had Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings caught at first slip.

James had New Zealand batter Tom Bruce caught behind for 15 and Paterson reduced them to 61 for six as George Balderson was grabbed at third slip. But Matthew Hurst (15 not out) and Tom Hartley (18no) avoided any further losses before stumps.