Josh Bohannon 175 piles strain on backside membership Northamptonshire
Lancashire 392 for 7 (Bohannon 175, Balderson 83*) lead Northamptonshire 232 by 160 runs
Josh Bohannon indulged his liking for Northamptonshire’s bowlers but once more with an imperious century to place Lancashire in command of their LV= Insurance County Championship contest at Wantage Road.
The 26-year-old hit 175, his highest knock of the season and a 3rd successive hundred towards Northamptonshire, turning into the second Division One participant to cross 1000 runs this summer season within the course of.
Bohannon batted nearly the complete day, sharing a partnership of 150 with George Balderson – a Red Rose report towards Northamptonshire – to information the guests to 392 for 7 of their first innings, a commanding lead of 160. Northamptonshire toiled resolutely within the warmth for little reward, with seamer Jack White the choose of their bowlers with 3 for 79, however they face a battle to rescue the sport on day three.
Having steered his aspect to 54 for two the earlier night, nightwatchman Will Williams took an early boundary off Ben Sanderson earlier than the Northamptonshire seamer eliminated him with a rising supply he might solely fend to second slip. At the opposite finish, White discovered each motion and bounce, making certain a tough begin for Williams’ alternative Phil Salt as a few balls zipped previous the bat and one other flew off his inside edge simply previous the stumps.
Salt had extra pleasure towards Tom Taylor, who provided an excessive amount of width and was punished with three boundaries in a single over – however Taylor finally bought his man when he top-edged a pull and Emilio Gay ran again from his place within the slips to collect the catch.
Taylor was unfortunate to not add a second wicket when his sturdy leg earlier than attraction towards Vilas, on 10, was turned down and the previous Lancashire captain took benefit of that let-off to construct a partnership of 92 with Bohannon. The pair additionally shared a comic book second when a Vilas boundary mistakenly prompted the announcement of his companion’s half-century on the bottom’s PA system, with each batters eradicating their helmets in mock celebration.
Bohannon’s precise fifty duly arrived when he glanced White for 3 within the subsequent over and the Lancashire batter continued to look untroubled after lunch, other than a uncommon lapse when he was lucky to get away with carving Taylor between second and third slip.
White raised the prospect of a slender first-innings lead for Northamptonshire, hanging twice in three deliveries as Vilas chopped onto his leg stump for 37 earlier than George Bell was pinned in entrance with out scoring. But Bohannon remained unruffled on the different finish, drilling Rob Keogh sweetly to the quilt boundary to advance to 99 earlier than reducing the subsequent supply, the 184th of his innings, for a big single.
He raised private and group landmarks in type quickly afterwards, crashing Keogh for six over long-on to maneuver previous 1000 runs for the season and carry Lancashire past the house aspect’s first-innings complete of 232.
Bohannon discovered a brand new ally in Balderson, who was fast to pounce on something broad of off stump because the pair put collectively a century stand and prolonged the Red Rose benefit into three figures. A thumping cowl drive off Sanderson scuttled over the rope to take Bohannon previous 150 as he dominated the post-tea scoring, with Balderson adopting a extra watchful strategy en path to his half-century.
Taylor lastly separated the pair by having Bohannon caught behind off a backside edge, however Balderson, who completed unbeaten on 83, ensured there was no respite for the house aspect as he and Tom Hartley added an extra 53 by stumps.