Championship - 2 June

The two remaining games were duly completed on the final day of the current round of championship matches, but Lancashire and Surrey, the eventual victors, both had to postpone their victory celebrations until late in the day.

Division 1

Kent v Lancashire, Canterbury.

Day 1 close Lancashire 347 (Flintoff 155, Chapple 66, Ealham 5-54), Kent 12-0
Day 2 close Lancashire 347 (Flintoff 155, Chapple 66, Ealham 5-54) and 94-2 (Loye 52*), Kent 267 (Jones 92, Keedy 5-91)
Day 3 close Lancashire 347 (Flintoff 155, Chapple 66, Ealham 5-54) and 334 (Loye 86, Law 67, Tredwell 4-114), Kent 267 (Jones 92, Keedy 5-91) and 123-4 (Smith 56)

Starting the day still almost 300 shy of their victory target and with four second innings wickets already gone, Kent made a brave fist of things and at one time looked as though they might save the game or even eke out an unlikely victory.

Early rain meant a shortened morning session. Martin Saggers held firm for half an hour during which time the home side progressed their score on to 156 but was dismissed for 14 after Glen Chapple rapped him on the pad.

Keedy put Ealham down at slip, and profiting from his unexpected life, he battled away, frustrating Lancashire as they sought to close out the game. Matthew Walker duly completed his half-century, but was sixth out attempting to sweep Keedy and was bowled round his legs with the total on 200.

Lancashire were frustrated for most of the afternoon session as wicket keeper Geraint Jones kept Ealham company in a partnership which realised a further 79 runs. The pair had already made a century partnership in the first innings, and the longer they stayed together this time, the greater the chance that Kent might save the game.

Jones rotated the strike well with ones and twos, allowing his more belligerent partner to take the game to the opposition, but shortly before tea Keedy struck again when Jones edged the ball to Flintoff at slip.

Ealham eventually departed for 79, caught by Carl Hooper off the bowling of Martin, and with his departure went Kent's chances of salvaging a draw. Glen Chapple accounted for DSheriyar and Tredwell, and the red rose county headed back north with a first victory of the season in the bag.

Lancashire 347 (Flintoff 155, Chapple 66, Ealham 5-54) and 334 (Loye 86, Law 67, Tredwell 4-114)
beat Kent 267 (Jones 92, Keedy 5-91) and 339 (Ealham 79, Smith 56, Walker 52, Chapple 4-66, Keedy 4-79)
by 75 runs.
Lancashire 20 points, Kent 5 points.


Surrey v Sussex, AMP Oval

Day 1 close Surrey 401-8 (Thorpe 156, Hollioake 77, Brown 74, Kirtley 3-90)
Day 2 close Surrey 480 (Thorpe 156, Hollioake 77, Brown 74, Martin-Jenkins 3-86) and 22-0, Sussex 307 (Ambrose 75, Martin-Jenkins 61, Goodwin 60, Ormond 4-80)
Day 3 close Surrey 480 (Thorpe 156, Hollioake 77, Brown 74, Martin-Jenkins 3-86) and 233-3 dcl. (Ward 135, Batty 56, Innes 2-64), Sussex 307 (Ambrose 75, Martin-Jenkins 61, Goodwin 60, Ormond 4-80) and 12-0

Surrey made early inroads into the Sussex second innings yesterday at the AMP Oval. Azhar Mahmood drew first blood as Murray Goodwin played on with the total on 45, bringing a stubborn Michael Yardy to the crease. Yardy, dismissed for a duck in the first innings was determined to make amends second time around, and so it turned out.

Saqlain Mushtaq was brought on towards the end of the morning session, and when he grabbed three wickets for just two runs almost immediately one could be forgiven for thinking that the end was not far away. He winkled out Richard Montgomerie, caught by substitute Nadeem Shahid, then bowled Chris Adams and Tim Andrews to leave the visitors in serious trouble at 85-4.

After lunch, Robin Martin-Jenkins took the attack to Surrey, adding 113 in an extraordinary one-sided partnership with the impassive Yardy in under two hours. The return of Mahmood accounted for Martin-Jenkins, clean bowled by an inswinging yorker for a fine 88 which contained 14 boundaries. The same bowler also did for Prior, caught in the deep by Mark Ramprakash after wafting at a short one.

Ian Salisbury dismissed James Kirtley, bringing Mushtaq Ahmed to the middle. Ahmed and Yardy added 51 for the ninth wicket as the match went into the final hour. With time running out, Surrey turned to Saqlain once more and he trapped his counterpart lbw. Then, with less than six overs remaining, James Ormond enticed Yardy with an outswinger. The edge was found, Mahmood took the catch and Surrey had won. Yardy had battled for over five hours for his 69.

Surrey 480 (Thorpe 156, Hollioake 77, Brown 74, Martin-Jenkins 3-86) and 233-3 dcl. (Ward 135, Batty 56, Innes 2-64)
beat
Sussex 307 (Ambrose 75, Martin-Jenkins 61, Goodwin 60, Ormond 4-80) and 293 (Martin-Jenkins 88, Yardy 69, Saqlain Mushtaq 5-73, Azhar Mahmood 3-76)
by 113 runs
Surrey 22 points, Sussex 6 points


Posted by Eddie