COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Old Trafford:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO Yorkshire 181, Lancashire 219-2 (Lancs 4pts, Yorks 0pts)
31 July - 3 August 2009

Paul Horton fell 16 runs short of his first Championship ton of the season

Only 33 overs were possible on day two at Old Trafford, but in the short time possible Lancashire seized the initiative to close on 219-2.

Tom Smith was unable to add to his overnight score of 40, before falling to Matthew Hoggard in the sixth ball of the day.

Fellow-opener Paul Horton went on to make 84, but he fell to Tim Bresnan, and a second catch for Gerard Brophy.

Mal Loye (61no) and VVS Laxman (23no) saw the home side safely to the close.

Hoggard getting rid of Smith got Yorkshire off to the best possible start. Smith was caught behind by a juggling Brophy and Lancashire were 107-1 in the 37th over.

Horton had added 23 runs to his overnight score when rained forced the players off the field just before lunch.

When they returned in early evening, Horton was soon caught behind down the leg-side by Brophy off Bresnan, without adding to his score.

It was left to Loye to contine his steady run of form, and he reached his third championship 50 of the season off 73 balls when he pulled Ajmal Shahzad for a confident boundary.

The 36 year-old closed the day unbeaten on 61 off 93 balls, as he shared an unbroken 63 for the third wicket with Laxman.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version