2pm Craig Miles raises the ball to the stands after completing the impressive figures of 5 for 28 in 9.5 overs. Luke Wood finishes 46 not out, an ominous innings really, seeing as what it says about the rewards for application that are still out there. And a shout out to Manraj Johal on debut, whose 3 for 29 is a hugely promising first foray.
Ton Helwig: "For those complaining about the 10.30h start, last week's game at the Oval started at 10:30 as well and 1.394 runs were scored in two innings. In the Warwickshire vs Somerset game 1.204 runs were scored."
Big Bill, Bursl: "Afternoon, may I contribute a moan to proceedings? Something along the lines of 'not surprising Eng batters struggle at test level when the pitches they're used to make your average county trundler seem like the spirit of Spofforth himself'."
Stephen Tauber : "This final is a fiasco with the Lords pitch to blame yet again. When is Lords going to get the punishment they deserve? This had been going on for years and all this season, substandard pitches being prepared here. Cricket should not be all about win the toss, bowl first and win the match. What should have been a showpiece finale to the season has been ruined." Not convinced the pitch is to blame. It's been flat as a pancake at Lord's for years. But the overheads tend to make the ball talk here.
Fizz: "I would love to hear Sir Bob's acerbic comments about how the ECB have misused the great man's name. " Too damn right! He loathed the county grind, lest we forget! Bet he'd have loved tugging on his bowling boots in damn-near October... with Warwickshire's Championship already secured too...
MW Parkinson c †Burgess b Miles 4 (22m 6b 1x4 0x6) SR: 66.66
END OF OVER:27 | 11 Runs | LANCS: 77/9
- Luke Wood45 (56b)
- Matt Parkinson4 (5b)
- Manraj Johal8-3-29-3
- Craig Miles9-1-27-4
Jez: "Just wondering about a couple of curiosities here. Has the county season ever overlapped the Sheffield start? And has a domestic game ever finished 3 days early (if it finishes on day 2 of 5)?" Well, this one has ... And last season's final was deep into the early Champo rounds. As for your second query, watch and see!
END OF OVER:26 | 1 Run | LANCS: 66/9
- Matt Parkinson4 (5b)
- Luke Wood36 (49b)
- Craig Miles9-1-27-4
- Manraj Johal7-3-18-3
Les Bolton: "If the rain that just hit us in NE Hampshire hits Lord's (and it appears from the radar to be bang on target, probably about 2pm) then you're in for a quite a stoppage. The sun's coming back out now though." Bah
