County Championship: Lancashire & Nottinghamshire heading to draw after rain affects third day

Steven Croft was playing his first four-day game since July

Lancashire made 225-6 on a rain-shortened third day against Nottinghamshire at Emirates Old Trafford in a game steadily heading towards a draw having already lost two days to the weather.

Steven Croft top-scored for the hosts with 45, while 20-year-old Matty Hurst made an assured unbeaten 35 on debut after openers Keaton Jennings and Luke Wells had posted 84 for the first wicket.

Stephen Mullaney and Asitha Fernando claimed two wickets apiece for the visitors, who had opted to bowl first, as they hit back mid-morning with a three-wicket burst in an even contest.

Jennings and Wells produced a positive response after skipper Mullaney won the toss, with an excellent partnership during the opening 20 overs as the Nottinghamshire bowlers initially appeared to struggle on a slow pitch.

The Lancashire openers took advantage of any full deliveries, with Jennings in particular striking early boundaries that swiftly took the Red Rose captain past the 10,000 first-class runs landmark.

The 50-run partnership arrived from 84 balls with Mullaney rotating his attack in the hunt for a breakthrough and that arrived from the first ball of the 21st over when Wells, having driven nicely thus far, missed a full-pitched ball from Fernando to be bowled for 28.

That was the first of three wickets to fall for seven runs in three overs as Mullaney - 2-32 - then had Jennings lbw for 42 and Josh Bohannon (six) well taken at the second attempt by wicketkeeper Tom Moores.

George Bell hit five boundaries in a rapid 26 either side of lunch before inside-edging another full delivery from Fernando on to his middle stump.

George Balderson followed one run later after edging behind off Brett Hutton to leave the hosts 133-5, and it took a partnership of 48 runs between veteran all-rounder Croft and debutant Hurst to steady the Lancashire innings.

Croft, playing his first four-day game since July, hit eight boundaries in his 45 before departing to a great catch by Matt Montgomery off Calvin Harrison. That was reward for the leg-spinner, who had Hurst dropped on eight at short mid-wicket in his first over.

Once settled, Hurst mixed some attacking shots, including lofting Harrison for four over mid-wicket, with solid defence in a determined 80-ball innings.

Tom Bailey (19 not out) thumped the only six of the day off Harrison, but two balls later rain arrived to take the players off the pitch with 35 overs left and an hour later the umpires abandoned play for the day at 17:00 BST.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.