Middlesex draw at Lancs guarantees Glamorgan go up
During his innings of 87, Lancashire batter Josh Bohannon passed 6,000 first-class runs
- Published
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day four)
Middlesex 211 & 99-4: Hollman 33; Bailey 3-47
Lancashire 375-5 dec: Bohannon 87, Hurst 67*, Wells 62, Jennings 61; Roland-Jones 2-49
Lancashire (14 pts) drew with Middlesex (9 pts)
Lancashire and Middlesex played out a draw on the final day of their County Championship Division Two game, a result which guaranteed Glamorgan claiming the second promotion spot.
Middlesex began the week 30 points behind the Welsh county and needing a victory, but the bad weather and their own below-par performance meant that never looked likely.
After just 75.4 overs were possible across the first three days, a draw was always on the cards, even though Lancashire batted with real purpose.
They added 270 runs in only 44 overs to declare on 375-5 thanks to Josh Bohannon's 87, an unbeaten 67 from Matty Hurst, 62 from Luke Wells and 61 from Keaton Jennings.
That put them 164 runs ahead, and despite a few wobbles, Middlesex had reached 99-4 when players shook hands.
Resuming on 105-0, Lancashire opener Wells had added only two to his overnight score when he was trapped lbw by Toby Roland-Jones.
But number three Bohannon provided plenty of entertainment in a 69-ball knock that contained 14 fours and two big hook shots for six off Henry Brookes.
A third century of the season looked his for the taking, but he was bowled by Roland-Jones going for another big shot.
Jennings' effort was far more sedate until he was bowled to become the maiden first-class wicket for 18-year-old Sebastian Morgan.
However, Hurst maintained the positive approach, hitting three fours and four sixes in 68 balls either side of lunch to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
George Bell was lbw to Ryan Higgins for 17 and Michael Jones was Morgan's second wicket as he holed out at deep point for 33, while George Balderson smashed 23 in 12 balls before the batters were called in.
Nominally, Lancashire had 50 overs to try to force an unlikely victory and Tom Bailey had Josh de Caires lbw for 15.
Bailey took two more wickets bowling his off-breaks to finish with 3-47, with umpires stating that only spin could be bowled, while there was a wicket on debut for young off-spinner Arav Shetty as he bowled Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy for five.
For Lancashire, it means they end a miserable Championship home season without a single victory after enduring six draws and one defeat and much to ponder during the winter once the season concludes.
