Lancashire rally after Middleton ton for Hampshire
Fletcha Middleton was seven runs short of his first-class best 116
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division One, Emirates Old Trafford (day one)
Hampshire 330-9: Middleton 109, Gubbins 75; Wells 3-69
Lancashire: Yet to bat
Lancashire 3 pts, Hampshire 2 pts
Lancashire took five wickets with the second new ball to fight back against Hampshire on a finely-poised day one at Old Trafford.
A second first-class century from Fletcha Middleton (109) had put the visitors in command, including a second wicket stand of 151 with Nick Gubbins (75) to take them to 158-1.
However, three wickets apiece from Tom Aspinwall and Luke Wells dragged the Red Rose towards parity after they had asked Hampshire to bat.
But Liam Dawson remains on 46 not out after leading his side to 330-9 at stumps.
Lancashire began the day in Division One's bottom two and would have wanted early wickets after captain Keaton Jennings had decided to bowl.
They managed one as Toby Albert edged to first slip off Aspinwall for six, but Hampshire were untroubled after that.
Middleton and Gubbins batted excellently and both reached their half-centuries after lunch as the side in fourth in the Championship started to eye a big total.
Gubbins was noteworthy for some fine drives and their stand had just gone past 150 when the number three edged behind off Wells' spin, giving it away when a century looked his for the taking.
He was followed in the next over by captain James Vince, who was out for five, injudiciously trying to hit England spinner Tom Hartley over the top.
But Middleton found good support from Ben Brown and reached his hundred off 173 balls, which contained 13 fine fours, particularly off the back foot.
He matched a landmark of his father, Tony, who hit a century at Old Trafford in 1992, the last time Hampshire won on this ground.
The 22-year-old was eventually bowled off an inside edge by Wells and that gave Lancashire a foothold in the match before the new ball came to their aid.
Brown (40) and Tom Prest, for one, were out to loose shots in consecutive Aspinwall overs as the willing 20-year-old claimed 3-96.
James Fuller survived two dropped catches before edging behind off George Balderson for 23, while both Kyle Abbott and John Turner went without scoring.
Last man Mohammad Abbas only had to survive one ball as Dawson saw the day through, ending four short of a battling half-century.
