It’s Red Rose’s day in relegation crunch

LANCASHIRE enjoyed an excellent opening day of their Specsavers County Championship relegation battle with Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley.

Led by seam trio Graham Onions, Tom Bailey and debutant Richard Gleeson, the Red Rose survived Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s superb unbeaten 105 – his second century in two matches – to bowl their hosts out for 209 shortly before tea.

Kohler-Cadmore, dropped on 44 by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas in the penultimate over of the morning, was central to Yorkshire’s recovery from early strife at 33 for four.

But this was the Red Rose’s day as they closed on 105 without loss from 35 overs, including Alex Davies’ unbeaten 57.

The two sides started this fixture second and third bottom in Division One, with Lancashire a point ahead.

Onions, who celebrated his 36th birthday the day before this game, was handed his Lancashire cap by cricket director Paul Allott on the outfield before warm-ups.

Bailey was particularly impressive with the new ball, claiming three wickets in his opening nine-over burst under the Headingley floodlights and finishing with three for 18 from 14.

Onions made the initial breakthrough by bowling New Zealand opener Jeet Raval as the score fell to 20 for one in the 10th over following an uncontested toss.

Bailey then had Harry Brook caught behind driving, Adam Lyth the same way pushing forwards and Gary Ballance lbw as he played to leg as the White Rose slipped into trouble in helpful bowling conditions.

Bailey’s first wicket was his 50th in the Championship this season, a career first for the 27-year-old Prestonian.

Onions reached that same milestone in last week’s tie with Somerset at Taunton, though not for the first time.

Onions and Bailey are the division’s leading wicket-takers.

Kohler-Cadmore and Jonny Tattersall helped Yorkshire recover either side of lunch with a 105-run stand for the sixth wicket, with the former the dominant force as he cut well and swept strongly against Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin.

Both Kohler-Cadmore and Tattersall are making their first Roses Championship appearances.

Unfortunately for the hosts, they slipped again having done the hard work.

After reaching 138 for four, Yorkshire lost four for 39 – three of them to Onions in 13 balls – to fall to 177 for eight. He had Tattersall lbw playing to leg and Tim Bresnan and Matthew Waite caught behind, the latter down leg.

Gleeson, on debut having signed from Northants over the weekend, then yorked captain Steve Patterson in the 53rd over.

Kohler-Cadmore, who hit 106 in a draw at Notts last week, reached his latest hundred off 121 balls with 16 fours and a six, by which time Yorkshire were nine wickets down as Gleeson had Jack Brooks caught at deep square-leg hooking (187 for nine).

Kohler-Cadmore’s six was slog swept over deep mid-wicket off South Africa spinner Maharaj.

Gleeson wrapped up the innings by getting Ben Coad caught at backward point.

Davies and opening partner Karl Brown then strengthened Lancashire’s grip.

Davies drove well through the covers and down the ground, although offered a sharp catch to a diving Lyth at second slip off Patterson on 36.

He reached his 50 off 73 balls inside the day’s final 10 overs. Brown will begin day two unbeaten on 43.