Yorkies deliver at home of Red Rose
IT’S not often Yorkshiremen get roared to the rafters at Emirates Old Trafford.
In fact, they are more likely to be told where to go.
But three of them lit up the home of Lancashire to help give England a commanding seven-wicket victory in the opening match of the five-game Royal London one-day series against the West Indies.
Jonny Bairstow scored 99 in the fourth Test against South Africa here earlier in the summer. And he sent a message to the selectors that he deserves a run opening in limited overs cricket by going one run better, registering his first ODI century.
Joe Root continued his love affair with the ground, backing up his 254 and 52 in Test matches here over the last two years with 54 in 52 balls as he and his Headingley team-mate shared a match-winning 125run stand in just 19.1 overs as England romped home with 67 balls to spare.
And spinner Adil Rashid played a crucial role in pulling the West Indies back from a lightning start - powered by Chris Gayle with an economical nine overs, taking 2-31.
All that despite a dreadful start by Root, who dropped Gayle at slip off the third ball of the day. If there is one player in world cricket you don’t want to drop, it’s the big man from Jamaica.
It looked as if it could be a painful drop too, as Gayle began smashing England all round Old Trafford. He launched three huge sixes as he raced to 37 from 27 balls.
But Root made up for his error with a brilliant catch over his shoulder running back towards the boundary to get rid of Gayle off the bowling of Chris Woakes.
After that, the Windies struggled to continue that impetus throughout their full 42 overs, stuttering to 204-9.
The match was reduced from 50 overs because of a two-hour delay to the start due to a damp outfield. The 15,000 crowd were left frustrated as, even though the sun was out, the umpires and captains – with player safety at the forefront of their concerns – ruled the outfield was unfit in certain areas.
They have certainly not been helped by the wet summer, but the ongoing issues over the outfield at Emirates Old Trafford following concerts must be addressed by Lancashire.
This is not something new at the ground. Ever since the club started using the stadium for money-spinning gigs, there have been issues over the damage they do to the playing surface.
While the wicket has never been an issue, the outfield has. Last year there were worries ahead of the Test match, and this season the ground has never really fully recovered from hosting The Courteeners, the One Love Manchester event and a Radiohead concert, problems that have been exacerbated by the poor summer.
There were no concerns once the game started, but the reoccuring issues don’t paint a good reflection on Lancashire and they will have to take care in future that it doesn’t end up costing them in the long run - especially with the Ashes coming in 2019.
Lancashire are in a right tussle with Middlesex after the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Lord’s. The Red Rose had last season’s title winners, who are in a battle against relegation, in real trouble on 89-7 at one point as Ryan McLaren (4-63) and Tom Bailey (5-54) ripped through their top and middle order.
But a 102-run stand from Ollie Rayner (52no) and Toby Roland-Jones (53) saw them post 233 in their first innings.
Lancashire were soon in trouble themselves, with Haseeb Hameed, Alex Davies, Liam Livingstone and Dane Vilas all falling cheaply to leave them 56-4. Shiv Chanderpaul and Steven Croft steadied the ship, but the West Indies ace fell for 29 to leave the Red Rose 113-5 at close, with Croft 33no.