Bohannon’s battling 94 keeps Lancs in the hunt
RED ROSE STRUGGLE AGAINST DERBYS
JOSH Bohannon saved Lancashire’s blushes at Aigburth with a brilliant 94 as the Red Rose made heavy work of reaching 206-8 on the first day of their Bob Willis Trophy clash with Derbyshire.
The Bolton-born batsman was at the crease for just shy of five hours before departing in the 90s for his second consecutive game in Liverpool following last season’s unbeaten 98.
But the 23-year-old could be proud of his efforts considering his dominance of a disappointing scorecard for the hosts.
In truth, Bohannon’s belligerence was much need by the hosts on a day when runs were hard to come by - partly due to the accuracy of Derbyshire’s bowlers and partly due to a slow outfield saturated by overnight rain.
“I’m obviously very happy but also gutted because it felt like I’d grafted enough to deserve a century, but if you’d offered me 94 at the start of the day I would have taken it,” he said.
“It was great to spend time in the middle and I hope I get another chance in this game, but if not I’m happy to take that as my last knock in red ball cricket this season and I take a lot of confidence from it.
“If they bowl in good areas with a straight field it is tough and it really felt like we had to graft. It wasn’t a boundary pitch and the outfield was a bit slow.
Bohannon was in early as Keaton Jennings was trapped lbw by Sam Connors from the first delivery of the match.
Alex Davies departed soon after without scoring, when he was also adjudged lbw following an excellent delivery from former Lancastrian Luis Reece, to leave the Red Rose teetering on 2-2.
“It was an early start for me and I’d just got a cup of tea but you’ve always got to be ready,” added Bohannon. “To be honest I don’t mind because I’m not great at waiting to bat.
“It was good to see of the new ball and then bat a bit longer and I’ve worked a lot over the winter to get used to facing the new ball and change the way I play and yet still stay positive so I take a lot of pride in batting for that length of time.”
Bohannon was joined in the middle by Rob Jones and the pair staged something of a recovery, compiling 56 for the third wicket in the face of some tight bowling from Reece and Dustin Melton, before Jones departed caught at first slip by Leus du Plooy off Melton for 23 to leave Lancashire 71-3 at lunch.
The impressive Reece enticed Dane Vilas to edge behind to keeper Harvey Hosein in the first over following the break as the skipper departed for four.
Bohannon was joined at the crease by debutant George Lavelle who batted for just short of an hour for a battling 13 until Melton trapped him front with the score on 108.
Bohannon reached a deserved half centry off 125 balls when he pulled Melton through midwicket for one of just six boundaries in his painstaking innings. He eventually fell when he clipped a ball off Melton to Fynn Hudson-Prentice at midwicket for what was a disappointing end to a fine knock.