Vilas puts Lancs on top before weather takes over
Bowlers face a race against time to force win in opening match
LANCASHIRE’S bowlers will need to take 10 wickets relatively cheaply on the final day at Emirates Old Trafford if they are to guide their side to victory in their opening LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex.
Only 42.3 overs were possible yesterday and in the first half of that allotment the home side were dismissed for 407, giving them a firstinnings lead of 106.
Skipper Dane Vilas, unbeaten on 158 overnight, finished with 189.
However, openers Aaron Thomason and Tom Haines then resisted the Lancashire attack for 21 overs and Sussex were 38 without loss when bad light, sleet and rain ended play early on a bleak evening. That leaves the visitors with a deficit of 68 runs going into the final sessions of the game
In the first 90 minutes of play, Lancashire added 68 runs for the loss of their last five wickets, with skipper Vilas being last out for 189 – caught at deep point by Thomason off Jack Carson to give the Northern Irishman his second Championship wicket.
However, the day will be even more memorable for Sean Hunt, who trapped both Luke Wood and Danny Lamb leg before wicket and thus finished with three for 47 from 21 overs on his first-class debut.
A brace of mix-ups resulted in the run-outs of Tom Bailey and Tom
Hartley, but by then Lancashire had collected a full haul of five batting points. England prospect Ollie Robinson finished with two for 69 from 23 overs and Carson two for 106 from 24.4.
Needing to bat for at least a day in order to avoid defeat, Sussex suffered no setbacks in reducing the deficit to 84 before tea and the openers maintained that resolute approach in the short session that the weather allowed on the resumption.