Sibley and Ambrose lead Warwickshire’s resistance

At Old Trafford Lancashire 504-8 dec lead Warwicks 200 and 275-6 by 29 runs

Half centuries by Dom Sibley and Tim Ambrose held up secondplaced Lancashire’s hopes of a Specsavers County Championship victory over Warwickshire at Old Trafford yesterday.

The struggling Bears have largely been outplayed in this fixture but they enjoyed their best period for two-and-a-half sessions in their second innings.

The day started with Lancashire advancing their first-innings reply from 484 for six to 504 for eight declared, losing Liam Livingstone for 224 and captain Ryan Mclaren for 21 to seamer Ryan Sidebottom.

That left Warwickshire with a 304-run deficit at the start of their second innings and they closed on 275 for six from 85 overs. Opener Sibley hit 57 off 106 balls and Ambrose 76 not out off 142 to leave the visitors’ deficit standing at 29.

Warwickshire started encouragingly by reaching 41 without loss at lunch but then lost four afternoon wickets. Lancashire’s stand-in captain Mclaren claimed two of those wickets after Jordan Clark had made the breakthrough.

Livingstone later got Sibley, who had reached his 50 off 85 balls, caught at leg slip by Haseeb Hameed as the score fell to 117 for four in the 38th over.

Clark had Andy Umeed (19) caught behind, leaving the score at 52 for one in the 17th, before Mclaren removed current and former captains Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell lbw for 16 and 15.

Matthew Parkinson had Matthew Lamb caught at slip for 26 before having Keith Barker lbw reverse sweeping.