Bell and Trott dig in as Warwickshire claim draw

IAN Bell and Jonathan Trott deployed all their experience to ensure that the Specsavers County Championship match between Lancashire and Warwickshire at Emirates Old Trafford ended in a draw.

After Lancashire had declared on 266 for eight late in a morning session during which both Haseeb Hameed and Liam Livingstone had made centuries, the visiting batsmen showed no great interest in scoring the 312 runs they needed to win in a minimum of 72 overs.

When the players shook hands after 10 of the 16 mandatory overs in the last hour had been bowled, Warwickshire were 195 for two with Bell on 55 not out and Trott unbeaten on 50. Lancashire take 11 points from the game and remain top of the Division One table, while Warwickshire receive 10 points.

Two wickets fell in the afternoon session but none at all after tea. Andy Umeed was caught at the wicket by Steven Croft off Kyle Jarvis for 17 when attempting a most inelegant cut and Varun Chopra was leg before wicket to a Matt Parkinson top-spinner for 48.

In the morning session, however, Hameed had reached three figures for the first time in his Lancashire career and Liam Livingstone made his second century of the season as Lancashire scored 96 runs in 90 minutes before declaring.

Hameed and Livingstone made predictably contrasting progress to their respective landmarks. Hameed reached his maiden century in 340 minutes and off 291 balls when he tucked a ball from Rikki Clarke backward of square on the leg side and scampered a couple of runs. He hit seven fours in the course of his innings.

Rather by contrast, Livingstone got to a hundred with a mighty six over long-on and then a straight-driven four off Clarke’s next ball. He faced 115 balls and reached his century in 181 minutes, hitting 12 fours and two sixes. His first-class average this season is now 97.8.

Sandwiched by these two warmly-applauded events was a rather happier over for Clarke, the 92nd of the innings, when the Warwickshire seamer took three wickets in four balls: first he trapped Hameed leg before with a full-length ball for 103; then he had Arron Lilley caught behind by Tim Ambrose first ball when the batsman swished at a short delivery; and Clarke completed his trio of wickets by then disturbing Neil Wagner’s stumps before the batsman had scored.

Clarke finished the innings with three for 54 while Keith Barker took three for 62.