Lancashire fail to quell batting fears against depleted Nottinghamshire
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Version 0 of 1. Fears that Lancashire's batting will once again struggle to live up to the rigours of Division One cricket were not helped by the circumstances of their first ask of 2014. Newly promoted and without their fulcrum, Simon Katich, who averaged 73 for them last season but retired for a new career as an Australian rules football coach over the winter, a top order that malfunctioned on the way down two years ago were blown away in seamer-friendly conditions. When Lancashire went down in 2012, only Ashwell Prince of their top six averaged in excess of 30. Against a Nottinghamshire attack shorn of Stuart Broad, Peter Siddle and Andre Adams because of various availability issues, they struggled to negate the moving ball effectively. Indeed, both edges of the bat were challenged as half-a-dozen dismissals littered the two and a half hours shoehorned between morning and afternoon rain. The stand-in captain, Paul Horton, was trapped by a full delivery from the impressive Luke Fletcher and Luis Reece groped at one from left-armer Harry Gurney inside the opening six overs. Then, either side of Jake Ball celebrating his County Championship debut with a double strike, Andrea Agathangelou and the teenage wicketkeeper Alex Davies paid for misjudgments at deliveries that jagged back. However, Horton offered a more watertight defence post-play when he said: "Whenever you lose guys from your batting lineup that have played Test cricket it obviously does leave a hole. But in 2011, we didn't have Simon Katich and guys stepped up that year, so let's hope that's the way it plays again. "One of the batting spots has now become available and that offers the chance for someone to grab it with both hands. Unless you are ever given an opportunity, how do you become a Simon Katich? "Whether it's with ball or bat in your hand you need an extended period to be judged. If you judged me today, I got nought from 22 balls and I wouldn't be a very good player. People need a chance to get used to the environment and conditions at this time of year are bowler-friendly, so huge credit goes to you if you do score some runs." It took only four deliveries for Lancashire to account for Nottinghamshire's last man Gurney, although it was not James Anderson adding to his impressive haul of 54 first-class wickets in seven and a half matches here but Kabir Ali, an England bowler with a more distant past. Hitting the seam on a good length, the ball homed in on the top of off-stump to set the tone for the second day. |