Ashwell Prince made 230 as Lancashire enjoyed a successful day at Southport
Wednesday 27 May 2015 10:16, UK
Lancashire have the edge in their LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Derbyshire at Southport after South Africa’s Ashwell Prince compiled a fine 230.
Prince helped the hosts to a sizeable first innings score of 551, which gave them a lead of 181, and they then took a pair of late wickets as Derbyshire closed day three on 123-3.
Lancashire resumed on 348-4, with Prince 156 not out, and he added a further 74 before he was seventh man out after a stay lasting 349 balls, and featuring 28 boundaries and a pair of sixes.
Prince was given able assistance by Jordan Clark (39) who helped add 78 for the sixth wicket, and Arron Lilley (63), with whom he combined to put on 81 for the seventh.
Tom Taylor (4-113) removed Alex Davies (37) earlier in the day and Matt Critchley (3-50) was the man who finally removed Prince.
When Derbyshire began their second innings they lost skipper Billy Godleman for 7, caught by Lancashire captain Steven Croft off Tom Bailey.
Ben Slater (58) and Chesney Hughes (41) then added 98 for the second wicket but both fell with the score on 119, Croft taking two more catches.
Over at Beckenham, Surrey saw their chances of victory over Kent increased by three wickets in four balls for Zafar Ansari.
Kent appeared to be going well on 97-2 before Ansari's left-arm spin caused havoc - decimating the middle order by removing Sam Northeast, Fabian Cowdrey, Darren Stevens and Sam Billings cheaply as the hosts tumbled to 204 all out.
Earlier in the day, a spirited final-wicket stand of 36 between Tom Curran and Luke Fletcher had earned Surrey a 10-run first innings lead.
Kent set about building a lead of their own as Rob Key (26) and Northeast (26) both seemed set to provide opener Joe Denly (66) with the support he needed - only to fall to Matt Dunn and Ansari respectively.
When Denly was clean-bowled by Gareth Batty after Ansari's superb spell, Batty polished off the tail - leaving Surrey to reach 44-1 by stumps in pursuit of 195 for victory.
