Lancashire secure comfortable win in Roses clash

Luke Wells starred with bat and ball, before Washington Sundar hit the winning runs at York

York: Yorkshire 224, Lancashire 228-3 - Lancashire win by seven wickets

An on-point bowling display set up a comfortable Roses win at a packed York CC as Luke Wells-led Lancashire got their Royal London Cup campaign underway at the second attempt.

In front of a 4,449 crowd at sunny Clifton Park, Yorkshire were bowled out for 224 inside 49 overs. Danny Lamb returned 3 for 32 from five, including two of his wickets in one over to put the skids under the Vikings on the same pitch which saw them total 353 for 5 in Tuesday's win over Northamptonshire.

Wells returned 2 for 25 from eight overs of leg-spin before opening the batting and racing to a career best 88 off 67 balls with 12 fours and a trio of sixes, paving the way for a seven-wicket win with nine overs remaining.  Washington Sundar, 30 not out, hit the winning runs.

Victory came after Lancashire's opening Group B game against Essex at Sedbergh on Tuesday was washed out. Nine Yorkshire players reached double figures with only Will Fraine reaching 40. He top-scored with 41 against a Red Rose attack including miserly trio Will Williams, Wells and Indian overseas off-spinner Sundar.

Openers Fraine and Harry Duke - both centurions when Northamptonshire were beaten here on Tuesday - shared a solid 66 inside 12 overs. But Lancashire, who elected to bowl, struck three times for nine runs in 16 balls to assert their authority at 75 for three in the 14th over on a fast-scoring ground.

Williams, their metronomic seam bowling New Zealander, had Duke feathering behind for 17 in the 12th over before Lamb struck twice in the 14th, getting Fraine caught at mid-on off a leading edge and George Hill lbw for a three-ball duck. Four overs later Will Luxton - also for 17 - edged Lamb behind (96 for 4).

Jack Blatherwick struck twice in four overs, leaving Yorkshire at 132 for 6 in the 26th. He had Matthew Waite caught and bowled off a leading edge and Matthew Revis caught at backward point off a top edge.

^{Washington Sundar was not out at the end (George Wood/Getty Images)}

And when Dom Bess fell lbw sweeping at Sundar (1 for 35 from 10 overs), Yorkshire were 137 for 7 after 27. Captain Jonny Tattersall's calm 34 was nowhere near enough. And he joined the procession when trapped lbw trying to work Wells to leg. At 169 for 8 in the 34th, Yorkshire were all but goners.

Tom Loten had earlier hit his second ball for six off Blatherwick, and he and Ben Coad (20) at least shared 35 - the second highest partnership of the innings - to ensure respectability at 200. Coad then fell to another miscue off Wells to Sundar - 204 for 9 in the 44th.

Loten's six began an unbeaten 32, and Yorkshire's innings ended when Harry Sullivan holed out to deep backward square off Williams, who was superb with 2 for 30 from 9.3 overs. The miscues indicated a slower pitch than Tuesday's. But only marginally so.

In reply, Lancashire initially batted with caution. Only 23 runs came in the first five overs. But once the platform was laid, they hit cruise control. The loss of captain and recent Yorkshire tormentor Keaton Jennings for only 20, caught at first slip off Coad, was no issue at 37 for 1 in the ninth.

Jennings has scored 132, 238 and 75 against Yorkshire in Championship and Blast cricket in the last 13 months. Wells was strong square of the wicket and used his feet expertly against spin, hitting sixes over long-on, long-off and midwicket.

He dominated a 102-stand with Josh Bohannon before pulling Revis to long-leg, leaving the score at 139 for 2 after 21. Bohannon then put the icing on the cake with 51 before dragging on to Loten. But, at 177 for 3 in the 30th, the game had long since been won on a day which saw county cricket shine bright.

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