Lancs v Yorks Day 3 Match Report - County Champ

By JMB
September 15 2006

Anthony McGrath continued his successful season with an innings of character to keep Yorkshire Roses hopes alive. A 227 ball century maintained Yorkshire's fight for survival in this seasons County Championship Division 1.

On the day when any hope Anthony McGrath had of adding to his 18 international appearances was extinguished by his omission from England's 30-man one-day squad, the Yorkshireman played an innings of traditional Roses stubbornness to frustrate Lancashire's championship ambitions and show that his side will not accept relegation without a fight.

McGrath grafted to a 227-ball century, which - following his first-innings 65 - was the fifth consecutive championship innings against Lancashire in which he has passed 50, and shared a second-wicket partnership of 183 with his captain Craig White that makes it hard to envisage anything other than a drawn match.

After Lancashire had built up a first innings lead of 96, Yorkshire lost Joe Sayers with only six scored. But White and McGrath batted well into the evening to provide Yorkshire with a glimmer of hope of beating the Championship's Division One leaders later today. McGrath converted his fifth consecutive Roses half-century into 102, his fourth ton of the season, while White stayed unbeaten on 78.

The irony for McGrath is that he has never played better since being prematurely discarded and placed on the scrapheap by England two years' ago. Last summer he finished with 1,425 Championship runs at an average of 59.37 and with four matches still to go he can do even better this time.

Progress was patient rather than spectacular as McGrath completed his 12th half-century of the summer off 94 balls. By tea the pair had moved Yorkshire into credit by 23 runs, taking the score to 119 for one. White's 50 was slower, using up 173 minutes and 120 balls off which he struck eight boundaries.

The next milestone was McGrath's faultless century off 227 balls, his second 50 including just two fours, but he then flicked at a bouncer from Oliver Newby and was caught behind.

Nightwatchman Steve Patterson, survived until the close with White who had then faced 208 deliveries and hit 11 boundaries.

The day had begun less well for Yorkshire with Lancashire hurrying on from 359 for six to 441 all out, Luke Sutton advancing his overnight 109 to a career-best unbeaten 151 from 271 deliveries with 15 fours. It was the highest score ever made by a Lancashire wicketkeeper, beating Farokh Engineer's 141 against Derbyshire at Buxton back in 1971.