Lancashire: Simmons remains optimistic (18 Sep 1998)

18 September 1998

Simmons remains optimistic

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Super optimist Jack Simmons will not concede defeat in Lancashire's championship bid until it becomes mathematically impossible.

Leaders Leicestershire were on the brink of clinching the title today after piling up 349-4 on the first day of their game against Surrey while Lancashire were all out for 185 against Hampshire.

But the Red Rose chairman had still worked out a way for Lancashire finish top. "First, we need to beat Hampshire and get 20 points," he said. "Then, assuming Leicester go on to get a big score against Surrey, we need Surrey to avoid the follow-on without losing seven wickets.

"If they manage to do that, and it sounds like a pretty good pitch at The Oval, then I think they would declare behind Leicester, because they need a win to have any chance themselves.

"And then Leicester would have to declare in their second innings, because they would still need to win to finish above us. That's so long as we beat Hampshire."

It may sound complicated, but the Simmons theory actually makes a lot of sense. Leicester started the second day of the last round of matches needing seven more points to put the title out of Lancashire's reach. They needed only a single to pick up a fourth batting point with a total of 350 and they would take three more for a draw, meaning that three bowling points - seven wickets - would give them the title.

If the points were level Lancashire would win after having won more games.

Lancashire could still regret their failure to pick up any batting points yesterday.

Skipper Wasim Akram won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch which groundsman Peter Marron confidently predicted would favour the spinners. But instead Lancashire were wrecked by the Hampshire seamers in gloomy conditions. They slumped to 90-6 with only Mike Atherton, who battled 40 overs for 45, resisting long as former Yorkshire seamer Alex Morris picked up four wickets and Dimitri Mascarenhas two.

Ian Austin, with a quick 27, and Gary Yates, who hit 37, did their best to take Lancashire beyond 200 for their first point but for once the lower order was not quite up to the task, with Wasim, Peter Martin and Yates all getting themselves out going for big hits to leave stubborn last man Gary Keedy stranded 15 runs short.

"There was more moisture in the pitch than we expected but some of our batsmen could have fought a little bit harder," said coach Dav Whatmore. Lancashire responded superbly, Martin and Austin claiming one wicket each and Wasim three in a blistering opening spell to leave Hampshire tottering on 79-5 - with the pitch already turning for spinners Keedy and Yates.

But depending on what happens at The Oval today, the damage may already have been done.

At least Lancashire are in no danger of a points penalty for the state of the pitch. The umpires usually have to report a pitch to Lord's when 15 wickets fall on the first day, but the English Cricket Board had sent a member of their pitches committee to Old Trafford and The Oval yesterday, and he gave Lancashire the all clear.

Dav Whatmore has signed a two-year extension to his contract.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (http://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)

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