Northants set target of 321 by Lancashire
Northamptonshire are set a target of 321 to beat Lancashire as they close day three on 9-1.
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, County Ground, Northampton (day three) Lancashire 384 & 194: Singh Dale 44*; Conway 4-38 Northamptonshire 258: Anderson 5-66 & 9-1: Anderson 1-5 Northants (4 pts) require 312 more runs to beat Lancashire (6 pts) Match scorecard Northamptonshire's Australian quick bowler Harry Conway claimed 4-38, including three wickets in one over, on a dramatic third day of their County Championship match against Lancashire at Wantage Road. Bowling aggressively and finding plenty of bounce and movement, the tall Australian's initial burst either side of lunch helped reduce Lancashire to 18-4 and while Luke Wells made 40, no top-order batter looked comfortable, leg-spinner Calvin Harrison also claiming 4-55. But with batting growing far easier against the older ball, Ajeet Singh Dale (44 not out) and Tom Bailey (35) put on 69 for the ninth wicket as Lancashire closed on 194, setting Northamptonshire 321 to win.
With four overs to face before stumps, Northamptonshire quickly lost Ricardo Vasconcelos, caught behind off Jimmy Anderson, but closed on 9-1, needing another 312 to win. Earlier Lewis McManus ended unbeaten after his battling 75 helped the hosts avoid the follow-on and secure a precious batting point. McManus and Conway extended their invaluable tenth wicket partnership to 60 before Tom Bailey took the final wicket to finish with 4-51 as Northamptonshire finished 258 all out.
The pair had resumed with the Steelbacks trailing by 169 runs. Conway edged the day's first boundary, but McManus looked assured with a crisp straight drive off Singh Dale. Conway saved the follow-on with a flourish, taking two boundaries off George Balderson as runs started to flow.
McManus pulled Tom Hartley emphatically for four and Conway clubbed Wells through extra cover before he was trapped lbw with the second new ball. In an eventful spell prior to lunch, Northamptonshire made swift inroads. Ben Sanderson made the first breakthrough, bowling Harry Singh with a nipbacker, before Conway struck twice in two balls thanks to two stunning catches behind the wicket.