Chapple reaches landmark

Glen Chapple

Glen Chapple became only the tenth Lancastrian to reach 5,000 first-class runs and take 500 wickets as honours finished even on another rain-hit day of the Liverpool Victoria Division One County Championship clash with Hampshire.

After rain had delayed the start at Old Trafford for the third day running, Chapple and Dominic Cork resumed their first innings on 148 for six - still 46 runs behind Hampshire's 194.

And on a day curtailed by another downpour at tea, Hampshire's Nic Pothas became the first wicket-keeper in the club's history to claim seven victims in a first-class innings.

He overtook the likes of George Ubsdell, Bryan Timms, GR Stephenson, Bob Parks (three times), Adrian Aymes and, most recently, John Crawley who had all previously taken six.

Chapple had been dropped by James Adams in the fourth over of the day but just a few overs later Cork was not so fortunate.

Prodding forward to a Dimitri Mascarenhas delivery the ball spooned up off bat and pad and landed safely in the hands of Pothas.

Chapple, however, carried on taking the attack to the Hampshire bowlers, hitting eight fours in a 79-ball half century.

By this point he had been joined at the crease by 20-year-old debutant Tom Smith, whose early objective was to hang around and support his senior partner.

He did this very well in an eighth-wicket partnership of 40, as Chapple made his way to 70 before chipping a Richard Logan slower ball to cover.

Despite being extremely annoyed with the tame nature of his dismissal, he will have been delighted to see Smith drag Lancashire to a
30-run lead.

The former England Under-19s star hit three boundaries, including a lusty blow over mid-wicket off England spinner Shaun Udal, before being caught behind in the second over after lunch by Pothas off James Bruce.

To add to the records, Bruce finished with his best first-class figures of 4-52 - beating his previous best of 3-42.

When Hampshire started their second innings, openers Adams and Michael Brown got off to a solid start.

The pair both moved into the twenties on the way to an unbeaten partnership of 54 at tea - and a second-innings lead of 24.