Law guides Lancashire

30 June 2008

Stuart Law acknowledges the applause after reaching his hundred against Sussex

Stuart Law claimed his 100th century in all forms of cricket as he ended the day unbeaten on 156 as Lancashire finished with a 129-run lead against Sussex at Hove.

It was Law’s seventh century against Sussex and the player, who is 40 in October, has now notched up 728 runs at Hove in nine innings in all competitions.

His 150 arrived in 363 minutes off 262 balls with 17 fours and left Lancashire on 382 for eight off 124 overs.

Earlier, England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff had fallen for just six runs, despite crashing the second ball he faced straight down the ground for a trademark boundary.

Having failed to take a wicket in 15 overs when he started his LV County Championship comeback from injury yesterday, Flintoff survived just 13 more deliveries before being caught, going for another big hit over mid-wicket by young substitute fielder Will Adkin off Ollie Rayner’s bowling.

There seemed little doubt about his fitness after six weeks out of first-class cricket with a side strain and he bowled economically and aggressively in Sussex’s first innings, without luck, but his international return looks almost certain to be further delayed now.

Before this match Flintoff’s last three innings in the championship produced consecutive ducks.

Flintoff’s fall, after coming in at number eight, was a feather in the cap for Adkin, an 18-year-old member of the Sussex academy who plays his club cricket for East Grinstead and temporarily replaced fast bowler Jason Lewry in the field.

It was also just one aspect of an intriguing second day in the match between county champions Sussex and the team they just pipped to keep the title last year.

Umpire George Sharp takes cover when a huge swarm of bees fly across the outfield at Hove

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A swarm of bees flying in hundreds across the seaside ground held up play for over two minutes while players dived full length on the ground, taking cover.

One of them was Lancashire left-arm spin-bowler and supposed nightwatchman Gary Keedy who became an unlikely batting hero for his side with a career-high first-class score of 64 in a splendid partnership of 160 with Law whose century came up in 245 minutes off 173 balls.

Keedy’s previous highest score was 57 against Yorkshire six years ago but he batted for three hours virtually untroubled, hitting seven boundaries, until shortly after the bee-storm he edged Mushtaq Ahmed to silly mid-off.

It was Law, though, who showed why Hove is one of his favourite grounds and Sussex one of his favourite opponents.

His top score in England is 263 for Essex in 1999, although he has made 236 for Lancashire five years ago.

At Hove he survived just one real chance before tea, dropped by Lewry who had come back on to replace young Adkin, on 101.

And he had another life on 128 when dropped in the slips by Sussex skipper Chris Adams.

Lancashire had started the second day on 67 for four - 186 behind - made light work of overhauling Sussex’s total of 253 in which Sajid Mahmood took five wickets.

The partnership between Law and Keedy - who put on 145 for the last wicket against Sussex last year at Old Trafford - put them back in command.

After starting with a four-pronged attack that failed to take a wicket before lunch, Adams belatedly brought on Rayner who took 2-28 in 12 overs but then Law found two more dependable partners in wicketkeeper Luke Sutton who made 36 and Glen Chapple, unbeaten on 28.