County cricket: Lancs edge Hampshire to extend title battle – as it happened

See you tomorrow!

That was utterly, beautifully, bonkers. Now, as Lancashire and Hampshire are roared up the old pavilion steps, Lancs must wait for events at Edgbaston tomorrow to see if they or Warwickshire are the 2021 County Champions.

Now, I must write up. See thee on the blog tomorrow.

Vilas has a huge swing and by sheer willpower the ball reaches the rope! Vilas 47 not out, Parkinson 0 not out

Mason Crane 5-41. By, as they say, the barest of margins.

Vince arranges and rearranges.

Parkinson survives! The crowd roar. Vilas and Parkinson walk down the pitch and punch gloves. Vilas to face Dawson.

Edged. Oh my days. Parkinson to win the game.

Blatherwick runs a single to keep the strike. Er. Two needed!

Direct hit by Crane in the covers! Three needed.

And for the first time, Vince show emotion as Vilas shimmies and sends DAwson through midwicket for four. Vince falls down on his knees and puts his head in his hands. needed.

Snaffled at short leg by a coiled Weatherley!

Puffs of dust in the footmarks as Crane wheels through another. A tight single, and a direct hit throw, but no cigar. Lancashire 185-6, in spitting distance, just 11 runs needed.

Crane and Vince move the field here, move the field there, before Crane gambols into his action. Lancashire pick off a couple of heartily applauded singles.

Wicket! Too late? Danny Lamb edges Crane to second slip after a handy partnership of 26 with Vilas. Lancashire 177-6. Liam Dawson is handed the River End with 19 needed.

23 Sept 202111.47 EDT

Ali Martin

As nails are chewed in Liverpool, the cheers of ‘You Bears’ are ringing round Edgbaston with Dom Sibley - at least I think it’s Dom Sibley - and Rob Yates turning on the afterburners in the hope of giving their bowlers something to work with on the final day. Both openers are unbeaten on 35, Sibley taking the aerial route a couple of times - one six flicked off Josh Davey behind square was, frankly, delicious - and Yates preferring to scorch the ball along the turf with six fours. Warwickshire 84 for none, leading by 62.

Vilas cuts, past a diving slip, the ball bumps over the rope. Behind the stumps, Weatherley and Vince are suddenly cutting an air of resignation. Lancs 176-5, Lancashire need only 20.

Just 25 needed here at Aigburth. Abbas with the ball. Tension not yet turned to relaxation on the picnic chairs and benches.

Amusingly, there is a wedding party booked in at Aigburth tomorrow, which would have been interesting if the game had gone into the final day. Lancashire 163-5, stealing singles. Crane has a huge lbw shout against Vilas, trying to sweep - 32 needed...

And live from the IPL:

One last throw of the Abbas dice. But Vilas has got his eye in, crashing Crane through mid-wicket in the last over. His slight figures cruises in from the River End, where piles of chairs are stacked ready for the winter.

I happened to be watching James Vince at slip through the binoculars as Steven Croft was out for an excellent 20. He barely reacted, as Mason Crane charged about. Nerves of steel? Lancashire 151-5, 45 needed...

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I hear rumblings that Dom Sibley has hit a six.

Barker not the answer it turns out, as Vilas stylishly drives him square for four and the target is less than fifty!

Time for Barker? One last blast of the red ankle socks?

Croft blasts Wheal for four. Vince seems to be trying to persuade the umpires to change the ball. They say no. Crofts blasts Wheal for four. Lancs 140-4, 56 to win.

Hampshire are doing lots of “Come on boys,” but Lancs are slowly knocking them off.

23 Sept 202110.18 EDT

Ali Martin

Somerset are (finally) 389 all out for a lead of 22 as Chris Woakes returns finds the edge of Josh Davey’s bat for 16 and Tim Bresnan snaffles the catch at slip. Brings an early tea and there are 36 overs left in the day.

Another fumble for Hampshire, this time Vilas on 0, scuffed behind the stumps. Vince gives a skipper’s pat on the back.

And there we go! Wells caught at first slip for 39, Wheal gets his reward this time. And at tea, Lancashire are 118-4. Lancashire need 78 to win; Hampshire six wickets.

Now what have we here?! Bohannon swallowed at slip, caught low to the ground by James Vince lurking in the slips. Vince licks his lips, Crane bumps hands round the team. Lancshire 112-3.

Mason Crane is warming up, bowling imaginary balls, fiddling with the yellow rag hanging into the back of his waistband.

23 Sept 202109.58 EDT

Ali Martin

Finally a wicket at Edgbaston as Jack Leach falls one run short of his half-century. Danny Briggs the man to strike, bowling into the very sparse footmarks on this solid surface and teasing an edge to slip. Somerset 381 for nine in the 134th over, leading by 14 runs. Cracking work by Leach, it must be said, who batted for three hours and bar a couple of plays and misses, didn’t offer a chance until his eventual demise. Some nice uppercut fours off the seamers and one dancing six off Briggs over cow corner earlier. Chris Silverwood and Joe Root take note...

Bohannon brings up the Lancashire hundred with two fours off a rusty Brad Wheal’s opening over. Lancs 101-2: Wells 24, Bohannon 16, and the partnership stretches towards 44 runs.

And another! This time, it’s Dawson who is punished, Wells sweeping him to the rope. .

This isn’t going how I’d expected at all! Too easy for the red red roses.

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We’ve reached a point in the afternoon which is both sleepy, yet crucial. Lancs 81-2 need just another 115 to win.

Dawson tempting, tempting...

You can’t criticise Somerset’s graft. Now 362-8, trailing Warwickshire by just five runs. Jack Leach 37 not out and counting. It’s amusing, thought not for him, how underrated his batting is by England, and yet how often he pulls it out of the bag at crucial times.

Abbas throws down his cap and jumper with some intent and for the first time has a dart from the River End. Barker takes the job of chief polisher, shining the it up on his shirt.

Wood sends him zipping through the covers for four. For some reason or another things not quite flowing for Abbas this afternoon.

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Josh Bohannon off the mark with a divine cover drive.

Cock-a-hoop Hampshire! A square cut to point and Davies is gone too, for 44 typically pugnacious and entertaining runs. Chapeau Al, and good luck on the other side. Lancashire 57-2.

WICKET!!! Lancs 55-1. Balderson bowled Dawson for 12, his fifth ball of the innings.

It’s a chill wind blowing over Hampshire as Balderson edges and the ball flies between keeper and first slip, neither moving, just looking. The wicket-less Abbas is taken off and Liam Dawson comes on. Davies heaves the first ball for SIX!