Citizen Sport
Kerrigan takes nine as Lancashire win
3:22pm Sunday 11th September 2011
Simon Kerrigan spun Lancashire to a thrilling 222-run LV= County Championship win over Hampshire at Liverpool, leaving them three points behind leaders Warwickshire heading into the season's final week.
The 22-year-old England Lions left-armer stunned Division One's bottom side with career-best innings figures of nine for 51 from 37.2 overs as victory was secured with just four minutes of the contest remaining. It also gave him his first 10-wicket match haul.
After Lancashire declared on 353 for three, Stephen Moore unbeaten on 169, Hampshire were set 361 to win from a minimum of 67 overs, but that proved irrelevant as Lancashire bowled 84.2 in ripping the visitors out for 138.
Despite some top-order resistance, the visitors crumbled in a remarkable session after tea, slumping from 77 for three to 199 for nine as Kerrigan took all six.
But last-wicket pair Neil McKenzie and James Tomlinson batted for 21.2 overs, almost preventing Hampshire's defeat.
Liam Dawson was first to go when he missed a heave over mid-wicket to Kerrigan and was stumped by Gareth Cross, leaving the score at 26 for one in the 12th over. Kerrigan struck again in the 22nd, trapping Jimmy Adams lbw.
Gary Keedy then had Michael Carberry caught by Karl Brown at mid-off nine overs later and when Kerrigan struck for a third time, trapping James Vince lbw with his first ball from the River End, Hampshire were 77 for four in the 37th.
Sean Ervine, who clubbed Kerrigan for six over wide long-on, and McKenzie then shared 30 in 12.2 for the fifth wicket to weather a mini-storm.
But Kerrigan ensured there was another on the way.
He had Ervine caught at first slip by Paul Horton and bowled Michael Bates for a second-ball duck to reduce the visitors to 107 for six in the 49th over.
Dimitri Mascarenhas was next to go, falling in identical fashion to Ervine in Kerrigan's next over with the score still on 107.
Kerrigan's stunning day continued when Chris Wood edged behind to a juggling Gareth Cross in the 59th over.
And when the same bowler had Danny Briggs caught at silly point by Luke Procter in the 62nd, Hampshire were on the brink at 119 for nine.
The feature of Tomlinson's and McKenzie's alliance was that they batted with soft hands with up to 10 men around the bat at stages but the latter nudged Kerrigan to Tom Smith at silly point to spark wild scenes on and off the field.
Earlier, opener Stephen Moore led Lancashire's search for quick runs by completing a 230-ball innings of 169 not out, including 17 fours.
The hosts resumed this morning on 195 for two with a lead of 202 and he and Karl Brown (54) added 158 runs in 27 overs to finish on 353 for three from 77 overs. The pair shared a total third-wicket partnership of 161 inside 29 overs.
Hampshire now have to beat Warwickshire at home next week to have any hope of survival. Lancashire, meanwhile, travel to Taunton to face Somerset.