Red Rose remain in the hunt

By Matt Somerford

Lancashire ensured their last-gasp bid for safety continued on to the penultimate day of the season thanks to some defiant batting in theirall-or-nothing LV= County Championship clash with Middlesex at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Red Rose finished the day with a 45-run lead, but still with work to do to if they are to pick up the bonus points required to keep them up.

After reaching stumps at 259 for six - on the back of Steven Croft digging out the first half-century of the match - the calculators were again out to determine the complicated bonus-point scenario.

Put simply, Lancashire need another 41 runs tomorrow morning - in 14 overs - while denying Middlesex from taking three more wickets if they are to remain alive. Should that transpire, Middlesex would still stay up if they avoid defeat.

Evergreen skipper Glen Chapple will resume Lancashire's fight in the morning on 21, in what could be the final game of his 23-season career, alongside Luke Procter.

Procter had underlined Lancashire's resolve with an unbeaten 37 from 107 balls, to go with his four first-innings wickets, saving his hairiest moment for the final over of the day when he inside-edged a lavish cover drive just past his stumps.

It was a moment to cap a tension-filled day as both sides battle for the right to remain in the top-flight next season.

Luis Reece and Ashwell Prince had set the stage for Lancashire's battling day with a 86-run stand for the second wicket - the best of the game so far - before Middlesex claimed four wickets in the afternoon session to wrestle back the initiative.

Croft and Procter maintained the ebb and flow of the contest in the evening as they combined for a 61-run partnership, which left Lancashire on the verge of the three bonus-point swing they required.

Croft, however, was strangled down the leg-side off Toby Roland-Jones - who did not offer an appeal - when 19 runs were needed to allow Lancashire to declare with the required bonus points.

Croft's exit meant Lancashire would instead need to reach 300 - the task that is now before them when they resume tomorrow.

The opening session had gone as close to script as Lancashire could have hoped for as they built solidly to 88 for one by lunch.

Paul Horton did exit early, trapped plumb in front by Tim Murtagh, but Reece and Prince were otherwise trouble free.

The sunshine that greeted the players this morning had dulled the swing and seam movement, after yesterday's gloomy start, but the pair nonetheless studiously went about their work.

Prince went past 17,000 first-class runs after the break, in what could be his final game at this level, and his 86-run union with Reece asserted a calm to Lancashire's growing belief their escape act was on.

Their serene progress was, however, rattled by Roland-Jones.

The Middlesex seamer removed both Reece and Prince within touching distance of half-centuries and when Karl Brown inside-edged a drive onto his stumps Lancashire had lost three for 20.

An hour passed before Middlesex struck for a fourth time in the session, but it was the dangerous Jos Buttler to further sour Lancashire's afternoon.

Ravi Patel pinned him on the back leg with a ball that just about pitched in line with leg stump.

It was the young slow left-armer's 50th first-class wicket, in his 18th game, and was rich reward for his control through the day.

Again Lancashire rallied and moments after Croft registered his fourth fifty of the campaign his 50-run stand with Procter was confirmed.

Roland-Jones struck for a third time though, as Croft attempted to pull off his legs, but Procter remained steadfast alongside Chapple to make sure Lancashire remained alive.

Prince admitted Lancashire had considered declaring at 250, until Croft's dismissal setback their plans.

"It was a possibility," he said.

"It would have only given us a 30-odd lead. If we get to 300 and beyond that gives us a much better lead and a better chance of winning the game."

The revised target still remains very much within their sights, and should they get there Prince hinted his side would aim to bat on and increase their advantage on a wearing wicket.

"The biggest thing now is to get to 300 - that's our first target," he said.

"We are just focusing on one ball at a time. The biggest thing for us is to give ourselves a chance and 300 doesn't guarantee that we are going to win the game.

"We've still got to win the game, we still have to take 10 wickets as well. We have to give ourselves a chance - that's all we can do.

"If we have another day of sun those cracks (in the wicket) might open up a bit more so the bigger the lead the better for us."