Lancashire put champs Surrey to the sword

KEATON Jennings and George Balderson narrowly missed out on personal landmarks but Lancashire are sitting pretty at the end of a rain-affected day two of this final match of the LV= County Championship against title winners Surrey.

The Red Rose opener fell agonisingly short of a double century after he was dismissed lbw by a brilliant Jamie Overton inswinger for 199 before Balderson was the last man out four runs away from his maiden first-class century.

But after reaching 512 in their first innings, Lancashire reduced Surrey to 123-5 to put them firmly in the box seat at Emirates Old Trafford.

The day began full of anticipation for Jennings, who needed just 10 runs to reach 200 and become the first Lancashire player to hit three double tons in a season since Frank Watson in 1928. But Overton spectacularly failed to play ball, with the England quick producing a vicious delivery which swung into the batters' pad.