Gareth Cross celebrates reaching his hundred for Lancashire.Picture and report from Graham Hackney
Cleethorpes CC played host to Nottingham County Cricket Club this week for their second X1 Championship game at home to Lancashire. The visitors, who included Ex-Grimsby Town reserve goalkeeper Gary Montgomery in their side, ran out comfortable winners by 144 runs after setting Nottinghamshire a daunting 340 runs for victory. Both sides made full use of the ball with 18 wickets falling on the first day. Lancashire won the toss and elected to bat but were shot out by tea for 224. Two players with strong Lincolnshire connections, Andy Carter and Jonny Miles, inflicting most of the damage with three wickets apiece. But by the close the Lancashire seamers were having their revenge as Notts limped to 111-8 by the close. They were eventually bowled out for 148 with Montgomery showing a good turn of pace as the left hander finished with 3/56 in 17 overs. Both he and opening partner Steve Cheetham troubled the Notts batsmen with their pace, bounce and movement. With a healthy 76-run first innings advantage, Lancashire went for their shots in the second innings, especially wicketkeeper Gareth Cross who completed a superb century. The Notts bowlers, though, stuck to their task and Lancashire were bowled out for 263 just before tea to leave a testing target. With some thirty overs to negotiate on the second evening, Notts lost four wickets before close of play and the Lancs seamers made light work of wrapping up the victory by lunch on the third day with Notts all out for 195. Only 64 from Akhit Patel, brother of former England batsman Samit, held Lancs at bay for any length of time. Montgomery was unlucky to pick up only the one wicket while Cheetham bagged an impressive 5/62.
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