Loye shines for Lancashire
1:10am Thursday 2nd July 2009 in Sport By Graham Hardcastle
Lancashire’s batting troubles continued yesterday, despite an encouraging 84 for Mal Loye against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
The Red Rose county will have to pull out all the stops today to prevent the LV Division One’s second placed side from taking complete control.
In reply to 388, Lancashire closed day two on 237-6.
Although things could have been a lot worse had Luke Sutton (25 not out) and Glen Chapple, 39 not out off 48 balls, not shared an unbroken 51 for the seventh wicket to recover from 186-6.
Loye’s 191-ball effort was his highest score in any form of cricket since he hit 105 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in the opening game of 2007 season.
“I am disappointed not to get a hundred, but I am getting there,” said Loye, aged 36, who is only playing his fourth Championship game of the season following knee and calf problems.
“I am pleased to be scoring pretty consistently at the moment, and it is better than getting 30 every week, but it would have been nice to get a big hundred.”
Former Northants and England one-day man Loye was bowled trying to charge left-arm spinner Samit Patel, while the medium paced Mark Ealham claimed 3-26 from 14 overs to help put the visitors firmly under the cosh.
“It was hard going today,” continued Loye. “They probably scored 80 more than they should have done. The wicket is getting slower and slower and more difficult to play on. Only one player has dominated all match, and that has been David Hussey.”
Lancashire, who have one batting bonus point in the bag, had to recover from 31-2 after the early loss of Paul Horton and Karl Brown, but Loye and VVS Laxman shared 81 for the third wicket before Sutton and Chapple brightened up their day late on.
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