Roses match ends early as a draw and Lancashire need miracle to quality

Tom Hartley (right) is among four Lancashire players to have made his first-class debut in the Bob Willis Trophy

Fylde coast cricket round-up: First defeat for St Annes

It was a far cry from the sun-soaked scene of 12 months ago to the day at Headingley, when Ben Stokes brilliantly won the third Ashes Test for England against Australia.

A total of 212 overs were lost across the four days of a penultimate round North Group fixture, which was unable to complete its first innings.

Lancashire finished on 195 for five replying to Yorkshire’s 260, with Adam Lyth’s 103 for the hosts the standout performance of a match which saw 10 players make their maiden first-class Roses appearance.

Yorkshire will head into the final round of group games, starting on September 6, second in the North Group behind Derbyshire and very much in the race for a Lord’s final berth.

They host Leicestershire at Emerald Headingley.

Lancashire's final game is against leaders Derbyshire at Liverpool, though it would require a miraculous set of results for them to qualify as one of the best two group winners from the North, Central and South.

Before then the Red Rose move into Vitality Blast mode for the first of their T20 games away to Durham at the Riverside on Thursday afternoon

Lancashire’s Tom Hartley said of the Roses draw: “It’s been a disappointing few days with all the time lost.

"We would have loved to have got on and tried to get the win but you can’t do anything about the weather.”

Left-arm spinner Hartley has been one of four Lancashire youngsters who have made their first-class debuts in the Bob Willis Trophy, with George Balderson, George Burrows and Ed Moulton the overs.

He said: “We’re all in a similar situation, just trying to impress in our first games. Myself and George took our first wickets almost back to back (in the opening round against Leicestershire). It was nice to be involved with that, with everyone getting around us. Here, George Burrows took his first wicket.

“The young lads put so much hard work in over the winter, so it’s good to see rewards coming.

“It’s got the feeling of a second-team game with no one here, but the cricket is definitely a massive step up. It makes you realise the parts of your game you need to work on.”