Rehan Ahmed hits sparkling century to leave Lancashire reeling

Rehan Ahmed and Peter Handscomb both made centuries as Leicestershire tightened their grip on the third day of their Rothesay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.

Replying to the Lancashire's 263, the visitors made 491 for 8 declared, giving them a lead of 228, with Handscomb unbeaten on 142. Left with eight overs to survive, Lancashire ended the day on 16 for 3, Keaton Jennings having been bowled between bat and pad for a second-ball duck by Ian Holland, who also had nightwatchman Anderson Phillip lbw for two.

The home side's utter misery was completed when Michael Jones was bowled for four by a ball from Logan van Beek that kept low So, for the second time in two games on this ground, Lancashire must bat out the final day for a draw having been outplayed by their opponents. Their supporters might be hoping Monday's weather forecast is correct.

In the first 16 overs of the morning, Ahmed and Holland, Leicestershire's overnight pair, scored 68 runs and displayed almost complete command of the Lancashire attack. The climax of this period of play came when Ahmed reached his hundred, the second of his first-class career, off 147 balls with 14 fours.

However, two balls later, the centurion was caught at silly mid-off by Josh Bohannon off Tom Hartley for exactly 100 and this ushered in the second half of the session in which the visitors managed only 54 runs in 18 overs for the loss of Holland, who was caught at mid-on by Saqib Mahmood for 35 when he miscued a pull off John Turner.

That wicket fell just three overs after that of Ahmed. and the new batter Lewis Hill and Handscomb rebuilt the innings with some cautious strokes. Nevertheless, the fourth-wicket pair displayed greater aggression towards the end of the session, most notably when Hill took ten runs off three balls from George Balderson, and that trend was maintained deep into the afternoon.

The hundred partnership came up and Hill reached his fifty in 91 balls and 115 minutes. Lancashire took the new ball and Handscomb got to his half-century in three balls more having taken nine minutes longer.

The pair had extended their partnership to 130 before two wickets fell in three overs. Hill skied a pull to Michael Jones at midwicket off Balderson and departed for 64 and then Louis Kimber was bowled for eight when trying to hit all round a ball from Turner. That left Leicestershire on 331 for 5 but Handscomb and Ben Cox increased the run rate after tea and took their side to the verge of a fourth bonus point with a sixth-wicket stand of 66.

Handscomb reached the 27th century of his career off 170 balls, having hit ten fours, before Cox holed out on the deep square leg boundary for 31, Luke Wells taking the catch to give Mahmood his second wicket of the innings.

That success brought Lancashire their third bonus point of the match but Leicestershire collected their seventh with 11 balls to spare, van Beek nudging the single that took his side past 400. The visitors' acceleration continued deep into the evening session as wickets were traded for runs.

Van Beek made 29 before he was bowled by Wells and Ben Green five before he was castled by Hartley, who finished with 2 for 151 off 44 overs, the most he has bowled in any game. Turner took 2 for 44 and Mahmood 2 for 99.

Leicestershire's total is their highest at Old Trafford and only two short of the most they have ever scored against Lancashire