Cricket: Hughes puts signature on proceedings: Australian spearhead enlivens dull day: Michael Austin reports from Old Trafford
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Your support makes all the difference.Australians 282-3 dec and 54-2; Lancashire 250-7 dec
MERV MANIA gathered more momentum yesterday, with a grunt, a snarl, a twitch of the moustache and an impromptu and impressive autograph signing session on the boundary. It was just as well because Mervyn Hughes enlivened a grinding few hours, the other saving grace of which was at least an attempt to fashion a finish with two declarations.
The Australians lead Lancashire by 86 runs. No batsman made a half-century, the best bowling was Shane Warne's 3 for 54 but fringe events came to the forefront. Hughes organised an orderly boundary queue of 50 youngsters while at deep backward square leg and systematically signed every autograph between deliveries.
Unkindly called the 'King of Sledge' at times, Hughes still gave Graham Lloyd a touch of the verbals after twice having leg-before appeals rejected by Barry Dudleston in an over. The first shout was lone, the other concerted. When Lloyd lifted Hughes to the midwicket boundary, the bowler lengthened his follow- through to deliver a few words and snatched his sweater from the umpire.
Lloyd played on from an inside edge in Hughes' next over, prompting another glare as a parting shot. This was real cricket as far as Merv was concerned, not just an interlude between Test matches.
The Australians declared overnight as a gesture to keep the game going. Lancashire batted on longer than might have been expected, but in northern parlance, were giving 'now't' and who could blame them. The prospect of combating the spin of Warne and Tim May is daunting on the final afternoon, judging by the first time around.
Body language illustrated that the Australians, having won the Test series, trod the tightrope between frustration and boredom as Lancashire plodded along. Arms crossed or folded behind backs were the sure signs but incentives were rich for Mark Taylor, the acting captain, after Nick Speak and Lloyd reached the 40s but no further.
Taylor, an occasional seamer and leg-spinner, needed a second wicket on tour to win pounds 350 for the Waugh twins, Mark and Steve, who had accepted a wager from an Australian journalist at 5-1 against that he would not manage the feat this summer.
A wicket against the Minor Counties caused trepidation among the Australian press corps but ironically, Steve Waugh dropped the low catch off Taylor provided by Warren Hegg, which would have won the bet.
Mike Watkinson, leading Lancashire, chipped a catch to mid-on and Phil DeFreitas clipped another to square leg off the first ball he received from Warne. It was a fine, low catch held by Wayne Holdsworth. Reg, his namesake from nearby Coronation Street, might have struggled to pouch it.
(Photograph omitted)
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