George Bartlett defied a vintage bowling performance from Lancashire captain Jimmy Anderson to carry Northants to an unlikely draw on day four of their County Championship opener at Wantage Road.
Anderson was in fine form, adding 3-45 and his 400th first class wicket for Lancashire to a first innings 5-66 as Northants were reduced to 181-9 on a gripping final day.
But it was Bartlett’s unbeaten 95 in a stubborn Northants rearguard which denied the Red Rose victory in a tense final session which ended with fielders crowding the bat and the home side unbroken on 213-9.
Chasing a notional 321 for the win, Bartlett showed great composure in steering his side from a precarious 63-6 at lunch.
Bartlett was well supported earlier in his innings in a stand of 72 for the seventh wicket with James Sales (24), and 57 for the eighth with Lewis McManus (27) in 32 overs.
But it was with Ben Sanderson keeping him company in a tense, last-wicket partnership of 32, that the pair saw their side to safety with Lancashire left kicking themselves after dropping Sanderson in the slips early in his innings.
Northamptonshire had resumed on day four on 9-1 and soon became tied down with Lancashire maintaining constant pressure through the morning as five wickets fell before lunch.
Anderson and Tom Bailey (2-43) put on a bowling masterclass, both finding plenty of movement through the air and off the pitch with the latter making two early breakthroughs in three balls.
George Balderson and Ajeet Singh Dale maintained the pressure, while left-arm spinner Tom Hartley tied down an end in a lengthy spell from over the wicket later in the day.
Bailey’s miserly seven-over opening spell, containing five maidens and conceding just six runs, had claimed the day’s first two scalps in nightwatchman Harry Conway and Calvin Harrison.
From there Northamptonshire went on the defensive, going 40 balls without scoring off the bat. Luke Procter, who never looked comfortable, tried to break the shackles but drove uppishly outside off-stump against Singh Dale with Luke Wells taking the catch at backward point.
Northamptonshire soon lost another when Balderson got one to climb off a length, the ball hitting Nathan McSweeney’s gloves and flying to gully.
Northamptonshire, though, lost a sixth wicket just before lunch when Balderson pushed one across Saif Zaib, taking the edge through to Matty Hurst behind the stumps.
With the ball softening Northamptonshire fought back after the interval.
Sales had found it increasingly difficult to score and, in a rush of blood, came down the wicket to Hartley and was caught at mid-off. Bartlett and McManus made it to the final session unbroken.
Northants passed 150 after tea but Lancashire took the second new ball as soon as it was due and Anderson immediately set up McManus, bowling a series of away swingers before nipping one back and trapping him lbw to claim his 400th first-class scalp for the Red Rose.
In his next over he had Louis Kimber caught behind off one that held its line.
With the game on the line, Singh Dale thought he had the key breakthrough finding the edge of Sanderson’s bat early on in his stay at the crease but the chance went down at third slip.
It proved to be the last chance offered with Sanderson resolute and Bartlett blocking out the final over from Hartley with men all around the wicket.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.