Yorkshire vs Lancashire: Wet Headingley outfield forces final day of Roses clash to be abandoned

No play was possible on the final day of the drawn Roses County Championship fixture between Yorkshire and Lancashire at Emerald Headingley due to a wet outfield.

Umpires Ian Gould and Nigel Llong inspected the problematic Emerald Stand End of the ground, which also forced the abandonment of Tuesday’s play 7.2 overs into the afternoon.

Gould, Llong and both coaches and captains were involved in lengthy early morning discussions, and play was called off just after 10am.

Both counties had already qualified for Division One before this final-round Group Three fixture, which has seen two days abandoned completely and only 23.2 overs bowled on day three.

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Lancashire were 411 for two from 119.2 overs. Keaton Jennings made 132 and Luke Wells was unbeaten on 97.

With half of the points from their two fixtures being carried forward into Division One, Yorkshire claimed eight points, with Group Three winners Lancashire picking up 11.

Having won the reverse fixture at Emirates Old Trafford in late May, Lancashire will therefore take 16.5 points and Yorkshire 4.5 into the top group when four more games will be played to decide the county champions and the Bob Willis Trophy finalists.

A Yorkshire statement read: “Unfortunately the final day’s play of the Roses clash at Emerald Headingley has been abandoned.

“Conditions at the Emerald Stand End of the ground have not sufficiently improved, and it has therefore been deemed unfit and unsafe to play.

“The umpires inspected at 9am and made the decision to abandon the game. All parties agreed that player safety is paramount.”

Day three was abandoned due to unsafe conditions, though the decision was not a direct consequence of the leg injury suffered by Yorkshire’s young fast bowler Dom Leech while fielding on the boundary in front of the Western Terrace.

Yorkshire released an update on his condition, saying: “Dom Leech has dislocated a joint at the side of his left knee.

“An X-ray has shown no broken bones, and Leech will have an MRI scan today. The fast bowler is scheduled to see a specialist tomorrow.”

The abandonment means England’s James Anderson has not bowled a ball in two of his four Championship appearances for Lancashire this summer.

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