A sad end to the Roses Match

Perhaps this could be labelled one of the saddest in the history of Roses matches.

It started so well with a century for Keaton Jennings and Lancashire looking to build a formidable score. Then the torrential rain. No play on the second day and on the third Lancashire continue to build a large score with Wells 97 * and Bohannan 74* going well before tragedy struck at 2.15pm.

The young Yorkshire bowler Dom Leech, making his Championship debut too, moved swiftly round the boundary attempting to cut off a four from Luke Wells. He slipped on the wet grass, crashed into the concrete base supporting the boundary fence, and play was suspended after he suffered a nasty injury to his leg.

There was a twenty minute delay while the medical staff of both teams treated the 20 year-old who was eventually taken off on a stretcher. It was later confirmed that Leech had suffered a dislocation around his knee and was going for a scan to see what damage had been caused.

Play was suspended and eventually abandoned for the day because of the moisture coming to the surface on the boundary. The final day started sunny and dry but the ground was deemed unfit as it had not dried sufficiently. The game was abandoned as a draw.

On a personal note, it was strange for me to enter Headingley again, this time as a Lancashire Vice-President! Born in Yorkshire I had seen my first games on this ground. Now I returned and was entertained in the committee room by Geoff Cope and Sir Geoffrey Boycott. I needn't have worried -I was very much welcomed and with all the rain about it was perhaps appropriate that Dickie Bird made an appearance. Our thoughts are with Dom Leech and hope for a speedy recovery.

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