Chanderpaul, Archer end season strongly
LONDON, England (CMC):
Veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul stroked a cameo to see Lancashire to a seven-wicket victory over Surrey on the final day of the County Championship here yesterday, and surpass 800 runs for the campaign.
The 43-year-old hammered 43 off a mere 44 balls as the hosts easily overhauled their target of 176 at Old Trafford to finish second in Division One on 176 points behind winners Essex on 248.
Beginning the day on 14 with Lancashire on 132 for three, Chanderpaul wasted little time in getting his side to their target off a mere 35 balls, striking four fours and two sixes overall.
The former Test star ended the game with a flourish, striking a pair of sixes and a boundary off leg-spinner Scott Borthwick.
He put on 87 for in an unbroken fourth wicket stand with partner Liam Livingstone who converted his overnight 54 into 69 not out.
Chanderpaul finished the season with 831 runs at an average of nearly 52, only behind Alex Davies, who topped Lancashire's scoring charts with 916 runs at almost 40 per innings.
SCORING HEAVILY
Though Guyanese Chanderpaul was dumped by West Indies selectors two years ago, he has continued to score heavily in domestic competitions.
He averaged nearly 50 in five matches for Guyana Jaguars in the 2015/16 West Indies first class tournament and followed up with 622 runs at 62, to top the champions' batting aggregates last season.
Chanderpaul amassed 11 867 runs from 164 Tests at an average off 51.
Meanwhile, Barbadian Jofra Archer struck an unbeaten 29 on the last day of Sussex's drawn encounter with Nottinghamshire, to end as one of the leading all-rounders in Division Two.
Sussex batted the entire day to end on 229 for seven in their second innings, with captain Luke Wells striking 103 off 98 balls.
The 22-year-old Archer, in his first full County season, finished with a remarkable 638 runs at an average of 45, with five half-centuries.
A former West Indies Under-19, but who has never played first class cricket for Barbados, the right-arm seamer also ended the season with 61 wickets at an average of 25 to top the club's wicket-taking list.