Hooper’s Lancashire complete big win

BIRMINGHAM: Carl Hooper’s Lancashire completed an authoritative victory over Warwickshire on the final day of their Division One English County Champion-ship match at Edgbaston yesterday. Trailing by a bulky 332 runs on first innings after Lancashire piled up a team record 781 runs on Friday, Warwickshire collapsed to 187 all out in their second innings yesterday to lose by an innings and 145 runs. Ian Bell (46), Dougie Brown (44) and Johnathon Trott (43) were the only significant scorers for Warwickshire. Pacer Glen Chapple removed openers Mike Powell (4) and Nick Knight (3) cheaply as Warwickshire dipped to nine for two and never recovered.

Chapple also bowled West Indies pacer Corey Collymore (0) and ended with five for 86 off 20 overs, supported by left-arm spinner Gary Keedy (2-33). Hooper only bowled two overs and conceded four runs. On Friday, Hooper led a record batting performance as Lan-cashire reached a colossal 781 all out in reply to Warwickshire’s 449. Mark Chilton, Mal Loye, Stuart Law and Hooper all stroked hundreds — only the third time in Lancashire’s history they have had four century makers in the same innings. Law and Hooper added a mammoth 360 runs to create a new record for Lancashire’s fifth wicket partnership, easily surpassing the record of 249 set by Barry Wood and Andy Kennedy, also at Edgbaston in 1975. Hooper finally departed for 177, after hitting eight sixes and 16 fours, while Law made 168 with 23 fours. Playing in his 14th championship match of the season, Law lifted his scoring tally to a team-best 1,603 runs, while Hooper, Lancashire’s second most prolific scorer in the competition, is now up to 1,074 runs from 11 matches.