Hooper hits 101 for Lancs

DURHAM: Carl Hooper stroked his first century for Lancashire and fast bowler Nixon McLean grabbed three wickets as the only West Indies players in English County cricket made the headlines on Thursday.

Hooper helped Lancashire into a commanding position against the University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) and McLean snared three important wickets to leave Somerset in charge against his former club Hampshire. Hooper scored 101 and there was a century as well from Alec Swann (137) as Lancashire gathered 432 for three by stumps in reply to the UCCE’s 327 for nine declared on the second day of the three-day match at the Durham University Ground. Lancashire lead by 105 runs with seven wickets remaining in the first innings.

Axed as West Indies captain after the World Cup, Hooper withdrew from the Caribbean side’s Cable & Wireless Test series against Australia and joined Lancashire earlier this month as the replacement for injured Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. He scored a fluent run-a-minute 51 off 37 balls when Lancashire beat Hampshire in the National Cricket League (NCL) on Sunday, and on Thursday the 36-year-old Guyanese maintained his free-scoring form with his hundred off 122 balls, including nine fours and four sixes.Swann smashed 22 fours and three sixes in a punishing 215-run opening stand with Mark Currie (97) that gave Lancashire early control.

Hooper had bowled a tidy six overs without taking a wicket while conceding just 11 runs in the UCCE’s innings. At Southampton, McLean’s three-wicket burst rocked Hampshire as they closed at an unstable 123 for seven in reply to Somerset’s 308. McLean created mayhem at The Rose Bowl when he removed the home side’s first three batsmen without conceding a run with sheer pace. Jamie Cox (127 not out) had a fine knock and pushed Somerset past the 300-mark early in the day, with McLean blasting 16 from 16 balls near the end. The big Vincentian then sent Hampshire tumbling to six for three by removing John Crawley (duck) and Derek Kenway (3) leg before wicket before he bowled 39-year-old veteran Robin Smith (duck).