Worcestershire skipper Brett D’Oliveira and all-rounder Matthew Waite shared an unbroken stand of 97 to ensure their side drew their County Championship match against Lancashire.
The pair came together with the visitors on 114-5 in the second innings, giving them a lead of 103 in mid-afternoon, when there were still 44 overs in the game.
But they defied an attack led by James Anderson, whose figures of 2-27 from 15 overs did him no sort of justice, and the draw was certain long before the players shook hands with Worcestershire on 21-5, with D’Oliveira on 46 not out and Waite unbeaten on 47.
Lancashire earned 12 points from the game whereas Worcestershire took 11.
Morning showers caused play to begin half an hour late and Lancashire immediately declared on their overnight 281-8 in the hope they could put immediate pressure on Worcestershire’s top order.
For ten overs the plan failed utterly as Lategan and Jake Libby put on 47 fluent runs, levying seven boundaries off Anderson and Tom Bailey in the process.
Then Lancashire’s skipper struck twice in three balls; he nipped one back off the pitch to have Libby lbw for 21 and in his next over, he dismissed Gareth Roderick for a second-ball nought when the Worcestershire batsman pushed forward hesitantly and edged a catch to Keaton Jennings at first slip.
However, the other members of the Lancashire attack were nothing like as incisive and the visitors reached lunch on 77-2, giving them a lead of 66.
Anderson returned to the attack immediately after lunch in the hope of precipitating a collapse but Lategan and Kashif Ali seemed in little trouble on a pitch that had barely three days’ use, even including the women’s match played on the wicket last Wednesday.
Lancashire were in need of inspiration but instead they received a gift when Kashif Ali chipped a full toss from Tom Hartley straight to mid-wicket and was caught by Harry Singh for 16.
The gravity of Kashif’s error was emphasised two balls later when Adam Hose was bowled by a fine delivery from Hartley and thus collected the innings’ second two-ball nought.
That left Worcestershire on 90-4, with a lead of only 79, and the game was once again in the hazard.
The visitors’ peril increased half an hour later when a plainly furious Lategan was caught behind by Hurst off Paul Coughlin for 48 when the lead had increased to only 103.
That was as near as Worcestershire got to defeat. D’Oliveira and Waite immediately began to defend the good balls competently and pick up the runs where available.
The score was 159-5 at tea, by which time, the draw was almost certain and the spectators were left to reflect what might have happened had the match not lost over a day’s play to rain.
