Left-hand opener Gary Ballance, above, top-scored with 59 as Yorkshire went for the chase after two last-day declarations in their Second Eleven Roses Championship match at Crosby - only for Lancashire to run home victors by 131 runs.

Left-hand spinner Gurman Randhawa turned in a personal-best analysis of 6-98 for Yorkshire on Day 1 as Lancashire amassed a first-innings 273, but rain washed out Day 2.

Day 1: It was common knowledge that Andrew "Freddie Flintoff" was hors de combat, and there were fewer spectators around when the match got off to a delayed start, drizzly showers pervading the Moor Park ground.

Lancashire won the toss and, as in the Trophy match the day befpre, they chose to bat. Like the previous day, an early wicket encouraged Yorkshire and, by and large, kept the runmaking down to three and barely more an over.

Andrea Agathagelou partnered Mark Chilton and Warren Goodwin in stands of 60 and 80 runs before hooking Randhawa’s 61st delivery into Callum Geldart’s safe hands at deep-fine-leg.

Randhawa bowled unchanged for 32 overs and, after taking two more wickets, he allowed skipper John Blain to break the seventh-wicket partnership of 60 etween Simon Kerrigan and Scott Stanworth. The eighth, ninth and 10th wickets were his - at a cost of one run.

The Yorkshire openers had five overs to face to begin the task of overhauling Lancashire’s 273. They safely negotiated their way to 11 runs by stumps.

Day 2:  The second day was washed out: rain in the morning, heavy at times, turned the ground soggy, and although there was some drying in the onshore wind it had not been enough by 4pm to allow play to begin. The players hope for better things today.

Day 3: Play would begin on time. There was a nod and wink between the captains as a target was set for Yorkshire to chase: 290 off the 90 overs that would remain after Yorkshire had declared their first innings at the overnight score and Lancashire had batted for four second-innings overs to extend their lead to the accepted target.

Yorkshire started the fourth innings 90 minutes before lunch - and Nick Caunce despatched Callum Geldart with his third ball and not a run on the board. This was the cue for Billy Root to join fellow left-hander Ballance in what was to prove the best partnership of the innings - 81 runs in 83 minutes, of which Root contributed 45 before he was caught by Mark Chilton at mid-off.

Alex Lees and Ballance added 49 in a partnership that started 10 minutes before lunch and ended when Lees was caught behind at 130 to become Arron Lilley’s first victim in his 12th over. Left-armer Simon Kerrigan - who had rushed back from Edgbaston, where he had been summoned to bowl to the England batsmen in the Test match nets, joined Lilley in an all-spin attack. They restricted the scoring and picked up the wickets as Yorkshire succumbed.

The seven remaining wickets fell with only 28 added to the total - three to Kerrigan at a personal cost of 31 runs. Lilley? He took a five-for to add to his six-for in the Trophy match four days previously. Cost? A mere 26 runs.

The young Yorkshiremen have had another hard lesson to learn in what turned out to be a one-sided match against the old enemy. The Seconds do not play again until a week on Monday - time for the wounds to heal. Durham are the visitors to Headingley Carnegie - support the Seconds if you can.

Words and Statistics: MICHAEL SNOOK