Century opening stand sees winless Lancashire take full control on day one of their LV= Championship match with Hampshire

The hosts, yet to win this season and minus the likes of Luke Wells, Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood and James Anderson, seemingly faced a tough task as they took on the visitors, who lie joint-second with three wins from their opening six games.

But after dismissing the visitors for just 142, helped by three wickets apiece for Tom Bailey and Will Williams, Salt and Balderson made light work of Hampshire’s much-vaunted bowling attack as the Red Rose powered their way to 139-1 at the close, trailing Hampshire by three runs.

Lancashire’s decision to bowl first on a hot and hazy morning was quickly justified when Fletcha Middleton edged Williams to wicket keeper Salt, playing his first red ball game for over a year, without scoring, before Joe Weatherley was brilliantly caught by George Bell at gulley for 15 off Bailey.

Williams, especially, bowled superbly during the opening hour as Lancashire took advantage of helpful conditions and a pitch offering bounce, but there was a degree of fortune about their next wicket which saw Nick Gubbins adjudged lbw off a Jack Blatherwick delivery that looked to have pitched outside leg.

If the arrival of James Vince at the crease offered the visitors hope, it was quickly distinguished when an unplayable last ball before lunch from Williams clattered into the skipper’s stumps to leave Hampshire 57-4.

Following the break, Hampshire’s middle order could do little to stem the tide with Ben Brown skying Bailey to Josh Bohannon for six, Felix Organ caught down the leg side by Salt off Williams for two and Liam Dawson caught well at third slip by Tom Hartley to give Bailey his third wicket.

That left Hampshire 76-7 and in danger of humiliation until Keith Barker launched a typical counter-attack full of powerful blows that saw the Lancashire-born all-rounder put on 58 for the eighth wicket with Mason Crane before Barker was bowled by Hartley for 44.

Only eight more runs were added to the total with Crane last man out, top edging a pull to Bailey off Blatherwick for 18 after Kyle Abbott (2) was well caught on the boundary by Williams off Hartley.

Taking their cue from Barker’s approach, Salt and Balderson immediately went on the attack, scoring boundaries at will and reaching 50 in just the tenth overs as Salt enjoyed his first ever outing at the top order for Lancashire.

He took full advantage of being dropped by Middleton in Barker’s opening over while on four.

Mohammad Abbas, Barker and Abbott all toiled away but it took the introduction of Dawson to finally make the breakthrough when he got a beauty to turn through Balderson’s gate and dismiss the all-rounder for 51.

Salt was joined in the middle by Josh Bohannon and the pair safely steered Lancashire to 139-1 with the former unbeaten on 76 and the latter 12 not out.