LANCASHIRE all-rounder Jordan Clark took a remarkable hat-trick in the opening session of the Roses County Championship match as he made light work of Yorkshire’s star-studded middle-order.
England pair Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were hoping to spend time in the middle ahead of the Test series against India, while the Tykes line-up at Old Trafford also boasted New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
Root had hit successive fours at the start of former Chester Boughton Hall star Clark’s second over but the Lancashire all-rounder responded in stunning fashion.
England Test skipper Root had raced to 22 off 19 balls when he was trapped in front before Williamson - a place below his county team-mate at fourth in the world rankings - was dismissed in the same manner.
Bairstow, one of the world's most in-form players, came in to face the hat-trick ball and edged to international colleague Jos Buttler in the slips to spark wild celebrations around Old Trafford.
The trio have over 14,000 Test match runs between them and it was the first hat-trick in a Roses match in over 50 years.
Yorkshire were eventually all out for 192, Adam Lyth making a crucial 70, as Clark finished with 5-58 off his 12.1 overs.
However, Lancs ended up chasing the game at the end of day one, skittled for just 109 in reply having earlier been 46/0. Alex Davies made 51 but found precious little support, with Liam Livingstone unable to bat having broken his thumb fielding in the slips earlier in the day.
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