Lancashire v Durham, Rothesay County Championship, Day 1

Gay’s high-class century at Emirates Old Trafford was his fourth in ten Championship innings this season and it helped his side make good on their pledge not to take it easy even though the Division Two title is won.

Gay put on 114 with Ben McKinney, who made 70 and reached a thousand first-class runs for the season in the process. He then added 168 with Mayank Agarwal before being caught at a precisely placed second slip off Ben Walkden when his side were eight runs short of a second batting point.

A tough few hours for Lancashire’s bowlers was eased a little when they took three wickets in the evening session, though it is doubtful whether this will assuage the pain of dropping four catches, all off Durham’s highest scorers.

Steven Croft, Lancashire’s head coach, said:

“I feel like it was an important toss. A sort of Old Trafford wicket of old, really. It was hard work.

“And sort of pleased where we finished off. I thought we created chances throughout the day. And the lads put in a great shift throughout the day.

“Once they got going and they're top of the league, it could have been a lot worse. Obviously, we would have liked to have done better.

“We dropped a couple of tough chances. If one of those stick and a couple of decisions go our way, it could have been different. But again, it was a pleasing performance from where we've been at.

“The lads have gone about their business really well all week, really. There's obviously some trauma around the week, I suppose.

“But the lads have really cracked on with training and in the game and being really professional with it.”