County round-up: Centurion Andrea Agathangelou makes his name for Lancashire

Andrea Agathangelou, the South African-born all-rounder with Greek Cypriot heritage, completed a maiden century for Lancashire in a match for which he was not originally selected (Getty images)

The Old Trafford stadium announcer’s ability to get his tongue around the name of Andrea Agathangelou is likely to become a more regular challenge after the 23-year-old South African-born all-rounder with Greek Cypriot heritage completed a maiden century for Lancashire in a match for which he was not originally selected.

Agathangelou expected to be on 12th man duty at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Thursday until Simon Katich was hit on the head during net practice and had to drop out. He seized his chance superbly, surviving the nerves set on edge by going to bed on 93 not out to not only register his first hundred in first-class cricket but to reach 121 before he was run out by Hampshire’s Danny Briggs.

An all-rounder in the broadest sense, Agathangelou can bowl both off-spin and leg-breaks and keep wicket as well as batting anywhere in the top order. Two weeks ago he made 91 for Lancashire’s Second XI against Derbyshire at Belper in a match abandoned after an explosion at a nearby factory.

At Southampton, Agathangelou hit 17 fours and a six but rain restricted play to 25 overs, with only eight overs possible in Hampshire’s first innings in reply to Lancashire’s 295, although it was time enough for Jimmy Adams to go for nought.

Rain frustrated Durham’s hopes of batting Middlesex out of contention in the match between two of the early season First Division pace-setters at Chester-le-Street, where only 18 overs were possible.

Durham were 100 ahead without loss overnight and a full day may have enabled them to establish a big enough lead to ensure they could not lose before attempting to bowl Middlesex out for a second time.

Instead, with a lead of 152 to take into the final day, the onus will be on captain Paul Collingwood to judge the right moment to declare if there is to be a positive finish. Mark Stoneman completed a half-century before falling leg-before.

Craig Miles, Gloucestershire’s 18-year-old seamer, had career-best figures of 6 for 99 against Worcestershire at New Road, where Alan Richardson – 20 years his senior – took the first two wickets in Gloucestershire’s second innings to increase his match haul to 10.