Run Fest at Stanley Park
Northamptonshire 370-4 Lancashire 372-6
The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.
After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.
Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.
Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.
Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.
Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.
George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.
Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.
It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.
The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.
After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.
Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.
Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.
Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.
Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.
George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.
Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.
It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.
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