Second XI lose tight clash with Northants
Second XI lose tight clash with Northants
Lancashire lost by two wickets to Northants in a tight Second XI Trophy clash at the County Ground.
The Red Rose batted first in the 50 over match and openers Karl Brown and Haseeb Hameed made a fast start, putting on 40 for the first wicket inside eight overs as Hameed struck four early boundaries and Brown one six.
Brown’s dismissal for 16 prompted the loss of three wickets for 22 runs in the middle order, however Hameed continued to play nicely as he passed his half century.
When the 21-year-old was bowled for 58, it was then the turn of skipper Arron Lilley to get amongst the runs, striking six fours and three huge sixes. But wickets continue to fall around him before he was run out for an innings top score of 65 from 69 balls.
George Balderson (21) added some useful runs down the order, before Lancashire were bowled out for 197 from 43.2 overs.
Northants openers Ben Duckett (31) and Josh Cobb (42) made a flying start to the run chase, but the introduction of spin swung the momentum in Lancashire’s favour, Lilley (2/46), Stephen Parry (1/24) and Rob Jones (2/20) helping to reduce the home side to 131/6.
Graeme White (17) and Ewan Cox (23) brought Northants close to the finishing line, before Toby Lester’s two for 43 ensured that it would be a nervy finish with eight wickets down and 10 runs still required for victory.
But Ben Cotton and Mohammed Bilal steered their side home to a nail biting two wicket win in the 42nd over.