2nd XI T20 MATCH REPORT: Brilliant Bohannon leads Lancs to T20 double over Notts
Josh Bohannon produced two superb unbeaten innings, scoring a total of 190 runs, as Lancashire enjoyed two victories against Nottinghamshire in the Second Eleven T20 double-header at Westhoughton.
Bohannon steered the Red Rose side to a six-wicket victory in the first game with an unbeaten 90 after Nottinghamshire had posted 163-8, and the Boltonian bettered that in the afternoon with a superb unbeaten century as Lancashire successfully defended 188-6 to win by 42 runs.
The two victories take Lancashire onto six points, two behind group leaders Yorkshire with both teams having played four games.
In the first match, Nottinghamshire had made a good start to reach 77-1 in the 9th over with Ben Martindale going well on 43. But once the left-handed opener top edged Will Williams (3-27) to Cian Dickinson at short fine leg, the visitors suffered a mid-innings stumble losing five wickets for 32 runs in 34 balls at the hands of Williams, George Balderson and Tom Aspinwall, the latter yorking Calvin Harrison with a beauty.
Dane Schadendorf and Sam King staged a recovery with a 53-run partnership off 33 balls before Schadendorf was run out for 19 in the last over by Williams in his follow-through, and King perished for an 18-ball 33 from the final delivery of the innings.
Lancashire lost Harry Singh in the third over, caught for 6 at deep square leg after pulling Tom Loten, but Bohannon and Matty Hurst produced a great response adding 103 inside 9 overs for the second wicket.
Hurst, who hit three sixes – including a reverse scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head – and three fours, hammered 45 off 23 balls and the pair had reduced the target to 42 off 51 balls by the time Hurst top-edged a sweep off Liam Patterson-White to Loten running across from short third man.
Bohannon, who struck two sixes – the second one bringing up the 100 partnership off 53 balls – eased Lancashire to their target from that point despite losing George Lavelle for 18 and Balderson for 4, square cutting his sixth four to clinch victory midway through the 19th over with Lancashire 167-4.
If the Nottinghamshire bowlers had seen enough of Bohannon in the first match, they were in for an afternoon of double despair as the Red Rose opener produced an even better innings after skipper Williams had won the toss.
Bohannon and Balderson took 55 from the first 32 balls before the latter pulled a short ball from Loten to Haseeb Hameed for 16.
Matty Hurst, who took over the gloves from Lavelle for this game, was bowled by Giles for 3 attempting another reverse scoop but Lavelle kept the early momentum going with a 21-ball innings of 35 that added 66 runs in 43 balls.
Bohannon thumped leg spinner Calvin Harrison for six to reach a 34-ball half century and he moved on relentlessly to reach his second Lancashire T20 century in this competition off the final ball of the innings, his second fifty runs coming from just 29 balls.
Jack Blatherwick contributed two sixes to help Lancashire reach 188-6, marred only by the loss of Harry Singh who retired after appearing to injure his right shoulder while batting after falling while attempting a second run.
Once again Nottinghamshire made a bright start to their innings reaching 85-2 in the 9th over despite losing Slater for 17 and Hameed for 11.
But after Williams (2-12) had Matt Montgomery caught behind and Patterson-White caught by Bohannon from consecutive deliveries, the visitors innings went into a steady decline despite the best efforts of opening bat Martindale who struck an excellent 73 off 38 balls.
Martindale's departure, after driving Balderson to Charlie Barnard at mid-off, was the first of five wickets to fall for 30 runs as Aspinwall (3-32), Balderson (3-23) and Blatherwick (2-44) made short work of clinching a 42-run victory with Nottinghamshire all out for 146, two balls into the 18th over.