2NDXI T20 MATCH REPORT: Lancashire win low-scoring Roses contest by 15 runs
Lancashire kept their T20 hopes alive after inflicting a first defeat on Yorkshire in the Second Eleven T20 North Group qualifier at Ramsbottom C.C.
Matty Hurst’s 45 was instrumental in steering Lancashire to 126 all out after being put in to bat and the Red Rose bowlers rose to the challenge of defending what appeared to be a low total with a great display led by Tom Aspinwall’s 3-19 and George Balderson with 2-17.
In front of a good crowd at Acre Bottom, Hurst and Josh Bohannon repaired the early first ball loss of Balderson by added 40 for the second wicket before Bohannon was bowled by Louie Owens for 20. Hurst and George Lavelle advanced the score steadily to 83-2 after 11 overs but the loss of Lavelle for 24, bowled by off spinner Jack Shutt, started a clatter of wickets as a succession of batters tried, but failed, to increase the tempo.
It was left to Hurst to make the major contribution of the day, his 45 coming from 39 balls with 5 fours, until he was caught by Dom Kelly at deep square leg off the excellent Shutt (3-20) towards the end of the 16th over with Lancashire 104-6.
Ben Cliff (3-22) and Dominic Leech (2-23) polished off the rest of the batting to bowl the hosts out for 126 two balls into the 20th over.
But Yorkshire – already qualified for Finals Day – lost early wickets in their pursuit of a ninth consecutive win. Yash Vagadia pulled Balderson’s first delivery for six but skied a catch to wicketkeeper Lavelle trying to repeat the shot off the next ball.
Will Williams bowled Fin Bean for 10 and Will Fraine pulled Aspinwall high to Williams at mid-on for the same score as the visitors ended the powerplay poorly at 29-3.
Jack Morley bowled Harry Duke for 8 with a nicely flighted delivery while Aspinwall produced an excellent maiden over to have Yorkshire struggling on 52-4 at halfway, still needing another 75.
Skipper George Hill and Kelly did their best to rebuild with a steadying alliance of 32 off 34 balls, Kelly thumping one six over the pavilion roof at square leg off Morley.
But once the left-hander fell to well-judged catch by Arav Shetty at deep midwicket for 20 off the first ball of a Kurtis Watson maiden over, and Hill skied a catch to Watson off Balderson for 17 in the following over, the game swung firmly Lancashire’s way with the visitors 79-6 and needing 33 off 24 balls on a wicket where quick scoring had appeared challenging throughout.
Aspinwall returned to bowl Shutt for 5 and Cliff for 14 while Bohannon ran out Leech for 7 as Lancashire closed out the win with few alarms as Yorkshire finished sixteen runs short of their target on 111-9.
The win means Lancashire might still be able to qualify for Finals Day in the best runners-up spot across the three groups - if they can win their final two matches, both against Leicestershire in a double-header at Westhoughton C.C. on Thursday.
Ken Grime