MATCH REPORT: Buttler blast demolishes Derbyshire
Jos Buttler lit up Emirates Old Trafford with an electrifying batting display as Lancashire made it twenty T20 matches unbeaten at home after defeating Derbyshire Falcons by 27 runs to remain on course for a quarter final berth in the Vitality Blast.
The victory has catapulted Lancashire into second place in the North Group on run-rate ahead of Worcestershire Rapids and Nottinghamshire Outlaws, with all three teams having 14 points from 12 games.
In a game reduced to 15 overs per side due to rain, Buttler and Phil Salt raced away after being put in to bat with an opening partnership of 41 off 29 balls.
Buttler, who became the ninth batter to reach 10,000 T20 runs when driving Alex Thomson through cover for his first boundary, looked unstoppable once he had hit three fours in one over off Pakistan quick Zaman Khan.
Salt cut Mattie McKiernan to Zak Chappell at backward point for 16 but that proved to be a minor blip for the Lightning as skipper Liam Livingstone joined forces with Buttler to demolish the Falcons attack with a barrage of sixes in a century partnership that spanned just 40 deliveries.
One of those hits by Livingstone off Chappell landed on the roof of the newly constructed hotel, and Buttler followed that with another impressive six over the cover point boundary – the longest part of the ground – off Chappell two balls later.
Livingstone next swung a third six over square leg off George Scrimshaw as Lancashire reached the halfway mark on 82-1.
That was the point where Buttler really got going, smashing Scrimshaw over long-on for six on his way to a 27-ball fifty before hitting three consecutive sixes over long-on from off-spinner Thomson to end the 9th over in style.
The Derbyshire bowlers found the pair difficult to contain, and it must have been a relief when Buttler finally departed to a standing ovation after his fabulous innings ended on 83 (off 39 balls) - his highest T20 score for Lancashire - to a good tumbling catch by Leus du Plooy off Zaman in the 12th over.
Daryl Mitchell and Luke Wells - who hit a brace of sixes in the final over - helped Livingstone (47 not out off 30 balls) add the gloss to the innings with some late hitting as the Lightning closed on an imposing 177-4 – the 12 sixes hit by the team one short of the Lancashire T20 record, and from five overs fewer.
The Falcons lost two early wickets, both to Tom Bailey, when Luis Reece mis-timed a pull off that found Livingstone halfway in from long-on for 5 and Haider Ali holed out to Rob Jones at deep midwicket for 1.
Harry Came and Wayne Madsen hit a flurry of boundaries to keep the Falcons on the pace at 49-2 but once Madsen had pulled Mitchell to Luke Wood at deep midwicket for 16 and du Plooy gave Wells a return catch having made 12, the Falcons reply faltered.
Came produced the visitors best innings until he was was stumped by Buttler for 45 after advancing down the wicket to Tom Hartley and McKiernan fell to a great diving catch by Jones at deep extra cover for 6 to leave Derbyshire on 103-6 in the 12th over but by then needing 75 off 19 balls.
That proved to be far too much for Brooke Guest (30 not out) and Thomson, bowled in the final over for 11, to achieve as the Lighting closed out a comprehensive victory with Derbyshire finishing 150-7.
“I really enjoyed that. I thought it was a really good win for us.” said Jos Buttler.
“It was nice to get out there and put a score on the board.
“It was a lot of fun batting out there with Livi,” he added. “He put one six over the new hotel and one over the old hotel as well. It’s a long ball for sure!
“He puts so much pressure on bowlers. Any time you can extend the partnership like we did tonight it’s hard to control the scoring rate.
And Buttler hailed Lancashire’s incredible unbeaten home run.
“Just knowing your own conditions,” he said. “plus we get fantastic support as well, which always helps. They are a bit of a 12th man for us, which is great.
“We have lot of know-how about how to play in this ground, (how to) play smart and read the wicket. You always want to be a tough team to beat on your own ground.”
Tonight’s win gives Lancashire the opportunity to finish second in the group, and Buttler said:
“We believe we can win the remaining two games (in the group) and qualify for the quarter-finals and if we can get to the top two – and get a home tie – that would be great.
“We know with the momentum we can build as a team and if we can get into those knockout stages and still have better cricket ahead of us, that’s a good place to be.”
Jos became the ninth player in world cricket to reach the landmark of 10,000 career runs in T20 and he admitted:
“It’s a nice feeling. It’s something you look back on at the end of your career, but certainly something to enjoy.
“I was aware I was close. It’s a nice thing to tick off and achieve. Hopefully there’s a few more runs to come.”
Ken Grime
Photos: George Franks & Luke Adams