MATCH REPORT: Dane Vilas leads Lancs to resounding win against Hampshire
Lancashire made short work of scoring the 92 runs they required to clinch a resounding six-wicket victory against Hampshire in just over an hour’s play at sunny Southport.
A half century by captain Dane Vilas steered the Red Rose to a first LV= Insurance County Championship victory of the season before lunch and extend Lancashire’s unbeaten record in the competition to 14 games over the last twelve months.
Lancashire take 22 points from the game to move on to 68 points from six games.
Starting the day on 48 for two, Vilas and Josh Bohannon successfully negotiated the opening overs from Mohammad Abbas and Keith Barker before both settled to play a more expansive game.
Once Vilas blazed Barker emphatically through cover for four and Bohannon did likewise off Felix Organ in the following over, the outcome looked to be in little doubt, even when Organ snaffled Bohannon for a well-made 37 from an edge to Vince at slip.
By then just 47 runs were required and that reduced quickly once Daryl Mitchell had hammered Kyle Abbott over extra cover for six and Vilas, having reached a 73-ball fifty, pulled Organ over midwicket for six more.
Mitchell departed for 14 to a legside glance off Abbas taken by wicketkeeper Ben Brown, but Rob Jones (14 not out) struck three consecutive fours off Organ before Vilas hit the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 64.
“That felt great, firstly to get the win because we knew it would be a tough chase, said Dane Vilas.
“I’m really happy that we got over the line and got our first win of the campaign, which is fantastic.
“We’d played some good cricket coming into this game and we stuck together as a team and did the right things and got a good reward."
The wicket and team selections provoked widespread debate and Vilas said:
“We were a bit unsure about the pitch, with it being so dry.
"We knew if we bowled first we would have to bowl really well and every single bowler did that. They were outstanding.
“To bowl them out for such a low score was incredible.
“Then to follow that with the opening stand with Salty and Balderson was incredible and really set the tone in the first innings. They way we came out and showed good intent through every batter was excellent.
“It got us a good lead, which we knew we needed, because it was going to be difficult to bowl them out again.
“The wicket was tough but we knew we had the quality to get the wickets and set us up for as small as possible chase.”
Ken Grime
Photos: George Franks & Luke Adams
