MATCH REPORT: Lightning fall to defeat at New Road
Jos Buttler hit his highest Vitality Blast score of the summer but it proved in vain as Lancashire Lightning fell to a seven wicket setback against Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.
England’s white ball keeper-batter rescued his side from 38-4 by smashing 74 off 54 balls with two sixes and five fours.
He clearly has a liking for the Rapids attack as his only other fifty in the competition this summer came against them at Blackpool.
But the Lightning were restricted to 164 for eight with former England T20 player Pat Brown claiming three more wickets to take his tally for the campaign to 19.
He received excellent support from Mitchell Santner and the New Zealand all-rounder then clubbed his way to 49 off 27 balls as Worcestershire triumphed with 14 balls to spare.
Jack Haynes showed his class in helping Santner add 81 in eight overs and he then pressed his foot on the accelerator in making a decisive 63 from 43 balls.
The Rapids have now moved level on 12 points with Lancashire and they have a game in hand.
Lancashire skipper Liam Livingstone opted to bat after the toss but his side ran into early trouble.
Phil Salt smashed the second ball of the innings from Dillon Pennington over the mid wicket boundary but went for another legside hit later in the over and skied a catch to Usama Mir at cover.
Santner shared the new ball and also made a breakthrough as Luke Wells attempted a reverse sweep and was lbw.
Pennington failed to hold onto a return catch from Dane Vilas but it did not prove a costly miss as Pat Brown struck twice in the final over of the powerplay.
Lancashire were perched uneasily on 38 for four but Buttler and Rob Jones batted sensibly to lead a recovery.
At first they were content to work the ball around against the Rapids spinners but gradually accelerated.
Buttler followed up his half century in Lancashire’s win over Worcestershire at Southport by completing a 40-ball fifty with his fifth boundary, a delightful late cut at Brown’s expense.
Jones opened his shoulder to clear the long off boundary against Brett D’Oliveira.
Santner broke a 98 run stand when Jones attempted a reverse sweep and only found the hands of Ed Pollock on the cover boundary.
Josh Tongue then dismissed Buttler and Livingstone in an action packed penultimate over.
Butler’s fine knock ended on 74 when he holed out to cover and then Livingstone smashed his opening two deliveries for maximums.
After a no ball, Livingstone carved the third legitimate ball he faced to cover. and there was time for Brown to pick up his third wicket as Luke Wood found long on.
Jones held onto a diving catch at cover to dismiss D’Oliveira in Jack Blatherwick’s first over but Santner and Haynes took the game away from the Lightning during a stand of 81 in eight overs.
Santner was particularly aggressive, striking five boundaries in his 49 before he backed away to try and cut Wood and feathered through to Buttler.
Haynes then took over the mantle of chief aggressor and a cover drive off Tom Hartley enabled him to complete his half century.
With Adam Hose also in good nick, the Rapids were on the verge of victory when Haynes holed out to backward square leg of Blatherwick.
(Pictures by Dan Adams)