MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire vs Kent Spitfires
Lancashire’s One-Day Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start on Wednesday, losing a high-scoring, entertaining affair against Durham at Sedbergh School.
Lancashire v Kent Spitfires
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Group A
Sunday July 28, 2024, 11am
Blackpool Cricket Club, Stanley Park
They now head to a venue which has been so kind to them over the years as they look to bounce back.
The Red Rose have an excellent record at Blackpool across all formats, and they have never lost a List A fixture against county opposition at the Stanley Park ground.
That run includes a win over Kent there last year.
A repeat of a 125-run win on Sunday would see Keaton Jennings and co bounce back from the Durham defeat in ideal fashion, kick-starting their bid for a top-three finish in Group A.
Durham were deserved winners at Sedbergh, their 344-4 comfortably defended in the end to win by 57 runs. But there was no doubt that Josh Bohannon played the innings of the day in Lancashire’s chase. His stunning 147 not out was an innings that didn’t deserve to finish on the losing side.
Kent opened their campaign with an entertaining three-wicket defeat against Somerset at Taunton on Friday, only just failing to defend 268.
Opposition:
Kent are having a difficult season, and they could do with a good run in this competition to raise spirits.
The Canterbury side are currently bottom of the County Championship Division One table having won only once from nine matches, while they also propped up the South Group table in the T20 Blast with only four wins from 14.
They are without the likes of club captain Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings due to the Hundred and Zak Crawley because of England Test duty.
The 2022 Metro Bank One-Day Cup champions narrowly missed out on knockout cricket last year, finishing fourth in their group. Former Lancashire leg-spinner Matthew Parkinson was their leading wicket-taker with 17, and he will be involved in this campaign.
Batter Jack Leaning will lead the side once again in this competition.
They have two overseas players available in Australian seamer Charlie Stobo and South African all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel.
Opposition player to watch:
Denly is a name synonymous with Kent Cricket. It has been for years. But that’s because of veteran batter Joe and not his nephew Jaydn, England Under 19s all-rounder.
Denly, 18, played five times in last season’s One-Day Cup, taking four wickets with his left-arm spin and hitting a top score of 37 from the lower middle order.
The teenager is a versatile cricketer. For example, he opened the batting for the Under 19s in the recent Test series with Sri Lanka.
In that series, he scored 91 in the first innings of the second Test victory - by an innings - at Cheltenham College as England claimed a 1-0 victory.
Denly hit 18 in the middle order at Taunton yesterday as Kent were bowled out for 267, though he didn’t bowl.
Previous meeting:
Josh Bohannon scored a superb 105 and Jack Blatherwick excelled with 4-52 - both career best returns - as Lancashire beat Kent by 125 runs at Blackpool last August.
The Red Rose gained revenge for a final defeat against the Canterbury side the previous season, comfortably defending their imposing total of 328-5 having been inserted.
Bohannon, from number three, was the cornerstone of an innings which also included George Bell’s opening 71 and 51 and 57 for Dane Vilas and George Balderson respectively.
In reply, Kent slipped into early trouble at 21-2, including new ball quick Blatherwick bowling Spitfires’ captain Jack Leaning. And they were unable to recover.
Blatherwick’s extra pace caused Kent problems through the middle of their innings, and he struck three more times as they were bowled out for 203 in the 40th over.
Balderson continued his good day by claiming two wickets with his seamers, a haul matched by left-arm spinner Jack Morley.
What they said:
Josh Bohannon is confident Lancashire can bounce back from Wednesday’s opening day defeat against Durham at Sedbergh, which saw them bowled out for 287 chasing 345.
The Red Rose lost by 57 runs, with Bohannon the standout performer in defeat with a brilliant 147 - his second career List A century after the aforementioned maiden ton against Kent at Blackpool last year.
“We didn’t play our best cricket, and we played against a strong unit, and still we only fell 50 short,” said the England Lions captain.
“We’ve got a great group of young talent, and there’s a mix of experience and youth. It’s going to be a good comp for us, for sure.
“It’s one game, and we can’t let it affect us.
“The way I look at it is that we make sure we learn from that experience.
“I’m sure we will do, regather and take on Kent at Blackpool on Sunday.”
How’s Stat!
Since 1976, Lancashire have played 13 List A matches against county opposition at Blackpool and have won 10 of them, with the other three No Results.