MATCH REPORT: Barnard best and two in two by Iyer lead Lancs to thrilling three run win
A one-day best by Charlie Barnard and two wickets from the last two balls of the match by Venkatesh Iyer led an excellent bowling performance that clinched a thrilling last gasp victory.
The Red Rose side finished their Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign on a high after successfully defending a total of 237 that included half centuries for Josh Bohannon and George Balderson.
Despite a battling 83 by Worcestershire captain Jake Libby, the visitors finished just short on 234 all out in a dramatic finish but still qualified for the knock out stages due to superior net run rate over both Hampshire and Derbyshire.
Two early strikes by Josh Boyden rocked Worcestershire as the visitors set of in pursuit of their 238-run target, the left arm seamer bowling Gareth Roderick for 4 and having ed Pollock caught by Barnard at deep backward square for 13 to have the visitors on 41 for two from the 10 over powerplay.
The Red Rose attack applied some good pressure to restrict the scoring and that brought reward when Rob Jones top edged a sweep off Barnard that was well caught by Will Williams running in from mid-on for 13.
After Libby and Ethan Brookes had steadily added 45 in nine overs it was Barnard who struck again trapping the latter for 19 sweeping as Worcestershire reached the 25-over mark on 97 for four.
And when Josh Cobb, on 8, attempted to hit Singh over the top but instead found Barnard at mid-off, Worcestershire were in a bit of a hole at 106 for five needing 132 off 135 balls.
That left a lot on the shoulders of Libby and the captain responded with a composed 74-ball half century that contained just three fours as the Lancashire bowlers kept up the pressure.
It was Tom Taylor who provided the support required at that stage, the pair reaching their fifty partnership from 65 balls with Libby pulling Iyer for six from the next delivery as Worcestershire reached 173 for five needing 65 from the last ten overs.
But a tumble of three wickets for 3 runs in 11 balls looked to have proved decisive. Barnard (three for 47) made the breakthrough in his final over, the 43rd, by bowling Libby for 83 followed by Balderson having Fateh Singh caught behind for 1 in the next, with Taylor’s valiant effort ending on 41 when bowled by Williams.
However a hard-hitting 24 off 18 balls from Tom Hinley kept the result in doubt right until the end aided by ten extras in the 49th over bowled by Iyer.
But with four runs required Hinley pulled the Indian all rounder to Harry Singh at deep midwicket and Iyer clinched victory by trapping last man Harry Darley lbw with his next delivery.
Worcestershire’s new ball pair had enjoyed early success after putting Lancashire in to bat, Taylor striking with the fourth ball of the match when Kesh Fonseka edged behind while Darley bowled George Bell for 7 and had Rocky Flintoff given out caught behind for 9 to leave Lancashire struggling on 50 for three after one ball of the 14th over.
By that point the majority of the runs had been scored by Bohannon who was quickly into his stride hitting three early boundaries and twice lofting left arm spinner Hinley for six over midwicket.
The Lancashire skipper built a good, steadying partnership with Iyer that added 50 from 76 balls to counter some excellent work by the visitors attack for whom Brookes contributed seven tidy overs for 21 as the hosts reached the halfway stage on 97 for three.
And it was Brookes who made the breakthrough two overs later taking the wicket of Iyer for 25 via a thin edge to wicketkeeper Roderick standing up just when the Indian overseas player had looked settled.
Bohannon and Balderson countered with a vital partnership of 80 in 13 overs as scoring started to prove more difficult once the wicket slowed. Bohannon, having reached his fifty from 74 balls scrapped with great determination to reach 87 before lobbing a catch to Jones at cover from a slower ball from Hinley.
Balderson had struck six fours in making an attacking 50 off 44 balls until he top edged a pull of Hinley caught at short midwicket by Roderick, and Tom Bailey pushed a return catch to give Hinley a third wicket that represented a good comeback by the bowler who finished with 3 for 50 after conceding 24 runs from his first three overs.
Boyden (2) and Singh (21) were caught on the boundary hitting out during the closing overs with Barnard (3) run out off the final delivery of the innings with Williams 4 not out.
But Lancashire’s total of 233 proved to be just enough to matter.
“I really enjoyed that,” said Venkatesh Iyer.
“Halfway through the innings they were dominating and then we took a few wickets to be back in the game.
“Certain games teach you the lesson that it is never over until the last ball.
“I’m glad that I was a part of it.”
And Iyer kept his cool as a flood of ten extras in the first part of the over helped Worcestershire’s target tumble from 16 runs to just four with two balls left.
“I was confident in that last over because I was bowling really well,” he added.
“If I was not bowling well, my confidence would have gone.
“But they were eight wickets down and so it just needed two good balls.
“If I got one the last batter would have had the pressure on them.
“So I didn’t give up. We have a good group and the way they were talking to me gave me a boost so that I thought we can still win this game.”
And Iyer produced the two good balls needed when it mattered most.
“I have found the conditions here challenging,” he admitted.
“These are not sub-continent conditions and I haven’t been good with the bat.
“This is what I want to take back with me, learn a lot and in that process contribute to the team.
“It won’t be easy. This is my first stint in England, but I am learning and I feel this will add to my game and how I look at the game in particular and hopefully it will be a better experience.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell, Dan Adams