Lancashire Lightning cruise to convincing seven wicket win in Worcester
Lancashire Lightning, 146 for three (17.3 overs) beat Worcestershire Rapid, 143 all out, by seven wickets.
Lancashire Lightning continued their strong start to the Vitality Blast with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Worcestershire Rapids at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
The Rapids, having chosen to bat, were bowled out for 143 in 19.1 overs. Only Gareth Roderick (35 from 28 balls) resisted for long as the innings failed to recover from early damage inflicted by James Anderson (three for 32) and Luke Wood (three for 34).
The Lightning reeled in the target with 15 balls to spare, reaching 146 for three thanks to a solid top-order effort headed by Keaton Jennings (42, 37) and Liam Livingstone (41 not out, 22).
The Rapids won the toss but lost both openers in the first seven balls. Brett D’Oliveira edged his first ball, from Anderson, to slip and Wood struck with his first ball when he trapped Ed Pollock lbw.
Jake Libby pulled Anderson for six and almost did the same to Wood only to be denied by a stunning one-handed catch by Jack Blatherwick just inside the long leg rope – possibly the finest catch ever taken in the history of cricket.
Wood’s third wicket followed when Ethan Brookes pulled to mid-wicket and when, next ball, Adam Hose edged Tom Aspinwall to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst, the Rapids were 46 for five, one ball out of the powerplay.
Roderick and Ben Dwarhuis (21, 19) arrested the slide with a stand of 46 in 29 balls before the latter pulled Aspinwall to deep mid-wicket. Lancashire’s catching was top-drawer and when Matthew Waite sought six over fine leg off Blatherwick, Michael Jones judged the catch perfectly despite the pressure of knowing one backward step would take him over the rope.
Roderick’s defiance ended when he sliced Anderson to third man. That left the Rapids’ last two wickets with 27 balls at their disposal - not in the batting plan! Jacob Duffy heaved Wood to the foot of the chestnut tree in a violent unbeaten 24 (12) to at least give him something to bowl at but the Rapids were well short.
The home side desperately needed early wickets but took only one in the powerplay, Luke Wells, who edged Tom Taylor to wicketkeeper Roderick. Jennings and Matty Hurst (28, 22) added 63 in 46 balls and when Hurst was well-caught at long leg by Duffy, his belligerent cameo had, with Jennings, left Lancashire well in charge of the chase.
Jennings bottom-edged a pull at Waite to the ‘keeper but Livingstone smote D’Oliveira’s first two balls into the D‘Oliveira Stand to reassert the Lightning’s momentum. Despite fast-fading light, vastly-experienced pair Livingstone and Ashton Turner (22 not out, 17) saw their side comfortably home. They added an unbroken stand of 62 in 33 balls, Livingstone sealing the win with a pull into the afore-mentioned chestnut tree.
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- Images by Dan and Luke Adams