Lancashire Lightning hammer Derbyshire Falcons in record-breaking display
Lancashire Lightning put on a dazzling display of batting to crush Derbyshire Falcons by 80 runs on a record breaking night in the Vitality Blast North Group game at the Central Co-op County Ground Derby.
Luke Wells smashed eight sixes in his 83 off 44 balls and Matty Hurst hammered 50 off 20 balls to equal the fastest T20 fifty for Lancashire set by Jos Buttler in 2016.
The Lightning’s 243 for 7 was their highest in T20 cricket and contained 17 sixes, the most by any side in the competition at Derby.
Although the Falcons took 42 off the first three overs, they slipped to 74 for 6 and ended on 163 with Caleb Jewell last out for 65 off 43 balls.
Wells lit the fuse by striking three sixes in the powerplay and with Keaton Jennings also clearing the ropes, the Lightning moved to 59 without loss from the first six overs.
Falcons skipper Samit Patel came in for some harsh treatment in his first over which cost 22 as Wells swept him for six and then drove him for another maximum to reach 50 off 34 balls.
Wells smashed Patel for another six before the stand was broken when Ben Aitchison deflected a straight drive into the stumps with Jennings out of his ground.
But at the halfway stage, the Lightning were 110 for 1 and more damage was inflicted in the 11th over with both Wells and Hurst clearing the ropes.
The mayhem continued with 22 coming from a Pat Brown over before Wells failed to clear long on in the 13th, 153 for 2.
But Hurst was striking the ball beautifully, hitting four sixes in his landmark 50, and with Liam Livingstone finding his range, the 200 was passed in the 17th over.
The pair plundered 62 from 33 balls before Livingstone was stumped charging Patel and Hurst was caught trying to ramp Aitchison.
Chris Green hammered Zak Chappell for six to pass Lancashire;s previous highest T20 score of 231 for 4 against Yorkshire at Old Trafford in 2015 and Jack Blatherwick cleared the ropes one more time before the carnage ended.
The batting pyrotechnics continued with four sixes coming in the first three overs of the chase before Aneurin Donald skied Green to deep midwicket.
Luke Wood removed Martin Andersson and Wayne Madsen off consecutive balls and Patel skied,Saqib Mahmood to leave the Falcons floundering on 52 for 4 after the powerplay.
Wickets continued to tumble as the asking rate soared and although Chappell and Mohammad Ghazanfar delivered entertaining cameos, the game had long ceased to be a contest.
Images by: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
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