MATCH REPORT: Lancashire go top of the Vitality Blast table after win against Derbyshire
A strong performance with bat and ball by Lancashire took the Lightning to the top of the Vitality Blast North Group table with a convincing 42-run win against the Derbyshire Falcons.
A 68-run partnership for the third wicket between Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone provided the backbone of the Lightning innings of 178-6 after being put in to bat, with Luke Wood providing the fireworks with the ball in taking 3-25.
Keaton Jennings took four 4’s off Ben Aitchison in the second over to get the innings motoring early, eleven and a quarter hours after a weary Lancashire team arrived back at Emirates Old Trafford at 3.45am after being held up on the motorway when returning from the previous night’s game in Northampton.
Jennings pulled Zak Chappell’s first ball to Pat Brown at deep square leg for 22 off 13 balls to depart at the start of the third but Salt and Jos Buttler kept the momentum going by taking 39 off the following 4 overs.
Off spinner Mohammad Ghazanfar bowled three overs at the start of the powerplay conceding just ten from his first 12 balls but the Afghanistan international had sixes struck by both Salt and Buttler from his third as Lancashire reached 60 -1 after 6 overs.
That acceleration received a jolt when a jubilant Samit Patel had Buttler caught and bowled for 23 with his first delivery at the start of the 8th over.
Livingstone, who passed the 7,000 T20 career-run landmark during his innings, drove Patel for six with Lancashire 82-2 at halfway but having made 23 off 17 balls needed a runner after pulling up with an apparent hamstring issue.
Salt launched Brown onto the second balcony of the hotel at midwicket at the start of the 13th over for his second six but was dropped at deep midwicket on 38 two balls later, the single taken bringing up the 50 partnership off 33 balls.
A limping Livingstone heaped more misery on Brown by slicing a six over the deep backward point boundary to become the second Lightning batter after Steven Croft to reach 2,500 T20 runs.
The visitors attack fought back with two important strikes; Salt hitting Chappell to Whiteley at deep cover for 44 off 35 balls at the start of the 15th over and Livingstone departed in similar fashion for 35 three balls later.
When Luke Wells was adjudged caught behind off Martin Andersson for 1, Lancashire’s innings had stuttered at 136-5 after 15 overs and the Falcons bowled tightly across the final five overs, save for Ashton Turner hitting a six and four off one Patel over and adding a last ball boundary to finish unbeaten on 31 off 19 balls.
Derbyshire’s pursuit of 179 had a dramatic start after Luke Wood took two wickets with his first two deliveries, a quick away swinger edged by Caleb Jewell to Jennings at first slip before Martin Andersson was cleaned up by a superb yorker.
That meant Lancashire had taken six wickets in six balls following the four wickets that fell from four balls at Northampton the night before and is believed to be a team record.
Wood struck again at the end of his third over when Aneurin Donald ramped an easy catch to Saqib Mahmood at short fine leg for 9 with Derbyshire 34-3 after 5 overs.
That start was backed up by some tight bowling by the Lightning attack with only two further boundaries struck and that pressure paid off when Brooke Guest drove Wells into the hands of Wood for 14 in the 11th over to leave Derbyshire struggling on 62-4.
Wayne Madsen hit the first two sixes of the innings off Wells in the 13th over with his second maximum posting a 36-ball fifty but with the run rate climbing steadily both Patel (for 7) and Madsen (53) fell to catches by Salt and Jennings in the space of three balls during the following over from Chris Green to signal the end of the Falcons run chase at 86-6.
The game meandered along to a conclusion from that point with the visitors closing well short on 136-6 with Chappell 34 not out and Whiteley 14 not out.
The only negatives, from a Lancashire viewpoint, were the injuries picked up by Livingstone and Mahmood (knee).
“The lads had a really good two days to go away to Northampton last night and play today,” said interim Head Coach Steven Croft.
“It’s a pretty gruelling schedule, but the lads dusted it down well, no qualms about it and two wins in two, so we go on to the next.
“It was a bit of a late one, I think we probably got into bed at half four,” he added.
“To be fair, they're some of the world's best players out there and I think to ask them to get out there within 11 hours of a game finishing, it feels pretty stupid and silly.
“Putting the players at risk, we saw two players walk off the field through injury, which is never nice to see, but I think it's such an easy fix in my eyes and other people's.
“It's something that seriously needs to be looked at.
“One of those players (Livingstone) might be off that field for a bit of a while and I wouldn't say that’s all down to the schedule, but it's not helped one bit for that player who's walked off. It looks like there might be a bit of time on the sidelines.
“Injuries can happen at any time, but I think with such a quick turnaround, you're pushing it a bit too much really.
Croft was full of praise for the response from the squad.
“It has been a massive ask and I'm so proud of the lads,” he said.
“(There’s been) no moaning, no griping.
“The lads have been absolutely fantastic and the staff as well.
“We've got some great characters in that changing room and we just trying to crack on and do our best.
“Everyone stuck their hand up at one time or the other, from the field, in batting and bowling. It's been a real good team effort.
“If we're honest with ourselves, it wasn't our greatest game (last night). And if you're still winning games when you're not getting it quite right, I think it's a great place to be.
“We took a lot of learnings from that victory, and it’s been a pleasing couple of days.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams