MATCH REPORT: Lancashire Lightning seal convincing 39-run victory against Notts Outlaws
Three fifties by Keaton Jennings, Matty Hurst and Ben McDermott propelled Lancashire to 208-4 before four wickets by Tom Hartley sealed a convincing 39-run victory against the Notts Outlaws in the opening home Vitality Blast match at a sundrenched Emirates Old Trafford.
McDermott reached his half century off just 22 balls, two shy of equaling the Lightning record, after Jennings became the fastest player to score 2,000 runs for Lancashire and Matty Hurst hit his highest score of the season.
Joe Clarke and George Munsey replied strongly with a 58-run opening partnership in 5.1 overs but the loss of three wickets for 15 runs quickly put a huge dent in the Nottinghamshire pursuit of 209.
The turning point of the match came in an unusual way too when Clarke was bowled by Tom Hartley for 21, the first ball from the left arm spinner after he had replaced the injured Jack Blatherwick after one ball of the sixth over.
Munsey fell for 37 when caught by Jennings tracking back from extra cover off George Balderson, and Tom Moores then pulled Balderson straight into the hands of Hartley on the midwicket boundary for 6 to leave the Outlaws 73-3 after 8 overs.
As the required run rate increased, wickets started to tumble with debutant Harry Singh involved in next three to fall.
Jack Haynes skied Singh (1-27 off 4 overs) to Hartley at midwicket for 14 and Freddie McCann did likewise to Singh off Hartley for 13. George Linde then found Singh at long-off off Chris Green to depart for 14 to leave Notts on 111-6, still needing 97 off 34 balls.
The outcome was in little doubt by then and two wickets in three balls by Hartley, who produced an outstanding 4-20, removed both Benny Howell and Joe Pocklington in the 16th over.
Saqib Mahmood took his 50th T20 wicket for Lancashire when Farhan Ahmed picked out Jennings at long-off for 7 as the Outlaws finished well short on 169-9 with Dillon Pennington 39 not out.
Jennings and Hurst hit 97 runs off 10.2 overs for the second wicket to overcome the early loss of Michael Jones for 1 after skipper Jennings had called correctly at the toss.
The pair guided Lancashire to 55-1 by the end of the six over powerplay and a second six by Hurst brought up the fifty partnership off 31 balls in the following over. The halfway mark was reached with the score 90-1.
Jennings, playing his 71st innings for the Lightning struck 8 fours plus one six swung majestically over square leg off Pennington in making 51 off 31 balls, to better Liam Livingstone’s 2,000 run record by four innings, before being caught at long off by Howell off left arm spinner Linde in the 13th over.
Hurst, who has struggled for runs at times this season, struck the ball with authority from the start, hitting four sixes – all over midwicket – during his 40-ball innings of 57 that ended when he was also well caught by Pocklington off Howell with Lancashire 117-3 in the 14th over.
Their partnership laid the base for McDermott to launch a late six-over blitz that saw the Lightning soar past the 200-mark.
Joe Moores produced an outrageous reverse pull for six off Pocklington during his short stay of 13 before McDermott laid into the Nottinghamshire attack, hitting 4 sixes and 4 fours, in making an unbeaten 63 off 27 balls.
Two of the Australian overseas batter’s sixes came off the ‘same’ delivery as McDermott hit a Pennington no-ball over square leg for six and drove the subsequent free hit straight for six more – 13 runs coming off one legal delivery.
The unfortunate Pennington, whose three overs cost 61 runs, was hit for a third six over midwicket by McDermott as 71 runs were plundered from the final five overs with Lancashire closing on 208-4, their second highest T20 total against the Outlaws and that proved to be more than enough.
“Fantastic,” was Tom Hartley succinct reply when asked about today’s win.
“I think the way we started, we set the tone with the bat, and then to pull it back with the ball there after they got off to a flyer the way we did and to finish really convincingly, it was a great, great win for us,” he explained.
“It was a tough game down in London (on Friday). They're a strong opposition and we didn't feel we were too far off there.
“But I think we righted our wrongs this game and it was just fantastic to do it at home as well.
“I know they got off to a good start, but we always knew that during the middle overs, myself, Greeny and Singhy as well, we could pull it back.
“Coming off (our innings), we thought it was about par. So, we knew we would be up against it. But I think with the weather and the heat, I think it just started to spin a little bit and just allowed us to really go into the wicket and use our strengths for the big boundaries here.”
Hartley made the important breakthrough, bowling Joe Clarke with the first ball after his sudden call to replace Jack Blatherwick.
“I wasn't expecting that,” he admitted. “Joe is a very good player and it's never nice seeing a team-mate go down. To finish his over off was fantastic and showed the trust that Keats has in me to come on at the tough times there and bowl the tough overs.
“And he (Clarke) looks good. He's a nice player. And so that was a big one for us.
“Ideally, we want to win every game here. So to get one on the board here, it just sets the template for how we want to play here. And for a few of the younger lads it just shows them how to win here.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams