SECOND XI: Singh stars in Roses T20 double header
Lancashire Cricket’s Second XI played out two fiercely contested Roses T20 clashes against Yorkshire at Westhoughton Cricket Club, coming out on top in the second game after narrowly losing the first.
The opening game saw the hosts suffer a defeat by just one run, with Harry Singh leading the charge, making 52, after picking up two wickets. The Red Rose won by 50 runs in game two, with runs equally shared around and George Brown taking three wickets to secure the win.
Lancs started the first match superbly. A wicket off the third ball of the opening over from spinner Charlie Barnard, followed by a run out by Kesh Fonseka three balls later, left Yorkshire 1-2 off just six deliveries.
But the ship was steadied by Owen Smith (34) and Will Bennison. The pair put on 84 for the fourth wicket, to leave their side in a much stronger position just past the halfway stage.
It was Singh (2-21) who broke the partnership, having Smith caught on the boundary by George Balderson. The off spinner had his second in as many overs, with George Harris holding onto a catch after Ajay Khunti picked him out on the boundary. Bennison continued to motor despite those two wickets, and his 86 off 58 balls got Yorkshire up to a competitive 151.
It was not the best start from Lancs. They lost Harris, captain George Bell and Rocky Flintoff inside the powerplay, with Balderson falling three balls later. Wickets continued to tumble, and at 98-8, the target seemed a long way off.
Yet, Singh simply went about his business. He hit a brilliant 52 from 34 deliveries, which included three fours and four sixes, brutally hitting Yorkshire’s spinners down the ground.
The all-rounder fell, though, with 42 still required. Brown (24) and Harsh Parmar (12*) kept Lancs in the fight, but with three runs needed from the final ball, Brown was run out coming back for a second run to tie the game. The Red Rose fell agonisingly short of a memorable comeback.
Game one scorecard & videos
Game two saw Bell’s side bounce back in emphatic fashion. This time batting first, runs were shared around more equally. Harris top scored with an impressive 38, but he fell just before the halfway point of the innings.
Lancashire batters chipped in throughout the innings. Singh was once again in the runs, with his 32 the second top score of the innings. Tom Aspinwall, returning from injury, struck a quickfire 21 in the middle order.
A brutal 11-ball 27 from Ollie Sutton, which saw him hit two boundaries and clear the rope twice, helped the Red Rose reach 163-6.
That total proved to be too much for Yorkshire to chase down. Just three players made it into double figures, and 47 from Harry Duke was not enough to help the visitors get over the line.
Much like the runs, wickets were shared out equally. Barnard (1-12) took yet another in the first over, this time just a couple of balls in, and Singh was once again amongst the wickets, picking up 2-21 off three overs, with Bell getting two stumpings in the process.
It was Brown who was the pick of Lancs’ bowlers. He took 3-21 from three overs, including the wicket of Duke to end Yorkshire’s hopes of pulling off an unlikely win, bowling them out for just 113.
The victory against Yorkshire saw the Second XI pick up their first win of this season’s T20 campaign. Next up, they face Derbyshire on Friday.