Lightning strikes twice as Lancashire complete double over Yorkshire rivals

By Matt Crosby

Lancashire Lightning won a convincing war of the roses match last night after recording their highest ever T20 score. 

The Lightning achieved the Twenty20 double over their fiercest rivals across the Pennines after brilliant knocks from South African Ashwell Prince, who managed a quick fire 59 from 30 balls, only to be overshadowed by Karl Brown, with the Lancastrian hitting a T20 career best 69 off 35 balls, including five 4’s and five 6’s. 

 In front of a packed out 18,000 sell out at Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire batting first, scored a huge 231-4 off their 20 overs, in what was a near flawless performance against a strong Yorkshire Vikings outlet.

Yorkshire’s reply of 202-8 was a valiant effort but it never felt like they were in the contest, especially after Man of the Match Stephen Parry, who had received his county cap before the match, removed Australian danger men Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell in the same over, to leave them 93-4 in the 11^th over and the game heading the way of the red rose. 

As the build up to the game surrounded Lancashire’s overseas player James Faulkner, who had been arrested after being involved in a collision late on Thursday evening, where he was found to be drunk at the wheel, and subsequently dropped from Lancashire’s squad for their most important game of the season.

The impetus seemed to be with Yorkshire, who already had a star studded line up including Australians Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, and England internationals Tim Bresnan, and Jonathan Bairstow; who had shared a record breaking 366 run partnership in Yorkshire’s previous four day game against Durham.

After winning the toss, Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale chose the surprising decision to bowl first on what looked like a batsman’s paradise; glorious sunshine, very little wind and a pitch showing limited sign of movement, Gale justifying his decision saying his side were more suited to chasing big totals rather than defending them. 

The Yorkshire lads were soon made to pay for their decision, after two perfectly timed cover drives from Lancashire opener Paul Horton ran away for 4, his partner Ashwell Prince, who is in the form of his life this season, smashed his first ball faced from Australian Glenn Maxwell back over his head and into the old pavilion, giving Lancashire 16 runs off the first over. 

They continued to impress, reaching 75-0 off the first six power play overs, before Horton mistimed a drive straight to the hands of captain Andrew Gale at short extra cover off the bowling of Glenn Maxwell (1-26). Lancashire’s next four overs were more reserved as they looked to rebuild, with new batsman Karl Brown originally struggling to find the middle of the bat. 

After Prince’s superb innings of 59 came to an end after top edging a pull shot off the bowling of Richard Pyrah (1-52) into the gloves of England international Jonny Bairstow, Karl Brown was joined by young wicketkeeper Alex Davies, and Brown who had initially taken a back seat in his partnership with Prince, soon became the aggressor. 

Hitting 19 runs off the 11^th over with a 4 sandwiched inbetween two 6’s off the bowling of Tim Bresnan (0-29), Karl Brown then went ballistic in the 13^th over, as Richard Pyrah, usually so economical with his on point medium pace, conceded 27 runs, which included three consecutive 6’s for Brown to cow corner, and a couple of 4’s, moving Lancashire onto 154-2 with seven overs still to go. 

The huge over of 27 saw Brown and Davies achieve a fifty partnership in just 18 balls, taking 11 minutes, as the electric crowd sang “oh Lanky Lanky” at a deafening level.  Brown’s innings finally came to an end when he was caught on the midwicket boundary by Glenn Maxwell off the bowling off Aaron Finch (1-9), leaving the hosts 170-3 as the 15^th over came to a close. 

It was then Alex Davies’ turn to join in on the fun, hitting two successive fours off spinner James Middlebrook (0-33), before getting out a few balls later for a valuable 22 runs, caught by Bresnan off the bowling of 17 year old James Fisher (1-25). Arguably one of Yorkshire’s only stand out performance in the field, as the young pace bowler received great praise from ex England captain Michael Vaughan, definitely one to look out for in the future. 

With the score at 187-4 with four overs to go, it was left to experienced skipper Steven Croft (27*) and 21 year old Liam Livingstone (13*) to add some late hitting to get Lancashire to their highest ever T20 total of 231-4, surpassing their previous best of 229-4 against Worcestershire at New Road last season, which some of you will remember as Andrew Flintoff’s comeback match. 

In reply to Lancashire’s mammoth score, Finch rapidly got things going with three boundaries off the second over from Tom Bailey, and in fourth over, Gale hit Kyle Jarvis (0-44) for a huge six over long-on, to leave Yorkshire very much in the game at 42-0, a par score with Lancashire’s first four overs. 

Lancashire’s breakthrough didn’t come until the end of the sixth over, when lightning struck twice in Parry’s first over, as he removed the key wickets of Finch (33) who miscued a shot and was well caught by Arron Lilley and then Maxwell, who was caught behind by Davies having scored just one. 

The Viking’s still had big hitters left though as they reached 96-4 off 11 overs, and as their captain and opener Andrew Gale turned at what looked like an easy well run two, Arron Lilley pulled off one of the best runouts you’ll see all season with a direct hit from outside the inner circle, which saw Gale (35) out by centimetres.

Jonathan Bairstow was the wicket the crowd all wanted though, with everyone knowing how devastating he can be in one-day cricket, after scoring 25 from 16 balls including two sixes, and really starting to look like damage was about to be done, off-spinner Croft (1-50) got his man with a fast ball which saw Bairstow’s off stump go cartwheeling out the ground, as the Lancashire skipper stood with his arms aloft. 

Andrew Hodd then fell for a disappointing duck, after being caught by Croft to give Parry his third wicket of the match, and the Lightning could sense the victory was approaching. Parry finishing with figures of 4 overs, 3 wickets for just 29 runs, and a huge statement to coach Ashley Giles after reports of Parry wanting a loan move away to play more four day cricket. 

When Jack Leaning (16) was again caught by Croft off the bowling of Lilley (3-31), the game looked all but over.

Next to go was Pyrah, who along with his terrible bowling performance and fall in the field, he then was out for just three runs after he top-edged Lilley straight to Jarvis at short third-man, to mark a night to forget for the 32 year old. 

However Bresnan, aided by James Middlebrook who scored an impressive 29 not out, had other plans, as they went to work on Lancashire’s tiring bowlers. 

The Yorkshire man brought his 50 up off just 22 balls, including five 6’s, which brought a standing ovation from the home crowd, after Bresnan’s refusal to give up on the run chase when others around him were falling easily. 

Middlebrook followed in Bresnan’s big hitting footsteps by launching the biggest six of the night, smashing into the Point with the hospitality members ducking for cover.  Bresnan’s impressive knock of 51, which will certainly have alerted the England one day selectors, came to an end with a superb take from Ashwell Prince, who narrowly avoided stepping over the boundary rope to take the catch as Lilley claimed his third wicket and the White Rose could only manage 202-8 from their twenty overs.

Lancashire cruised to a 29 run victory, and despite Yorkshire’s best efforts, the Lightning never looked like losing. They now sit 3^rd in the Natwest T20 Blast North Group, with their next T20 game away to Leicestershire next Friday night.