4. Form goes out the window in a derby
Top against bottom in the North Group, with Lancashire flying high and enjoying home advantage against a Yorkshire team with nothing to play for. A home banker surely?
Nobody told Bradford’s Jonny Bairstow (116) or Keighley’s Will Luxton (90), each of whose 17 sixes plucked a petal from the red rose as it wilted under the onslaught. Lancashire’s hired hands were spirited in their reply, but the two Tykes, backed up by a couple of wickets from Leeds’ Jordan Thompson, had done enough. It was a shock result that wasn’t really a shock at all.
Danny Lamb is almost a reverse Aneurin Donald – it’s amazing to see that he’s still in his 20s. Now at Sussex, he enjoys the classic “bits and pieces” player’s stats, averaging between 30 and 33 across all three formats with the ball and 29 and 35 with the bat (OK, 15 in T20, but it would be 30 if he spent more time at the crease).
He showed his value in his team’s short trip to Canterbury, where he made only seven off 12 batting but, on as fourth change, he dismissed key men Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly then cleaned up the tail for a fivefer.
It’s easy to look down on the quasi all-rounders (those who would not get in the XI for either of their skills) but they are easy to relate to and easy to love because they’re always in the game. The Darren Stevens tribute acts will always have a place in the hearts of county cricket fans.
6. Farhan’s far out finish
Though it does not find favour with readers, this column does advocate exploring tweaks to the Blast’s playing regulations to promote more tight finishes. Too many matches are won well before the tension that only a last-over finish can provide. Lots of options would be available, but I’d quite like a wildcard allowing the captain to call upon his best bowler for a fifth over any time in the last six.
They did get a thriller at Trent Bridge when Leicestershire made the short trip north and racked up a solid 188 for two. Joe Clarke, as he does, got the Nottinghamshire chase off to a good start and all looked well when Tom Moores hit the first two deliveries of the 18th over for six, leaving 10 to get off 16 balls.
But it’s best not to get out if you’re the set batter, and Moores did, to leave the last three wickets to get over the line. Liam Patterson-White couldn’t get enough of the strike and when he was out, No 11 Farhan Ahmed walked to the crease with two balls to face and two runs to get. The 17-year-old got it into the offside and set off on a harum-scarum attempt at two runs. With shouts coming from both sides of the boundary, the kid got home amid the chaos and the win was secured, nine down. Now that’s a finish.
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
