Lightning sneak over the line against Steelbacks in Blast thriller
T20 Blast Lancashire vs Northamptonshire @ The County Ground 04/07/2025
Lancashire arrived at The County Ground knowing a win would lift them over the hosts into the top spot in the group (pending the result of Durham’s game against Notts) on net run rate. With a line-up fit to burst with international talent boasting an XI with 8 players who have represented their country in T20Is.
Northants won the toss and put Lancashire into the field. Stand-in red ball captain James Anderson took the ball and despite allowing 11 runs off his first 5, struck with the final delivery of the first over clean bowling New Zealand international Tim Robinson who departed for 9 (4).
Anderson returned for the 3rd and struck again, dismissing Steelbacks captain David Willey for 6 from 4 after a thick outside edge found Saqib Mahmood.
Captain Keaton Jennings threw the ball to Luke Wood for the 2nd & 4th overs who’s left arm pace went for 9 off each.
Anderson’s third over went for just 5, with 2 near run outs for the batting side. Saqib Mahmood finished off the powerplay with a wicket off his first ball when Ricardo Vasconcelos skied to Anderson inside the ring. 14 runs to finish the over would spoil Mahmood’s early momentum and leave Northants at 52-3 at the end of the powerplay.
Lancashire introduced Jack Blatherwick into the attack for the 7th over and nearly dismissed Justin Broad with the last ball with an outside edge evading the outstretched right hand of Buttler.
Mahmood & Wells took the 8th and 9th respectively failing to bowl a dot ball and going for 21 runs put Northants back on the front foot. Australian Chris Green bowled the 10th over and the Steelbacks found themselves 89-3 at the half way point with an impressive 50 partnership from Justin Broad & Ravi Bopara rebuilding in the middle order.
Blatherwick returned in the 11th and was lifted over cover for 4 by the experienced Bopara before being pulled for 4 by Broad, with 20 runs allowed through 10 balls it was looking like it may be a difficult evening for the 27 year older right hander until a slower ball snuck under the bat of Broad, lifting the bails off to dismiss the former German international for 30 off 18.
Green back for the 12th and had Bopara shaking his head with the 3rd ball of the over as he chipped a low full toss to Keaton Jennings for what amounted to little more than catching practice for the Lancashire captain.
Anderson then took his final over and despite having a shout for LBW turned down by the umpire he finished the night with figures of 2/24, not bad for a man who celebrates his 43rd birthday at the end of the month.
What followed were two frustrating overs for the Lightning, Green allowed 3 from his first 5 before being slog swept for 6. Blatherwick then restricted Lewis McManus and Saif Zaib to 4 off his first 5 before missing his length and being punished with 4 more to the total.
Luke Wood bowled the 16th over with 8 coming from it after Zaib flicked him through the leg side for 4. What followed was a very optimistic and inexplicably confident appeal from Buttler who was convinced that McManus has caught an inside edge… or been hit on the pad? I’m still not overly sure which.
The Steelbacks were 132/5 for 4 overs to go and added more than a few off Mahmood’s 3rd over with 16 runs being tacked on to the total. Green took over for the 18th, Jennings saved a boundary with the second ball of the over before McManus lifted one high into the Northamptonshire sky picking out Phil Salt in the deep.
Lancashire were forced to bring an extra fielder into the ring for the last 2 overs and were punished almost immediately for it with Luke Wood being pulled for 4 into the vacant fine leg position followed up by Zaib rocking onto the back foot and lifting the ball over extra cover for 4 more.
With 6 balls to go the score sat at 169/6 and the Steelbacks surely had their eyes on posting a total close to 180 if not more. They would have felt well on their way towards it after Luke Proctor drove Mahmood through point before lifting him over mid wicket for 8 off his first 2 deliveries. What followed was a mix of poor decision making and precise bowling. After a swing and a miss by Proctor Saif Zaib attempted to run through a bye to steal the strike for the final 3 deliveries; only to be caught short by Jos Buttler, a man with a few important run outs in his career.
In came Ben Sanderson who did little to help his T20 average of 6.83 by having his off stumped lifted out of the ground by a well targeted yorker. Australian leg spinner Lloyd Pope strode towards the crease before facing the same fate, this time it was middle and leg stumped that were splintered by Mahmood’s yorker bringing up the team hat trick. With the final ball Mahmood had a hat-trick of his own to celebrate after dragging his length back causing George Scrimshaw to lift the ball to Keets at extra cover to end the innings.
177/9 is by no means a bad score but at this point Northants may have felt that they left a few runs out there even with some well targeted bowling throughout.
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Lancashire’s openers Keaton Jennings & Phil Salt came to the crease with 178 in their sights, the first over may have left Steelbacks captain David Willey feeling slight hard done by with what could generously be described as a run away 4 off a dab to mid wicket, 5 wides given after a ball evaded the gloves of wicket keeper Lewis McManus and a 4 lifted around the corner down to fine leg. It’s not often you give up 13 runs in an over where you may have otherwise felt you bowled quite well.
Willey’s misfortune will not have been helped with a long break for discussion over the legality of Phil Salt’s bat, the umpires met in the middle as they attempted to force the bat unsuccessfully through the gauge only to determine that it was simply not going to fit. The commentators astutely pointed out that it was rather strange how it came to pass that an opening batsman with over 1000 T20I runs who has just returned from a rather successful IPL campaign has managed to find himself opening with an illegal bat.
Oversized willow aside, Salt found the boundary again off Ben Sanderson’s third delivery (this time with perfectly legal equipment) with a shot so certain to find the rope that he didn’t even bother to run. David Willey’s fortunes then began to swing as Keaton Jennings picked out the man at short fine leg with an audacious but slightly missed timed ramp. This brought a new batsman to the crease, with a rather loud roar from the crowd as former England captain Jos Buttler walked out to the middle.
Buttler seen off his first 4 deliveries for no score and looked surprisingly mortal…before coming down the track and dispatching the final delivery back over the bowlers head for 6. Sorry for ever doubting Jos.
Salt and Buttler then ticked along at a rather pedestrian rate with 9 coming off the next 12 balls, credit to some well targeted bowling by both Ben Sanderson and Luke Proctor.
Justin Broad then came in to the attack and was dispatched for 4 to deep mid wicket by Salt before Buttler sent the ball disappearing over long on almost effortlessly off the back foot.
The Steelbacks turned to Lloyd Pope in attempt to slow the England pair down; Salt pulling the ball for 4 down to fine leg being the only boundary of the over with 8 coming off it. Sticking with spin Zaib came into the attack with Buttler and Salt knocking the ball around for 7 off the 8th over. Pope returned with some clever bowling neither batsman could get more than a single off the leg spinner with 4 runs from the 10th over.
In came Ravi Bopara, who may have been surprised to find himself as only the 2nd oldest bowler on the night. Bopara has been playing in the blast for over 20 years and is well respected by anyone who follows the county game, sadly for the Steelbacks neither Buttler or Salt seemed to show much respect for his bowling with each batsman helping himself to a 6 in the over. Buttler pulled his 3rd ball high and handsome over the leg side boundary brining up the 50 partnership whilst Salt leant back and dispatched his 5th ball over deep extra cover.
Salt then brought up his own personal 50 off 37 balls when he pulled the 2nd ball of George Scrimshaw’s first over of the evening deep over the fine leg boundary and into the advertising boards. David Willey returned to the attack for the 12th over and was helped to the boundary for 4 by Phil Salt, who remained on the offensive.
Lloyd Pope didn’t fare much better in the 13th when Salt swept him for 6 well over the leg side boundary and into the crowd. Willey took the ball for his final over in the 14th and went for 16 runs to put Lancashire on top and bring up the 100 partnership for Buttler & Salt, Jos smashing the 4th ball over long on for 6 and Salt pushing the ball square of the wicket for 4 more.
The milestones kept coming for the Lightning as Buttler brought up his 50 off 36 balls with a skip down the track and a push through cover for 4.
Lancashire headed into the last 5 overs 131/1 requiring 47 runs off 30 balls.
Salt got the 16th over off to a good start for Lancs when he evaded the fielder at short fine leg for 4 more but Ben Sanderson bounced back only allowing 5 off the over with 4 dot balls in a row to Jos Buttler. 136/1 requiring 42 off 24 balls.
Lloyd Pope returned for his last over on a night when his numbers didn’t reflect the quality of his bowling, this wasn’t helped by Phil Salt sweeping the 1st ball of the over almost into the next county. Buttler tried to reverse sweep the Australian leg spinner only to see the ball clatter into his off stump, another man with a bit of white ball experience Liam Livingstone came to the crease. 145/2 requiring 33 off 18 balls.
The 18th over was given to Ben Sanderson who was knocked about for 3 singles before Livingstone took on the shorter ball almost letting go of the bat when he pulled the ball into the leg side for 6. Salt tried to the same only to club a full toss up in the air to Ricardo Vasconcelos at deep mid wicket. 155/3 requiring 23 off 12 balls.
Never being one to go on the defensive, Livingstone top edged the first ball of the 19th over the keepers head but managed to find the boundary for 4; Ashton Turner however attempted to scoop his first ball of the game only to loft it high into the hands of Lewis McManus. In came Luke Wells who immediately got off the mark with a single to mid off to bring Livingstone back on strike, this proved to be the right move as Livi pulled the ball so high and far into the leg side I’m not 100% certain if it has landed yet. Unfortunately for Lancs, as is often the case in T20 cricket aggression brings opportunity, and Livingstone’s next attempt to hit the first 6 through the ozone layer ended up crashing into his stumps leaving Wells and Chris Green needing at 167/5 needing 11 off the final over.
Luke Proctor was given the ball after only allowing 3 off his previous over, Wells got off to a good start by lifting the first delivery over extra cover for a hurried 2. Wells then proceeded to take all of the drama out of what had been a nervous affair up to this point, dispatching a wide full toss deep over long off for 6 before hammering the final ball of the game in the same direction for 6 more. 167/5 with 3 balls remaining.
Lancashire Lightning take home the win by 5 wickets after an enjoyable night’s T20 Blast action in which a number of their international stars got their name on the scorecard. Handshakes and the obligatory “chase the sun” followed before Lancs head back up the road to Old Trafford.
July holds a month of hope and promise for fans of the Red Rose, with 6 blast games remaining and a chance to put themselves into the knockout rounds in September. After securing their first County Championship win of the season earlier in the week at Chesterfield, 2 more rounds of the Championship against Gloucestershire and Glamorgan to potentially put themselves in the race for promotion after the August break.
For now though, the focus is on a 2nd vs bottom clash against Derbyshire, with a chance to move in to top spot and give Lancs a good chance of a home Blast quarter final. Mitch Stanley the only addition in an otherwise unchanged squad for the Lightning.
Side note: Worcestershire Rapids were handed a suspended 2 point penalty on appeal after Josh Cobb used an illegal bat in a Blast game against Durham in July 2024.