Lancashire Lightning Vitality T20 Blast at Old Trafford Loss 0 pts Report

 

17/07

OUTLAWS OUTCLASSED

Notts slipped to a humiliating 8 wicket defeat at Old Trafford last night, the home side winning with a massive 33 balls to spare. Apart from Lyndon James and Liam Patterson-White, no other Notts player came out of the match with much credit.

Lancashire inserted Notts who made one change to their Eleven bringing in Fletcher for Slater. Another massive gaffe by the head coach. Old Trafford which has favoured spin all season so why bring a paceman in for a batsman? Sheer madness. King and McCann should have been included in the eleven to give them experience. Another wasted opportunity missed by the ever obstinate Moores.

A crowd of around 5,000 gathered on a pleasant warm evening with the match over as a contest by the end of the first powerplay. Wood (Statham End) conceded just a single from the opening over. Clarke (0) edged a fast short ball from Mahmood straight to Salt behind the stumps to depart for a three ball duck; 2 for 1, three off the second over. Martindale hit Wood for four over mid off. His innings though was not a good one, struggling to clear the in field and playing and missing. Haynes (2) skied Wood straight to Livingstone on the square leg ropes, 13 for 2 off 3 overs. Haynes completely out of form. Martindale (12) on the sweep was bowled round his legs by Green, 17 for 3. Five runs off the 4th over. After 3 dot balls, Lyndon James hit Mahmood for consecutive boundaries through the point and mid off, 9 off the 5th over. Montgomery (1) swept Green straight to Dockrell on the square leg ropes, 28 for 4 in the 6th over. Moores survived a confident leg before shout from Hartley first ball. Notts 31 for 4 after 6 overs.

James hit Livingstone for four through mid wicket, 10 off the 7th over. Five singles came off the 8th over bowled by Wells. Moores hit Green for six over long on, 10 off the 9th over. Hartley (2 0 10 1) went for six singles, 62 for 4 off 10 overs. Wells went for six including a leg bye off the 11th over. James hit Mahmood for six over backward square leg, nine off the 12th over including a leg bye. Runs were not coming fast enough to put up a competitive total, however.

A two for Moores off Livingstone brought up the 50 partnership off 41 balls. Moores (26) departed caught at extra cover by Croft off Livingstone, 81 for 5. The 5th wicket had added 53 in 7.2 overs. The fifth highest run scorer in Notts' T20 history had hit one six but no boundaries in his 24 ball innings. Five off the 13th over. Wells (3 0 13 0) conceded three off the 14th over. Livingstone (3 0 22 1) went for seven off 15th over. Patterson-White hit Green for four to bring up the Notts 100. James then hit him for a straight four. 13 off the 16th over. Patterson-White (17 off 15 balls) hit Wood straight to Livingstone on the cover ropes, 105 for 6. James guided Wood for 4 through third man, seven off the 17th over including a leg bye. Harrison was dropped on 2 by Jennings at cover off Green. Harrison reverse swept Green (4 0 34 1) for 4 through third man, six off the 18th over. James (51 off 38 balls, 6x4, 1x6) hit Wood (4 0 23 3) through extra cover to get to his 50 off 37 balls but perished next ball, brilliantly caught by Livingstone at mid wicket, 122 for 7. Seven off the 19th over. James the one Notts batsman who played with any confidence and pride. Well done to him. Nine came off the last over bowled by Mahmood (4 0 26 1). Notts 131 for 7 off 20 overs with Harrison on 10 and Fletcher on 5. A total inadequate score which was at least 40 under par placed by a team short on quality and confidence. Despite Lancashire bowling 12 overs of spin, debutant Dockrell the Irish International never got a bowl!

Stone bowled the first over from the Anderson End with Salt hitting his third delivery to the point ropes. Wells then found the long leg ropes, 11 off the 1st over. Wells was well caught low down by Montgomery at backward point off Farooqi, 14 for 1. Three off the 2nd over. Salt and Livingstone back from the World T20 Cup were both badly dropped but tore into the mediocre fare adding 112 in 11.4 overs. A gentle net for them.

Salt pulled Stone for 6 over long leg and then off the last for four through the covers, 14 off the 3rd over including a leg bye. Livingstone hit Fletcher's opening delivery for four through square leg. Livingstone was then dropped on 5 by Harrison at backward square leg off Fletcher, eight off the 4th over. Farooqi conceded five in the 5th over. Salt cover drove Fletcher for four and consecutive sixes over point and extra cover; 18 off the over. Lancashire 59 for 1 off 6 overs, nearly half-way there already.

Livingstone hit Harrison for a straight six which brought up the 50 partnership off 29 balls, 10 off the 7th over. Patterson-White conceded four off the 8th over. Salt was dropped on 46 off Harrison (2 0 19 0) an absolute sitter to Martindale on the mid wicket ropes. The Notts fielding ragged throughout, the Lancashire mascot standing near the unfortunate Martindale mocked him continuously much to the crowds great delight. Livingstone hit the last ball for 6 over mid wicket, 10 off the 9th over. Salt got to his 50 off 31 balls with a single off Patterson-White, the 10th over going for seven. Lancashire 90 for 1 off 10 overs.

Stone (3 0 30 0) returned and conceded six in the 11th over. For some strange reason Patterson-White was then took off with the Bulwell Bomber returning. Livingstone bottom edged him for 4 and then Salt hit Fletcher (3 0 46 0) for consecutive sixes when straight and then over a point. Twenty off the over, not a good night for Fletcher in his first game for 46 days.

Livingstone hit Farooqi for four through wide third man, eight runs plus a leg bye off the 13th over. Salt (70 off 42 balls, 3x4, 5x6) was surprisingly dismissed caught behind by Moores off Patterson-White (3 0 13 1) for 70, 126 for 2, two and a bye off the 14th over. Patterson-White had bowled well, by far the best Notts bowler on the night. At 2102, Livingstone (54 not out off 37 balls, 3x4, 3x6) reached his 50 with the winning hit a six over mid wicket off Farooqi (3.3 0 24 1). Lancashire 136 for 2 off 14.3 overs with Jennings on 2. A very easy win for the Red Rose against much inferior opponents.

Notts now with 3 wins from 22 games this season; the alarm bells ringing at full blast! MAG

Belated squad news and there will be at least one change to the starting eleven as Joe Clarke tows the line and backs his struggling keeper.

Ben Slater has been omitted from the two previous squads and in comes Haseeb Hameed and Freddie McCann. 

Ben Martindale

Joe Clarke

Jack Haynes

Matt Montgomery

Lyndon James

Liam Patterson-White

Tom Moores

Calvin Harrison

Olly Stone

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Luke Fletcher

................

Sammy King

Freddie McCann

Haseeb Hameed

Toby Pettman

Pravda too busy flogging tickets for the Test Match and obviously The H*ndred now as well, which I thought were already sell outs...

16/07

I'll post the squad news here once Pravda share it. As to be expected, Pravda have gone into full on Test Match mode now. 

One ray of hope is Freddie Martindale isn't included in the current England u19 game, could he be making an appearance at Old Trafford? (just a flight of fancy, as if Peter would include someone so young).

Previous squad for the most recent run of defeats:

Joe Clarke
Ben Martindale
Ben Slater
Jack Haynes
Matt Montgomery
Tom Moores
Lyndon James
Liam Patterson-White
Calvin Harrison
Ollly Stone
Fazalhaq Farooqi

Luke Fletcher
Sammy King
Toby Pettman

CHICKENS AND EGGS

From the Director of Cricket's own mouth, Notts are striving to be a top four county in the championship and a competitive team in the Blast.

In 2024 so far, no other county has won less matches in all formats than the Peter Moores led Notts.  The on going theme of the championship has been either; being resoundly beaten or salvaging a draw after a first innings collapse, but at least there has been some fight and resolve in evidence. 

The Blast has been a horror show of inept management. Those failures by management didn't start with the first match against Steelbacks at the end of May however, but can be traced back perhaps two years when zero foresight was given to future campaigns when successful, senior players would be no longer in the Outlaws employ or an active part of the playing staff. 2023 saw a temporary bodge with Moores using the loan market and bringing in stellar overseas players, as those aging seniors eked out just another season, but we only just managed to scrape into the quarters. In 2023 the cracks were masked but if you looked closely they were stilll visible. The only departure that couldn't have predicted two years ago, is that of Matthew Carter's.Unfortunately in 2024 the chickens have come home to roost! Moores and Newell have egg on their faces, those cracks have resurfaced and the whole team has fallen apart, not that they seem bothered at all, as their lack of action would indicate. In the Blast we haven't seen much or any of that resolve or fight from those selected players, which is why supporters are so disheartened and bewildered by the coach's intransigence over selections.

Back in 2016, we were warned by Lancashire supporters about Peter Moores and today we are still lumbered thanks to Mick Newell's comfy relationship with his head coach. Mick likes a quiet life where no one rocks the boat or asks him to do anything.  "Don't worry about relegation Peter, I can spin that if you get us promotion the followoing season, I'll poach a couple of players to help you too. It'll all look good in the end and the members will be bought-off by that bit of Division Two silverware".

Lancashire will be looking to almost cement a top two position with a win on Wednesday, Notts are playing for pride and they are all working hard, which has been the official spin for the past couple of defeats; has someone questioned their work ethic or something?

Lancashire Match Day Guide