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Yarkshear v Lancashire T'Headingly
Off to the strange land of the White Rose for a must win match in the Royal London Cup, given we got battered by Leicester on Friday another defeat will make it hard to advance in this competition. It's on Sky so that's my day sorted then.

Lancashire Squad

Liam Livingstone (Captain), James Anderson, Tom Bailey, Karl Brown, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies, Haseeb Hameed, Simon Kerrigan, Ryan McLaren, Danny Lamb, Arron Lilley, Stephen Parry, Luke Procter, Dane Vilas.

From t'other side

Andrew Gale says Yorkshire go into tomorrow’s Roses match at Headingley on the back of “almost the perfect performance” against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

The Vikings brushed aside the Outlaws by seven wickets with 17.2 overs remaining as they pursued a target of just 186 in their Royal London one-day Cup North Group opener yesterday.

They bowled, fielded and batted superbly to set themselves up for a clash with the Lightning in what has all the makings of a Bank Holiday blockbuster.

“It was a good all round performance,” said coach Gale.

“Some of the stuff we’ve worked on in the winter came through, and it was almost the perfect performance in many ways.”

In the aftermath of the Notts win, Joe Root, who hit 75 not out, spoke about Yorkshire’s role awareness and how it was as clear as he can ever remember from his team-mates.

And Gale said: “It’s something I’ve tried to instil that guys are a lot clearer on how we want to play our one-day cricket, and when it shows out there like that it’s quite rewarding as a coach.

“There are going to be challenges ahead, but we nailed the things we wanted to against a good Notts side at a place which is difficult to come to.”

Lancashire head over the Pennines on the back of an opening night defeat to Leicestershire at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday.

They posted 314-8 before Leicester chased down a revised target of 309 in 49 overs following rain late in the second innings.

“They were probably a bit unlucky with Duckworth Lewis, but they’re a strong side and explosive,” said Gale.

“They have a good record in Twenty20, which can carry over into this competition.

“Roses game, you don’t need me to spout off about how big they are.

“We’ve still got our England players available.

“They stood up and showed why they have so much quality (against Notts).

“You want them to turn up on big days like Roses games, and hopefully they will.”

The Red Rose will have England Test duo Jimmy Anderson and Haseeb Hameed available for a fixture which will be televised on Sky Sports.

Yorkshire won last season’s clash by a whopping 242 runs at Emirates Old Trafford last June.

They posted 325-7 from 47 overs, a target revised by DLS to 327. Adam Lyth hit 136 before the hosts were bowled out for just 84.
15-man squad to face Lancashire Lightning
Gary Ballance ©
Jonny Bairstow
Tim Bresnan
Matthew Fisher
Peter Handscomb
Jack Leaning
Alex Lees
Adam Lyth
Steven Patterson
Liam Plunkett
Azeem Rafiq
Adil Rashid
Joe Root
Matthew Waite
David Willey

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Toss won by us Yorkies to bat

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Yorkies 296-9 Handscomb 86 Ballance 85 late collapse gives us a chance

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Easy for Yorkshire no batsman really got in and the spin of Deirdre and Rafiq did the business

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Getting close to last chance saloon in this competition with only eight to play we have lost the first two, hopefully a better result than Monday's tame surrender against them from T'other side. Still no idea why Hameed came in at three, good news Hameed and Anderson available until July.
Good memories of Aigburth, decent cricket ground, a traditional cricket ground where you are close to the action, sadly working so cannot go booked the day of next week for Blackpool next Friday when the weather no doubt will have changed.


Lancashire welcome Northamptonshire to Liverpool tomorrow as they look to register their first Royal London One-Day Cup win at the third attempt.

The Lightning have lost their opening two North Group matches to Leicestershire and Yorkshire.

But they will be hoping to turn that around against a Steelbacks side who have lost two of their first three and will be without Ben Duckett.

Lancashire must reach the top three in the North Group following the change in qualifying regulations for this summer.

The top team in each of the two groups automatically qualifies for a home semi-final and then second and third in each group plays off to face them.
THE MATCH

Lancashire Lightning v Northants Steelbacks

Friday 5 May

Liverpool CC

Royal London One-Day Cup

TEAM NEWS

The ECB have confirmed that Jimmy Anderson and Haseeb Hameed will be available to the Lightning for the whole of the group stages.

Northants batsman Duckett will not be available today having been selected in England’s squad for the two one-day internationals against Ireland, the first of which is in Bristol today.
OPPONENTS

Having lost their first two matches to champions Warwickshire and Derbyshire, Northants were involved in a thrilling tie with Worcestershire at Wantage Road last night as they fell short of chasing down 278.

Well placed at 198-3 in the 39th over of their chase, they lost four wickets for 40 to slip in trouble.

In the end, they had to get 13 off the last over to avoid defeat, with Adam Rossington finishing with an unbeaten 63. Rob Newton earlier scored 107.

Nathan Buck has made an impressive start to life with the county having moved from Emirates Old Trafford over the winter.

He has taken 16 wickets in three Championship matches.

The seamer played the first two Royal London One-Day Cup matches, but missed last night’s tie.
LAST TIME OUT

A top order batting collapse cost Lancashire a North Group victory over Northants at Wantage Road last June, with the hosts securing a 76-run win on the way to topping the group and reaching the last eight.

Northants posted 287-8 after being inserted thanks to Duckett’s 98, with Buck taking three wickets for the Lightning.

Lancashire then slipped to 98-5 in response on the way to being bowled out for 211.

Left-arm spinner Graeme White claimed career best figures of 6-37.

Northants were eventually beaten in the quarter-finals by Surrey.
WHAT THEY SAID

Jimmy Anderson has spoken of his enjoyment at being afforded a prolonged run of cricket with Lancashire ahead of the start of England’s summer Test schedule in July.

Anderson has played two of three Championship matches so far and both of the county’s Royal London One-Day Cup matches.

Earlier this week, England’s leading Test wicket-taker was made available by the ECB for three more Championship matches, including both Roses clashes later this month and into next, and all of the 50-over North Group programme.

“It’s been nice to have an extended period with Lancashire,” said the fast bowler. “I’ve not had that for a few years now duo to the amount of international cricket we’ve been playing. I’ve enjoyed being back.

“My shoulder is holding up, which was my main concern coming into the summer.

“I feel good, and hopefully I can continue that and steadily progress through to that first Test.”

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Lancs 324-8 Brown, Vilas, McLaren and Clark all get 50's. The last two put over a hundred for the 7th wicke

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Northamptonshire cruise home by 6 wickets with 20 balls to spare. Keogh ton and Wakely put on a shed load. Well that's us bollocksed in this competition then

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T'other way round Wakely got the ton

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Lancs 351/8 Warwick OAP 325

When a game in the RLC for the first time this season against the aging Warwick side, usual stuttering start but Vilas with 55 but captain Croft with 127 from 83 balls give us at total we just about defend.
Ambrose 68 and Clarke 76 ran us close but we win.

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Signed Mahela Jayawardene for 20/20 should be overjoyed however it's the baseball version of the great game so not fussed.

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Squad named for Rapids clash, sponsored by David Lloyd Manchester

Glen Chapple has named a thirteen man squad for Lancashire Lightning's Royal London One-Day Cup clash against Worcestershire Rapids at Emirates Old Trafford tomorrow, sponsored by David Lloyd Manchester.
Squad

Steven Croft (Captain), James Anderson, Karl Brown, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies, Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Jarvis, Simon Kerrigan, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Stephen Parry, Dane Vilas and Tom Bailey

Moeen Ali has been named in a 12 strong Worcestershire Rapids squad for tomorrow's Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.

The England all-rounder did not feature in either of the ODI's against Ireland at Bristol and Lord's after being pulled out of the Rapids One-Day Cup encounter with Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.

But he has been made available for the unbeaten Rapids next three matches against Lightning, Warwickshire and Durham Jets ahead of the ODI series versus South Africa.

Director Of Cricket Steve Rhodes said: "We've got three big games and it is a pleasure to get Moeen Ali back in our side and we are looking forward to those big challenges ahead of us.

"With Lancashire, we've had some good battles up there over the years. The wicket is a little bit quicker up there, so we've got to be ready for that.

"But hopefully we can produce the brand of cricket we have been playing."

In-form opener Daryl Mitchell, who has scored 75 and 69 in his last two One-Day Cup knocks, said: "We are looking forward to another big week.

"If we can win those next two games (against Lancashire and Warwickshire) then we will go a long way towards getting through the the knockout stages of this competition.

"I think we've got to target winning the group now. A home tie would be fantastic. With the structure of the competition this year, it would be a big advantage to win the group.

"That's got to your target, to try and win every game, and if you do that obviously you will top the group."

Batsman Tom Fell is not included of the side which defeated Yorkshire Vikings at New Road on Friday.

He will play for the Second Eleven in the Championship match with MCC Young Cricketers at Barnt Green starting tomorrow.

Rapids (from):

Mitchell,

Moeen Ali

Kohler-Cadmore

Clarke

D'Oliveira

Cox

Whiteley

Leach

Hastings

Barnard

Shantry

Tongue

Early memories of Worcester very unpleasant they werte as well, a Gillette Cup semi final in the mid 60's they bowled us out for 60 and won by 9 wickets, seem to remember Flavell and Coldwell did the damge. Always had time for the Pears, one of the smaller counties who until more recent times always seem to be successful, these days probably not good enough for the top division but probably too good for the second.
They gave the English game Basil D'Olivera for which they should be thanked for, his grandson carries on the family tradition by being a Pears player.