Former Red Rose star Karl Brown reckons old club can dominate County Championship in the future

The former all-rounder was a key member of Red Rose county’s breakthrough success nine years ago.

In fact, the former batsman believes they have all the makings of a team which could dominate four-day cricket over the next few years.

Brown has been reflecting on the highlight of his career, when he was part of Lancashire’s team which won the Championship for the first time since 1934 – a 77-year wait.

It is 10 summers since the likes of Brown, Glen Chapple, Steven Croft and Simon Kerrigan contributed to the most glorious campaign, and they will be reuniting this coming Friday evening via video link to reminisce.

Chapple, captain then and coach now, and Croft, as an experienced playing head, remain part of the current Lancashire squad vying to repeat the success, though Brown has retired into coaching at Cheadle Hulme School.

He still follows the county’s fortunes closely and said: “I think this group are definitely good enough to win it again.

“There’s a lot of talent in that dressing room, and they will be challenging for the next few years I would have thought. The challenge is to go on and win it again and again.

“We were the team which won it after so long, but these lads could be the team who dominates Championship cricket for a while. They are definitely good enough.

“Talent wise they are very good. They also have a lot of confidence.

“If you look at the likes of Liam Livingstone, Al Davies, Matt Parkinson, Crofty is still around, Rob Jones and Josh Bohannon coming through, Keaton Jennings.

“They have a real good mix of local lads who know exactly what it means to wear the Red Rose and international cricketers in Jennings and Graham Onions, and Jimmy Anderson and Jos Buttler when they come back from their England commitments.

“The captain Dane Vilasis also a top player. But I think you can go through the team and there’s not really a weakness in there.”

Brown, who turned 23 in May 2011, was an ever present in the team that summer and scored 888 runs batting at number three.

He was at the crease when Croft hit the winning runs to seal the title by beating Somerset at Taunton during the final week of the campaign.

“It was definitely the highlight of my career,” he said.

“It was just one of those years where everything fell into place. We had some really close matches where we got over the line. It was a brilliant year all round for the club.

“For me, it was a bit of a breakthrough year, and I am really proud I played every game. “

“The hundred against Sussex was a great feeling, but the knock at Hampshire was definitely the better innings. I would have to put it up there as one of the best I’ve ever played in professional cricket.

“With the conditions and the way the game went, it was a really tough wicket to score on.

“It was one of those where I had to ride my luck a bit. I definitely had some of that. But I managed to spend enough time at the crease, and every run was vital. That’s the way the game played out.”

Brown picks out left-arm spinner Kerrigan’s second-innings nine for 51 in the penultimate-round win against Hampshire at Liverpool as another special moment, a victory secured in the penultimate over of the game and to keep the title race with rivals Warwickshire alive.

“Keggsy was on fire that day and probably bowled as well as he ever has done,” continued Brown.

“We just had that confidence and belief right through the season, and Peter Moores should take a lot of credit for that as coach.

“We thought, ‘If Mooresy believes in us, why shouldn’t we believe in ourselves’.”

Lancashire are dedicating the entirety of Friday on their website and social media channels to celebrating the triumph, with Brown’s involvement coming in the evening.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s coming up to 10 years now, which is crazy,” he added.

“It will be really nice to look back and think, ‘We were involved in the team that achieved that’.

“I’ve got one of the stumps from the final game at Taunton in a frame at home. I walk past it every day and never get bored of giving it a glance.

“It just created so many nice memories.”

Max Books, the publisher of the celebratory ‘Champions...About Bloomin’ Time’ book, still have approximately 50 copies for sale and have discounted them to £10 with all proceeds donated to the NHS. Visit http://www.max-books.co.uk.