Lancashire profit from Derby collapse

Lancashire revived their Royal London One-Day Cup campaign with an impressive all-round display that sealed a 27-run North Group victory over Derbyshire at the County Ground.
Livingstone - career bestLivingstone - career best
Livingstone - career best

Chasing 282, the Falcons were well placed through Billy Godleman’s 91 from 98 balls and Hamish Rutherford’s 47 but they collapsed from 177 for two to 254 for nine with Kyle Jarvis taking four for 31.

Liam Livingstone’s List A career-best run-a-ball 98 and Steven Croft’s 68 from 75 deliveries took the Lightning to 281 for eight which they then defended with accurate bowling and tigerish fielding to deal a blow to the Falcons’ quarter-final hopes.

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Lancashire struggled on a sluggish pitch after electing to bat, scoring only 34 in the first 10 overs with Alviro Petersen dismissed cheaply by Ben Cotton.

The South African was lbw playing across the line at the fast bowler whose disciplined opening spell also brought him the wicket of Karl Brown, leg-before half-forward to one that nipped back.

Livingstone gave the innings momentum by cutting consecutive balls from Shiv Thakor for four before edging the seamer to the third-man boundary but Tom Smith never got going and was run out by Alex Hughes’ throw from mid-on in the 19th over.

At the halfway stage of their innings, the Lightning were 101 for three but Livingstone and Croft began to accelerate with the former driving Thakor over long-off for six to reach 50 from 54 balls.

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Croft pulled Matt Critchley for six and in the 29th over the Falcons had to replace wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein who went to hospital for an x-ray which showed a fracture to his left thumb with Wayne Madsen taking over.

But Derbyshire’s immediate concern was restricting the flow of runs which increased as Croft and Livingstone both dispatched Critchley for sixes in the 33rd over while Cotton was clipped over the midwicket boundary by Livingstone when he returned at the City End.

Croft pulled Tony Palladino for another maximum and the game was threatening to run away from Derbyshire when Livingstone tried to turn Hughes through midwicket and was lbw.

Croft failed to clear deep square-leg in the 44th over but Luke Procter and Jordan Clark added 49 in five overs to post a competitive total which Godleman put a dent in by taking three fours from Saqib Mahmood’s second over.

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Jarvis bowled Ben Slater but Godleman and Rutherford played patiently against some tight bowling before Godleman twice straight drove Clark for six on his way to a 49-ball 50.

The pair were starting to assert themselves when Rutherford sliced Stephen Parry to backward point but Godleman was the key and he drove Smith for consecutive fours as the Falcons went into the last 20 overs needing 139.

Livingstone took a superb catch at deep midwicket to remove Madsen with the score on 177 and Lancashire struck another blow five balls later when Godleman came down the pitch and was bowled by Croft.

With 84 needed from 10 overs Jarvis returned to bowl Thakor and after Wes Durston missed a drive at Clark, sustained bowling and a climbing run-rate proved too much for the Falcons.

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