Steven Croft shines as Lancashire edge a Roses thriller against Yorkshire

Lancashire defended 311 and 16 off the last over to win a nail-biting Easter Sunday Roses clash by one run at Emerald Headingley and end their losing start to the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Lancashire's Steven CroftLancashire's Steven Croft
Lancashire's Steven Croft

A thrilling clash swung this way and that, with Saqib Mahmood conceding two fours to Jonny Tattersall off the first two balls of the last over before defending three off the final ball when Josh Poysden was run out going for two to square-leg.

Yorkshire finished 310 all out and have now won one, tied one and lost one in the North Group. Lancashire have lost two and won one.

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Lancashire recovered from 116-4 to 311-6 and Yorkshire from 87-3, with Lancashire’s Steven Croft and Yorkshire’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore hitting 97 apiece.

Yorkshire were indebted to a 127 run fourth-wicket stand between Kohler-Cadmore and Gary Ballance, who hit 72, but it was not enough as Lancashire held their nerve.

Lancashire’s total was built around Croft’s 117-ball knock and boosted by Rob Jones’ 65 before Josh Bohannon struck 55 not out from 32 balls at the death.

The first half of each innings saw ball dominate before bat hit back.

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Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings, Haseeb Hameed and Glenn Maxwell fell to David Willey, Duanne Olivier and Adil Rashid respectively before Poysden ran out Dane Vilas.

That was when Croft, along with Jones and Bohannon, sparked the revival.

Croft shared 120 inside 19 overs with Jones and then, once they both fell, it was down to Bohannon.

He brutally dominated a 68-run stand in the final six overs with Liam Hurt.

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Willey was the pick of the home attack with 2-51 but he was one of two Yorkshire wickets to fall inside the curious first 10 overs of their reply.

Having been 36-0 after four, the Vikings slipped to 42-2 after 10 with Maxwell having Adam Lyth superbly caught by Jennings and Mahmood having Willey caught.

Matthew Parkinson then struck four balls into the 21st over, getting Harry Brook LBW.

Kohler-Cadmore reached his 69-ball half-century with a six over long-off as the hosts moved to 114-3 at halfway, needing 198 more.

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When Ballance hit three successive boundaries off Croft in moving to a 47-ball half-century, the Vikings were 197-3 in the 36th over.

Lancashire thought they had run Ballance out on 59, but they did strike when Mahmood bowled Kohler-Cadmore.

Ballance and Bresnan were next to go as Yorkshire were 265-6 before Rashid fell to Graham Onions and Mat Pillans to Hurt.

Both Tattersall and Poysden were run out in the last over as Yorkshire fell agonisingly short.