Lancs are title-winning invincibles
CRICKET CHRIS OSTICK
LANCASHIRE are the new invincibles after completing an unbeaten season in the Specsavers County Championship.
A rain-affected draw at Leicestershire rounded off a stunning campaign which has seen them win Division Two, secure promotion and go unbeaten in their 14 games.
Add to that a semifinal in the Royal London One-Day Cup, a quarter-final in the Vitality Blast –in which they won the North Group – and England Test call-ups for Saqib Mahmood and Matty Parkinson, then it has been a season to remember for the Red Rose.
They are the only team in the two divisions to remain unbeaten in red ball cricket this season, with Division One champions Essex having lost one game.
Glen Chapple’s men also amassed more bonus points than any other team in either division.
“We sat down at the start of the year, the first job was always to get promoted, but the overall was to go unbeaten, and it’s a good feeling to tick that off,” said seamer Richard Gleeson, who finished as the county’s top wicket-taker with 47.
“To finish as top wicket-taker is a nice accolade, in a pretty scary attack to face – especially when Jimmy Anderson is playing.”
The bowling attack has been Lancashire’s major weapon this season, with Chapple able to rotate his seamers on a regular basis.
And having Anderson available for almost half the campaign certainly helped.
Dane Vilas has had a stunning first season as skipper, finishing as leading runscorer in the Championship with 1,036.
But if they are to challenge next season, the Red Rose will need to bolster the top order, with Australia’s Manus Labuschagne one player already linked with a move to Emirates Old Trafford.
Vilas is tonight set to be named the club’s Player of the Year, but Gleeson says thoughts are already on next year.
“This is just another step towards next season,” said the seamer.
“The ultimate goal is to try and win Division One next season, and we believe we have a strong enough team to do that.”