WILLEY POWER SPARKS TYKES
MARCO CECCHINATO became the first Italian man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for 40 years with a fairtytale win over Novak Djokovic.
DAVID WILLEY’S superstar performance clinched an epic Roses battle for Yorkshire to keep their hopes of a Royal London quarter-final alive.
The England all-rounder was on fire with bat and ball to seal a 16-run win for the visitors at Old Trafford in a game that saw a whopping 742 runs scored across 99 overs.
Willey (above) blasted 131 from just 95 balls from No.3, the spot Joe Root will expect to take when he plays against Northants tomorrow, while Adam Lyth scored 144.
Lancashire needed a record 380 to win and got mighty close thanks to Liam Livingstone, who clubbed 79 from 44 and a more measured 69 from 70 balls from Keaton Jennings.
But Willey claimed Lancashire’s last two wickets in his final over to finish with 4-59.
Lyth said: “Dave was fantastic. He comes in at three for a bit of a pinch-hitting role, but he said, ‘It’s a good wicket, I’m going to bat some time’.”