Lancs denied win at death in T20 thriller

LANCASHIRE missed the chance to clinch their place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast as they fell to a five-run defeat at Derbyshire.

George Scrimshaw had gone for 48 from his first three overs but held his nerve with his final six balls as Lightning scored just five of the 11 they needed for victory.

Even an unbeaten 42 off just 23 balls from Tim David couldn’t help Lancashire chase down the home side’s 188-8, as they finished on 183-5.

After Lightning elected to bowl, the Falcons were restricted to 44 from the powerplay for the loss of Luis Reece, who sent a return catch to Tom Hartley off the fifth ball of the innings.

The ball crossed the ropes only four times during the first six overs and Hayden Kerr’s attempt to break the shackles two overs later ended in the hands of cover.

That brought together Wayne Madsen and Shan Masood who accelerated with a mixture of orthodoxy and improvisation.

Masood recorded his fifth 50 of the competition and Madsen powered to his half-century off only 23 balls. He took 18 off four balls from

Richard Gleeson before he was lbw to the next.

The pair had plundered 64 from four overs but Lightning recovered well with Luke Wood and Gleeson conceding only 20 from the last three overs.

In reply, Lancashire lost Phil Salt in the third over when he was superbly caught by Leus du Plooy.

Wells pulled Mark Watt for two sixes in the next over and Croft dispatched Scrimshaw for another maximum with 19 coming off the fifth.

The powerplay ended with the Lightning 64-1. Croft was dropped on 33 at short fine leg off Alex Hughes but Du Plooy took another good catch to remove Wells.

Lightning needed 91 off 10 overs but the Falcons were bowling well, with Dane Vilas caught behind cutting Matt McKiernan.

Croft was brilliantly caught at backward point off Watt in the 14th over.

David responded by pulling and driving McKiernan for two sixes and another six off Scrimshaw left the Lightning needing 33 off 24 balls.

Kerr and Watt conceded only 10 off the next two overs and although Rob Jones pulled Kerr for four, Lightning needed 11 off six balls.

Scrimshaw trapped Jones lbw with his fifth ball before Lamb missed a wild swing at the last to end another T20 thriller.