Lancashire 143 for 5 (Davies 39) beat Leicestershire 142 for 9 (Parkinson 2-26)
Despite some persistent rain the good times rolled at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday evening when 15,196 spectators, a new ground record for a non-Roses T20 game, saw Lancashire Lightning defeat Leicestershire Foxes by five wickets, thereby securing top spot in the North Group.
Needing 143 to win, the home side got home with eight balls to spare, thanks largely to a well-judged innings by Glenn Maxwell, who added an unbeaten 29 off 31 balls to the wicket, catch and run-out he had collected in the first innings of the game. Maxwell partnered Keaton Jennings in the unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 22 which helped Lancashire to their eighth T20 win of this season's campaign.
Earlier in the evening, the Foxes innings had got off to a fine start as the Lightning seamers fed Mark Cosgrove the leg-side diet he craves and the Australian opener helped himself to 39 runs off 19 balls before being bowled by Steven Croft. Arron Lilley then cut his first ball to Josh Bohannon at cover point but the only result of this fine stroke was that Harry Swindells was run out by half the length of the pitch for 4 after a dreadful mix-up with Lilley.
Nevertheless, Leicestershire were 52 for 2 after their Powerplay and the following four overs were all bowled by spinners. The next blow of consequence was struck by Matt Parkinson who had Colin Ackermann caught at backward point by James Faulkner for 21 when the Foxes captain was attempting a reverse sweep and the visitors reached the midpoint of their innings modestly placed on 77 for 3.
Lilley gradually warmed to his task on his former home ground, ramping Richard Gleeson for four and smacking Parkinson over long-off for six but when he had made 28 the former Lancashire allrounder pulled James Faulkner straight to Maxwell at deep midwicket.
The remainder of the Foxes innings was something of an anti-climax as the home spinners strangled the scoring rate and three more batsmen were run out. Harry Dearden's 24 was the only score above 20 and after Cosgrove had found the boundary seven times in 19 balls, his colleagues struck only six fours in the rest of the innings. Parkinson took the bowling honours with 2 for 24 while Maxwell finished with one for 22.
Lancashire's pursuit of 143 began well as Liam Livingstone and Alex Davies put on 54 in 5.1 overs, both openers hitting sixes before Lilley held on to a steepler off Ben Mike to get rid of Livingstone for 28. Steven Croft followed soon after, caught at cover off Callum Parkinson for five, but Davies continued to take heavy toll of Dieter Klein, hitting the South African for a second six before he was bowled for 39 when attempting to cut Parkinson.
Lancashire skipper Dane Vilas was dismissed for 6 when he carelessly pulled Will Davis to deep square leg but Maxwell and Faulkner looked to be taking Lancashire home before Faulkner was leg before wicket to Lilley for 11. However, Maxwell and Jennings settled things with some well-judged strokes on a damp Mancunian evening.
