Anderson stars for Lancs in first T20 since 2014

With the score at 150-6, the former England captain’s side hit the final ball for a single as Lancashire won by four wickets.

In another North Group match, Northants Steelbacks won by five wickets over Leicestershire Foxes, and Worcestershire won by 60 runs over Yorkshire at New Road.

As Anderson was given the ball for the first over of the match, all eyes were on the leading pace wicket-taker of Test cricket at the Riverside.

In the opening burst of 2-15 from three overs, Tom Aspinwall dropped Colin Ackermann at mid-wicket after Graham Clark was caught in mid-off, Alex Lees at mid-on, and he then delivered just three runs.

Anderson, who received the knighthood in April, caught Ben Raine at fine leg and returned for the 11th over of the innings to pick up Ackermann’s wicket, which included 16 dot balls.

The Durham team added 40 runs not out of 25 balls before picking up a few early wickets at the start of Lancashire’s chase.

In the 12th over, the visitors struggled to get to 80-4, but Josh Bohannon scored a well-judged 31 and Michael Jones scored 55 off 39 balls, including a six through a car park.

The Foxes lost their final T20 match against Derbyshire in 2022, but Logan van Beek’s 42 allowed them to bat out the entire 20 overs for 122 all out.

In their 14th over of reply, Northants were 75-4, but Ravi Bopara’s unbeaten 46 in 40 balls gave them a five wicket lead with four balls to spare.

Worcestershire Rapids’ captain D’Oliveira, who was dropped early in his innings by Dom Bess, hit four sixes in his 79 against Yorkshire to make his highest T20 debut at New Road.

Before holing out against Australian Will Sutherland in their 201-5, D’Oliveira combined for a 117-run effort with Adam Hose, who contributed 54 off 37.

By contrast, Jacob Duffy (2-30) gave Yorkshire captain Dawid Malan a second ball for a duck and Adam Finch (2-19) ran out James Wharton by kicking the ball onto the stumps.

Stevie Eskinazi and Kane Williamson’s opening stand of 45, which was followed by Hayden Kerr’s direct hit at the bowler’s end, saw the home side fall to 25.

After a disappointing Middlesex total of 124-9, an unbroken stand of 64 between Asa Tribe (40 not out) and Daniel Douthwaite (31) delivered the win, which was the best score.

There was a little bit there, so I was pretty happy with that, Crane said, “but it is a bit of a mystery when you come from an outback in terms of knowing what you are going to get.”

Will Smeed led Somerset to an eight-wicket victory over Essex at Chelmsford inarguably the game’s opener, hitting a six and 11 fours in his 81 not out of 54 balls.

Dean Elgar (50) and Matt Critchley (54) each took a fourth-wicket stand of 83 for the home side after coming together after Thomas Rew’s brilliant one-handed boundary catch had removed Paul Walter. However, from 119-3, they lost seven wickets for 29 runs to reach 148.

From the penultimate ball of the 16th over, Somerset were on the verge of winning thanks to a 96-run partnership between Smeed and Tom Lammonby (36).

Holders’ second defeat came against Sussex Sharks at Hove, letting them suffer a loss.

Tom Alsop (58 off 35 balls) and James Coles (43 off 27) combined for 105 wickets as Sussex were bowled out for 173. Top wicket-taker in the 2024 Blast was David Payne, who took three of the three victims.

Thursday, June 3rd,

Glamorgan vs. Surrey in Cardiff (start time: 30 BST)

Friday, June 4th,

Old Trafford: Leicestershire Foxes vs. Lancashire Lightning (18:30 BST)