Blackpool's Gleeson helps Northants to beat Lancashire

Blackpool's Richard Glesson helped Northants to a 76-run win over Lancashire last night.
Richard GleesonRichard Gleeson
Richard Gleeson

The seamer opened the bowling and a tight five-over blast paved the way for spinner Graeme White to rip through the Lancashire top order.

White’s career-best haul came on a wicket that had been used for almost 130 overs before Lancashire began their chase of 287.

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Northamptonshire’s quartet of spinners all caused problems and White led the attack, enjoying turn and bounce to take 6-37 – the sixth-best return by a Northants bowler in List A cricket.

He began by bowling Tom Smith, missing having skipped down the pitch, and then having Karl Brown caught at mid-on. Brown got Lancashire’s chase off to a fine start with a half-century in 46 balls and 13 fours but two balls after raising 50, picked out Josh Cobb to fall for 51.

It prompted a slump from 86-2 to 98-5 as Jos Buttler fell for just two – bowled by Seekkuge Prasanna – and Liam Livingstone stumped after skipping down the wicket against White. When Steven Croft was soon run out attempting a single that was never available, Lancashire had carelessly subsided to 124-6 and were sliding out of the game.

Luke Procter got the chase moving again in a stand of 54 for the seventh wicket with Jordan Clark. But with the required rate edging towards eight-an-over, Clark took a chance against White, came down the pitch, swung and missed and was stumped for 17. White’s five-for was completed with a beauty that turned past the outside edge into Stephen Parry’s off stump and when Nathan Buck took a big swing and missed, White had a career-best and Lancashire were all out for 211.

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On a good batting wicket that yielded plenty of runs in the two T20s previously played on it, Northamptonshire’s 287-8 appeared only a par score. They struggled early on, slumping to 37 -3 before a fine recovery from Ben Duckett and Rob Keogh reset the innings to 174 -3 with 15 overs to go.

But their position was laid by Keogh and Duckett. Three times Duckett swung Parry down the ground but his 50 in 79 balls with five fours was a largely restrained affair.

He shared a stand worth 125 for the fourth wicket with Keogh, who went past his fifty in 62 balls.

Lancashire’s next match in the competition is against Notts at Blackpool on Sunday.