Lancashire skipper Livingstone's relief at Roses win

Lancashire skipper Liam Livingstone praised bowler Toby Lester for keeping his cool in Friday's night's Vitality Blast win against Yorkshire.
Toby Lester bowled Lancashire to T20 victory against YorkshireToby Lester bowled Lancashire to T20 victory against Yorkshire
Toby Lester bowled Lancashire to T20 victory against Yorkshire

The Red Rose won a high-scoring thriller by one run at Emirates Old Trafford in a T20 match reduced by rain to 14 overs a side.

Lester bowled the last over with Yorkshire requiring 17 for victory before needing four off the final ball.

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However, Lester restricted them to two and settled a breathless match played before a crowd of 22,515 – a record for a Blast game outside of London and Finals Day.

“It’s nice that one of our young lads who’s played five games has won the game for us,” Livingstone said.

“Toby bowled the final over in the last game and did well.

“His plan was to bowl into the pitch with pace off, and it didn’t work.

“He changed to yorkers at the end and it was a great ball to finish.”

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Livingstone had done his part with the bat after Lancashire were put in.

He top-scored with 79 from 37 deliveries in Lancashire’s 176-2 with Yorkshire’s reply of 175-4 featuring 60 from Adam Lyth and an undefeated 51 for England Test skipper Joe Root.

In all, 14 of the 22 players involved across both sides had international experience and they produced a worthy spectacle after Friday afternoon’s rain had threatened to make it the dampest of squibs.

Livingstone said: “Considering we turned up thinking we weren’t going to bowl a ball, we were sat there checking forecasts, it was nice to get out there and play in front a packed house.

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“It would have been nice if it wasn’t so close at the end, but it makes it a bit more special to win in those circumstances.

“I’ve never felt like that. I was stood at long-on feeling sick. It’s all a part of it

“It’s what you play for. It’s up there with one of the best games I’ve ever played in.

“We’re five wins in a row and we’re flying.

“You look at the talent we have in the team, and it’s great to be involved in.”