Blackpool's Lancashire ace Steven Croft puts hopes on hold for second County Championship title

The newly-promoted Red Rose were hoping to begin their Championship campaign in style with a home win over Kent at Emirates Old Trafford, though the season-opener due to begin on Easter Sunday has fallen foul of the coronavirus pandemic.

No county cricket will be played until May 28 at the earliest, with the very real possibility of that date being pushed back further.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has already said they will prioritise the shorter formats in what is expected to be a curtailed summer schedule, meaning Lancashire may have to wait another year to target their first Championship title since 2011.

Croft hit the winning runs in the final game against Somerset at Taunton to seal glory nine years ago.

The Blackpool-born batsman said: “With the squad we’ve assembled over the last 18 months, we were looking forward to having a real crack at division one this year.

“We got promotion and stayed undefeated last year, which was a great achievement.

“A lot of the younger lads have gained some valuable experience, and there’s some exciting local talent coming through and performing in the first team. Rob Jones and Josh Bohannon are just two of those.

“It’s all built up really nicely to this, and it’s just frustrating that we can’t get out there and prove it. I know there are bigger things going on and people in far worse positions than cricketers but we’d love to be playing.

“Sport is something great, and hopefully we can get back out on the field when it’s safe to do so and can help to give people around the country a bit of a lift.”

The former captain, who has played for Lytham when his Red Rose commitments have allowed in recent years, continued: “We’ve missed out on a couple of things – our pre-season tour to South Africa and the University friendly – and it’s been weird. That will only get stranger when we were due to get started against Kent.

“It’s even been weird turning the TV on and there being no football or any live sport to watch, and that’s when it all hits home because so many people relate to sport and get so much joy out of it.

“Sport just brings everyone together, whether you play or just watch. It’s usually a nice distraction and we will appreciate it all the more when we do get going again.”

Now 35, Croft has virtually seen it all in his 15-year first-team career with the Red Rose, but nothing like the current situation he and his fellow county pros find themselves in.

When they are given the green light to return to duty, he feels that it won’t take too long to get up to speed for the cut and thrust of county action.

The all-rounder added: “Some players are different, but having had 17 or 18 pre-seasons behind me and knowing what I need to do to prepare, I’ll probably need a week outside on grass and then feel ready to go again.

“We were lucky as a squad to have had a week’s training in India before all of this kicked off and that helped massively.​

“And the season is sort of lending itself to the shorter forms now, so you can at least get a rough template in your mind as to what you might be playing and training for, so that helps as well.”

Lancashire are scheduled to return to Blackpool this year to play a Royal London One-Day Cup tie against Worcestershire Rapids on July 29.