Lancashire claim crucial Roses victory to keep quarter-final hopes alive in Emirates Old Trafford double-header

Lancashire Lightning kept their hopes of a Vitality Blast quarter-final spot alive with a crucial 22 run Roses victory over Yorkshire at Emirates Old Trafford.

Liam Livingstone top scored with the bat (60) while Mitch Stanley took four wickets, as Steven Croft’s side picked up the vital points against their fierce rivals.

The Red Rose head into Sunday’s meeting with Durham requiring another win, alongside results elsewhere going in their favour, in order to book a place in next week’s knockout stages.

While Ben McDermott struck a couple of fours in the first over of Lancashire’s innings; it was a different story for fellow opener Keaton Jennings, who went for a duck in the second, with Adam Lyth catching for a Daniel Moriarty wicket.

The Australian continued to build on his strong start, smashing two sixes in the third, before Liam Livingstone smashed one over the boundary as well on the first ball of the fourth.

McDermott ultimately ended up getting up to 46 off 23, before playing a Jafer Chohan bowl into Andrew Tye’s hands.

After building a strong partnership with the overseas figure, Livingstone continued to find his groove, and passed the 50-mark.

The 32-year-old’s personal tally of 60 off 39 ultimately featured four sixes before his exit in the 13th over after a Jonny Bairstow catch.

Logan van Beek soon took Matthew Hurst as well, with the Lancs wicket keeper hitting two maximums of his own on the way to a score of 17 before being caught by Moeen Ali.

The New Zealand-Dutch bowler grabbed his third in the 19th over, with Tye catching a second to dismiss Shadab Khan following a score of 38 off 19.

Jack Blatherwick added a further 15 to the total, while Michael Jones was on hand with 24 runs, as he closed the batting with Joe Moores as a target of 216-6 was set.

Mitch Stanley made an early breakthrough at the start of the Yorkshire innings, with Will Luxton exiting 11 at the start of the second over.

The 25-year-old claimed his second wicket at the start of the fourth. Hurst did well to get his gloves under a shot from Adam Lyth - who scored 25 off 12.

James Anderson soon joined in the fun, taking his former England teammate Joe Root for just four.

Bairstow couldn’t make a big dent into the total either, scoring just two before becoming Stanley’s third wicket, while Jennings made full use of his height to pick up a Moeen Ali shot on Khan’s first bowl.

Yorkshire’s first extended partnership came between Matthew Revis and van Beek, with the latter eventually going at the end of the 13th for 40 off 24 - courtesy of an impressive catch from Moores to collect for Blatherwick.

The former kept going with Tye for a period, reaching 52, which included three sixes, before becoming Anderson’s second wicket of the night.

Hasan Ali smashed the ball over the boundary on the first ball he faced, and added seven beyond that for 13 off five in total, before becoming Stanley’s fourth dismissal.

Tye saw out proceedings with 29, alongside Jafer Chohan’s seven, as the White Rose fell well short.

Earlier in the day, it was Yorkshire who claimed victory over Lancashire Thunder in the Women’s Vitality Blast.

A total of 162-6 was set by the visitors, with Ami Campbell top scoring with an individual tally of 64.

Eve Jones started the chase brightly, scoring nine in the opening over, but was soon halted, with Sterre Kalis taking the catch for a Jess Jonassen wicket at the start of the second.

Fellow opener Meg Lanning quickly followed her, with just a four under her belt, after playing a shot into the hands of wicket-keeper Lauren Winfield-Hill off a Holly Garton bowl.

Darcey Carter (23) was the next to go after being run out following some quick fielding from Jess Woolston, while Seren Smale and Fi Morris both exited with just one run each.

Collins was able to add 10 to the chase before exiting after eight balls, before Tilly Kesteven was forced to retire having scored 28.

Kate Cross ultimately ended up matching the same top score for Lancs, while Danielle Collins and Venus Weerappuli registered 10 runs each.

Tara Norris (8) and Sophie Morris (3) added further runs, but Thunder still ultimately ended 29 short.