Preview: Lancashire set for fifth Finals Day appearance

Lancashire Lightning are set to embark upon their fifth finals day and will be hoping that the 2014 campaign will reward them with their first piece of T20 silverware.

After finishing top of the North Group, the Lightning scraped through to the semi finals of the Natwest T20 Blast by the finite margin of one run in their home quarter final against Glamorgan. This match demonstrated the unpredictable nature of the shortest format of the game and Lancashire will know better than most that group form counts for very little once you reach the knockout stages.

A total of ten wins and an unbeaten run of nine games made Lancashire one of the strongest teams in the group stages. Saturday will see Lancashire enter their third finals day at Edgbaston, but if they hope to reach the final they face the unfavourable task of defeating one of the most successful teams in the tournament’s history and the side which eliminated them in the quarter finals last year.

Hampshire came third in the South Group but continue to exercise a particular strength in this format of the game. Having already won the tournament twice, Hampshire boast a similarly impressive record in T20 cricket and have a number of match winners in their ranks despite the departure of Glenn Maxwell. James Vince and his side have also reached finals day on four occasions and

Saturday will be the fifth year in a row where the south-coast side have progressed to the last four. 

Lancashire sailed through to the last eight thanks to the economical bowling of Pakistan fast bowler, Junaid Khan and county cricket veteran, Kabir Ali. The pair have claimed 19 wickets each in this seasons contest, but since Khan’s return to international duties, Ali has sustained a shoulder injury and is a doubt for Saturday. 

The return of Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff dominated the headlines, but the likes of Jordan Clark have delivered memorable performances this season. Their recent Championship win against Durham gave Glen Chapple’s men a much-needed morale boost after suffering a string of defeats in the Royal London One-Day Cup, but disappointment at Edgbaston could lead to a forgettable season for Lancashire if they are eventually relegated in the four-day game.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

The Red Rose outfit have a number of spinners at their disposal and if the pitch is assisting spin then they are likely to do well. Simon Kerrigan, Stephen Parry and Steven Croft have proved to be dependable figures in this side for many seasons now and it will be up to them to deliver on the day. 

Flintoff has not played for Lancashire since taking
3-26 against Leicestershire on July 11.
 

The presence of Jos Buttler will also provide fire power to the middle order after the England keeper missed the quarter final. Karl Brown is in good form in limited overs cricket this season and is Lancashire’s leading run-scorer with 371 runs at an average of 30.92.

One obvious weakness to Lancashire’s current squad is the lack of fast bowlers in the absence of Junaid Khan and possibly Ali. If Michael Carberry is able to find his feet quickly, it could be difficult for Lancashire to restrict the flow of runs. On previous finals days, Lancashire could be accused of a lack of belligerence in their batting and have been defeated after posting modest totals or failing to chase totals set by other sides.

Key Player:

Smith is in red-hot form this season.

If you were to ask any Lancashire member who the player of the season is so far then there would be an overwhelming vote for Tom Smith. Whether in limited overs cricket or in the County Championship, Smith continues to deliver and is a three-dimensional cricketer capable of changing the game. As opening batsman, he has scored 320 runs in 12 matches this season including three half-centuries. 

Smith will almost certainly be called upon to bolster Lancashire’s limited seam bowling options and his efforts this season have consolidated his position as a key member of the squad. His contributions have recently earned him a call-up to the England Lions team where he scored 71 not out against New Zealand A and the Lancashire all-rounder is the leading wicket-taker in Division One of the County Championship alongside Steve Magoffin with 53 wicket apiece.

Previous Finals Day Appearances:

In their most recent finals day outing, Lancashire were the unfortunate victims of a super over against Leicestershire Foxes back in 2011 in a rain-affected semi final. Their best T20 performance came on another rainy day back in 2005 where they were defeated by Somerset in the final at the Kia Oval by seven wickets on D/L.

In 2004, Lancashire were defeated by the agonising margin of one run against Surrey when Chris Schofield was run out off the final delivery. A much more convincing defeat was inflicted in 2007 when the Gloucestershire Gladiators raced to an eight-wicket victory led by Craig Spearman’s 86 off 55 balls.

Road to Finals Day:

Group Stages: 16th May: Lost to Nottinghamshire by 33 runs at Trent Bridge 
                        17th May: Beat Worcestershire by 12 runs at Emirates Old Trafford
                        23rd May: Beat Derbyshire by 20 runs at Derby 
                        29th May: Beat Durham by one run at Emirates ICG
                        30th May: Beat Birmingham by 15 runs at Emirates Old Trafford
                        6th June: Lost to Yorkshire by five wickets at Emirates Old Trafford
                       13th June: Beat Leicestershire by nine runs at Emirates Old Trafford
                       20th June: Beat Northamptonshire by 53 runs at Emirates Old Trafford
                       27th June: Match abandoned against Yorkshire at Headingley
                       4th July: Match abandoned against Birmingham at Edgbaston
                       6th July: Beat Worcestershire by 50 runs at Worcester
                      11th July: Beat Leicestershire by 18 runs at Leicester
                      18th July: Beat Derbyshire by 35 runs at Emirates Old Trafford
                      24th July: Beat Durham by 27 runs at Emirates Old Trafford

 Quarter Final: 1st August: Beat Glamorgan by one run at Emirates Old Trafford 

Murray Goodwin was one of four wickets claimed by Jordan Clark in a tense quarter final.

Expected XI: 

Jos Buttler will be expected to deliver.

With James Anderson and Jos Buttler back to bolster the ranks, it’s harsh to drop young Alex Davies but that unfortunately is the way when it comes to international players and their rare availability. Flintoff has also be named in a 17-man squad for Finals Day but he is unlikely to feature unless absolutely necessary. If he were to play, it would mean that Clark would miss out after his four wickets earn Lancashire a spot at Edgbaston. 

Kabir Ali's return to the Lancashire squad from a shoulder injury saw him claim 3-26 in nine overs, suggesting that he will also be included in the final eleven after claiming 19 wickets at an average of  14.95.

Possible XI: Tom Smith, Ashwell Prince, Usman Khawaja, Karl Brown, Jos Buttler, Steven Croft, Paul Horton, Jordan Clark, Kabir Ali, Stephen Parry, James Anderson.

Odds: Lancashire are 11/10 with SkyBet to reach the final.