Croft takes over captaincy as Smith steps down

Lancashire all-rounder Tom Smith has made the difficult decision to step down as club captain ahead of the 2016 season in order to focus on regaining his match fitness.

Steven Croft, who captained the side for most of last season, has taken over the role of club captain, as Lancashire aim to defend their Natwest T20 Blast title and compete back in Division One of the County Championship.

Smith captained the side just once in 2015 - the opening fixture against Derbyshire - before he was sidelined by a slipped disc in his back. He failed to return to fitness by the end of the season and looked on with pride as Croft did a superb job in his absence, helping Lancashire to earn promotion in four-day cricket and their first T20 title at Edgbaston.

Smith said: "This was a very tough decision for me to make but I feel it is the right one. It was a great honour to be appointed captain last year, but I feel that my main focus for now must be to get myself fit for next season.

"Crofty has proved that he is a good leader and I wish him all the best in the role. I'm determined to get myself back out onto the field, as a senior player and I will be there for Crofty offering my support at all times."

Lancashire's director of cricket and head coach, Ashley Giles, said: "This has been an incredibly tough decision for Tom to make but it is important that his focus in on getting fit for the new season. Tom's experience will be crucial to Steven and he will very much remain a key member of our leadership team.

"I'd also like to congratulate Steven on his appointment. He showed great maturity in what was a successful season for Lancashire."

Croft's personal performances were truly remarkable last season. The Blackpool-born all-rounder hit 478 runs in the T20 Blast including a career-best 94 on home soil against Derbyshire. He also hit two centuries in four-day cricket, finishing the season with 874 runs at an average of 41.62.

The new Lancashire captain said: "I'd like to pay tribute to Tom, who is a great friend and an extremely professional team-mate. 

"He worked very closely with me last year and I'm looking forward to him getting back to full fitness. It must have been a very difficult decision for him, but I am delighted to have been asked to become captain. It's a real privilege and I'm honoured to take it on," Croft added.

Anderson signs two-year extension with Lancashire

Lancashire and England seamer James Anderson has signed a two-year contract extension with the Red Rose County.

England's all-time leading wicket-taker featured in two Championship matches last season, claiming his best ever figures for Lancashire against Essex in the final game of the season when he took 7-77 at Chelmsford.

The Burnley-born pace bowler, who is centrally contracted to England, surpassed Sir Ian Botham's record for England when he took his 384th Test wicket against West Indies earlier this year.

Since then, Anderson has entered the top ten leading wicket-takers list in Test history, putting him in the company of fellow Red Rose seamer, Wasim Akram. Since making his Lancashire debut in 2002, Anderson has gone on to feature in 109 Tests, claiming 420 wickets at an average of 29.20.

The 33-year-old claimed his 700th first-class wicket against Surrey when he played for Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford this season, taking 11 wickets in two LV= County Championship appearances.

Anderson said: "I consider it an honour and a privilege every time I wear the Red Rose and I am delighted to sign a new deal with the county I grew up supporting. Last season was a great year for Lancashire and I'm looking forward to seeing us progress under Ashley back in Division One."

Director of Cricket and Head Coach, Ashley Giles, said: "Not only is Jimmy a world-class player but he is a fantastic ambassador for Lancashire County Cricket Club.

"His record speaks for itself on the international stage and he always performs to his highest level when he wears the Red Rose," he added.

Davies and Parkinson extend stay at Lancashire

Wicketkeeper Alex Davies and leg-spinner Matt Parkinson have extended their contracts at Lancashire.

Davies excelled in all three formats least season for the Red Rose County, scoring 730 runs in four-day cricket before picking up a knee injury. Before his injury, Davies was one of only three Lancashire players to feature in every single game of the season.

The 21-year-old, who was nominated for the LV= Breakthrough Player of the Year Award, also hit a career-best 73 in the One-Day Cup and scored 235 runs in Twenty20 cricket, including a vital innings of 47 in the final against Northamptonshire to help Lancashire secure their first T20 trophy.

His record in the County Championship was particularly encouraging, as Davies hit seven half-centuries, averaging 40.56. He came agonisingly close to registering a maiden-first class century against Kent in the early stages of the season, but fell one run short of this milestone.

England Under-19 spinner Parkinson is yet to make his senior debut, but he continues to impress in the international set-up alongside fellow Lancastrians, Haseeb Hameed and Saqib Mahmood.

Director of Cricket and Head Coach, Ashley Giles, said: “Alex is an exciting talent and is very much a key member of our squad. You almost seem to forget that he’s only 21.

“With Jos [Buttler] being away with England, Alex has stepped up and made excellent contributions not only with the gloves, but also with the bat.

“Matty is another talented youngster we have at Lancashire and he will play an important part for Lancashire in the future,” Giles added.

Croft signs new deal with Lancashire

Lancashire vice-captain Steven Croft is the latest Lancashire player to agree a new contract with the Club this week.

Croft captained Lancashire for the majority of the 2014 season after Tom Smith suffered a reoccurring problem with his back. The Club captain only played one LV= County Championship game against Derbyshire, the first game of the season, which meant Croft had to take over as skipper for virtually the entire campaign.

He did a terrific job, guiding Lancashire to their first Twenty20 trophy at Edgbaston, as well as helping the Red Rose County to secure promotion back to the first division of the four-day format. Croft was Lancashire's leading run-scorer in the T20 Blast, scoring 478 runs at an average of 43.45.

A tremendous T20 campaign included a career-best knock of 94 not out against Derbyshire and a memorable performance against holders, Birmingham Bears, on the ground which Lancashire would eventually lift the T20 trophy. In that fixture, Croft hit 64 not out, took two wickets - including the prized scalp of Brendon McCullum - and he also took a stunning catch at backward point to remove Laurie Evans.

His efforts were by no means contained to white-ball cricket. Croft also scored 874 runs in the County Championship, hitting six fifties and two centuries in the process. His tally for the four-day campaign was second only to Ashwell Prince (1,478) and Croft - along with Prince - was one of only two Lancashire players to feature in every single game in 2015.

Director of Cricket and Head Coach Ashley Giles, said: "Crofty has done a terrific job in leading the team on the field in the absence of Tom this year. He's led by example and his performances have been outstanding, especially in the Natwest T20 Blast."

"I'm very proud and delighted to have signed a new contract with the Club I love," Croft said.

"I want to help us win more trophies. We want to be the first club to defend the Natwest T20 Blast and challenge back in the top division of the LV= County Championship.

"It's a really exciting time to be part of this Club and it's great to see the talent in the changing room, particularly with some of the younger guys signing new contracts as well."

Croft is the fifth player to have committed their future to Lancashire this week, with Stephen Parry signing a new long term deal only yesterday. Seam trio Kyle Jarvis, Tom Bailey and Gavin Griffiths also renewed their contracts at Lancashire earlier this week.

Parry agrees long-term deal with Lancashire

Stephen Parry is the latest member of the Lancashire playing staff to extend their stay at Emirates Old Trafford after agreeing a long-term deal with the Red Rose County.

The left-arm spinner took 25 wickets in the Natwest T20 Blast this season, the equal highest tally in the competition alongside Lancashire teammate, James Faulkner.

Parry's consistency has earned him a recall to the international set-up, as the 29-year-old hopes to add to his five limited-overs appearances for England against Pakistan. The Manchester-born spinner is currently in the UAE ahead of England's T20 three-game T20 series with Pakistan, with New Zealand veteran Daniel Vettori on hand to provide guidance to England's up and coming spin prospects.

Kyle Jarvis, Tom Bailey and Gavin Griffiths have all extended their stay at Lancashire this week, with Jarvis and Bailey agreeing to three-year contracts.

It has been another frustrating summer for Parry in the four-day arena, as he was unable to add to his nine first-class appearances. However, in one-day cricket, Parry had a superb season, claiming a combined total of 36 wickets in the T20 Blast and the Royal London One-Day Cup.

His lack of opportunities in four-day cricket lead to the suggestion that he would, perhaps, agree to a loan deal, in order to give him the chance to improve his pedigree in red-ball cricket. Soon after these rumours emerged, Parry received his county cap before the Twenty20 fixture against Yorkshire Vikings at Old Trafford, reassuring Parry that he is a valued member of the Lancashire dressing room.

Director of Cricket and Head Coach, Ashley Giles, said: "Stephen is a fantastic, international quality bowler and is also a great person to have in the dressing room.

"He's a person who embodies what it means to be a Lancashire player and his experience is of great benefit to the younger guys in the dressing room," he added.

His 25 wickets in the T20 Blast took his overall tally to 98 scalps in the shortest format, with these wickets coming at a tidy average of 15.68.

Parry will have to wait for his chance to deliver on the international scene, with England's first T20 fixture against Pakistan scheduled to take place on November 26.

Lancashire seam trio sign new contracts

Kyle Jarvis, Tom Bailey and Gavin Griffiths have all signed new contracts with Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Zimbabwean seamer Jarvis was recognised as the club's Championship Player of the Season after taking 62 wickets in red-ball cricket at a tidy average of 24.47. Jarvis' imperious form was cut short by a broken hand, suffered in preparation for Twenty20 Finals Day.

Bailey's first full season at Lancashire saw a promising return of 35 wickets in the second division of the LV= County Championship, including career-best figures of 5-12 against Leicestershire.

21-year-old Griffiths featured sparingly in limited-overs cricket, but whenever he had the chance to prove what he could do, he certainly delivered. Griffiths bowled only the sixth maiden to ever be bowled at Finals Day - his very first over for Lancashire in T20 cricket - and he went on to feature in the final against Northamptonshire, as the Lightning finally lifted their T20 curse.

Director of Cricket and Head Coach, Ashely Giles, said: "It is imperative that we have a group of strong and talented seam bowlers and all three have had an impressive season.

"Kyle was the pick of our bowlers in red ball cricket and it was a real shame that his injury stopped him from playing in the final games, while Tom made some excellent contributions in all forms of the game. Gav had a T20 debut to remember at Finals Day and to bowl a maiden in his first over was quite remarkable. All three are important to the future of Lancashire," he added.

Bailey took 35 Championship wickets in 12 appearances.

Lancashire were very fortunate to have the services of Australian duo Peter Siddle and James Faulkner this season. However, after returning to Division One, Lancashire have turned their attention to the future and established a strong network of talented youngsters.

Bailey has progressed to first-team cricket after featuring for Lancashire in the 2014 season as a scholarship player, while England Under-19 joint-captain, Haseeb Hameed, took his opportunity at the top of the order against Surrey in the final home game of the season by scoring 91 in only his third first-class game for the Red Rose County.

Griffiths, meanwhile, has not had the opportunity to prove himself in four-day cricket as yet, but his usefulness in limited-overs cricket will certainly provide Lancashire with the depth they have lacked in the bowling department in previous seasons.

Griffiths also took four wickets in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

As well as a scintillating T20 debut at Edgbaston, Griffiths made four appearances in the 50-over contest, with his best performance coming against Nottinghamshire Outlaws, who he claimed 3-41 against at Liverpool.

The performances of Jarvis towards the start of the season were particularly memorable; his new-ball pairing with Siddle made Lancashire a dangerous opponent and when Faulkner replaced the Aussie paceman, this trend continued to Lancashire's gain.

Jarvis was, alongside opening batsman Karl Brown, also awarded his county cap at the end of season awards last weekend.

In addition to the aforementioned contract extensions, academy prospects Rob Jones and Danny Lamb have been recruited on scholarship deals with the club.

Giles makes commanding start to life at Lancashire

Promotion to the first Division and a maiden Twenty20 trophy made 2015 a season to remember for Lancashire.

If you had told Lancashire director of cricket, Ashley Giles that in 2016 Lancashire would be competing in Division One of the County Championship, as well as defending the Twenty20, title he would have been a very happy man indeed. Lancashire’s primary objective, promotion in the four-day contest, was sealed with two games left in their fixture list, although in reality they and Surrey had secured first-division status much sooner. 

Surrey and the Red Rose County utterly dominated Division Two; Lancashire made a formidable start with the red ball, while the eventual winners of the second division finished the season in style. The contributions of stand-in skipper Steven Croft in all three formats, in itself, was a tremendous effort for the club, but the fact that he did all of this in the unfortunate absence of club captain Tom Smith made it all the more admirable.

The County Championship campaign saw Kyle Jarvis take 62 wickets before a broken hand ended his season prematurely, while Ashwell Prince finished his career and his fifth season at Old Trafford with the most runs in red-ball cricket in either division. Lancashire’s start to the season was especially rampant and so it was difficult to see how they would fail to secure promotion. 

Surrey emerged as the only real threat and the 54-point gap between Lancashire and Essex in third demonstrates the void between the top two sides and the rest of the division. The only criticism of Lancashire in the final month of the season was that they began to stumble and found themselves fighting an uphill battle to salvage less-than entertaining draws, rather than be able to keep up with Surrey’s winning form, which allowed the South-London County to lift the trophy by the margin of ten points.

Kyle Jarvis took 62 wickets in 13 matches
 before suffering a broken hand.

Lancashire can regard their 50-over campaign as a vast improvement, although that is not to say that they are, by any means, the finished article in this format. They narrowly failed to claim a spot in the quarter-finals, only by the margin of net run rate, but the performances of Alex Davies and Stephen Parry were particularly reassuring for the Red Rose County. In the end, Lancashire found their winning formula for the 50-over contest too late and were left ruing narrow defeats earlier in the contest.

Fate conspired in Lancashire’s favour in the shortest format of the game, as the Lightning ended their exhausted wait for a maiden T20 trophy. The first dose of luck came when Lancashire edged through to the knockout stages by virtue of having a superior net run rate to Nottinghamshire. Lancashire then edged their way to Finals Day on the technicality of losing fewer wickets against Kent, who topped the South Group. 

The second of these two conspiring factors was surely the moment when the Lancashire faithful must have known that this was their year for T20 glory. Lancashire played the best cricket on the day and overcame the heartache of the previous season, cementing their first Twenty20 title to suit their reputation as the side who has won the most individual matches in the tournament’s history.

Ashwell Prince scored 2,131 runs in all three formats.

LVCC:  2nd, Division Two

T20 Blast: Winner (4th, North Group)

RLODC: Group Stages (5th)

Leading run-scorer: Ashwell Prince - 2,131 runs

Leading wicket-taker: Kyle Jarvis - 78 wickets

Win %: 48.78

Player of the Season:

Ashwell Prince leaves a sizeable and - some might say - irreplaceable void in Lancashire’s ranks, both for his contributions with the bat and the impact he has had on the dressing room and its younger inhabitants. A return of 1,478 runs in the County Championship made the South-African the highest run-scorer in the format, after Prince was the first person to reach the coveted milestone of 1,000 runs at the end of June.

Breakthrough Player:

It seems unfair to describe Haseeb Hameed as a breakthrough player; his talent as a batsman has been known for some time at England Under-19 level. However, on the county scene, the Bolton-born batsman has only truly demonstrated his talent this season. Hameed is certainly a player for a difficult situation and after the departure of Paul Horton Lancashire will be delighted to have unearthed such a determined and mature character. The England Under-19 joint-captain hit 91 against Surrey and scored 257 runs in six innings at an average of 42.83.

Haseeb Hameed impressed in his short stint at the top of the order.

Need to work on:

The start you make can be vital as to how the rest of the game pans out. Lancashire found themselves fighting, in rather unattractive fashion, to save the draw after allowing the opposition to seize the initiative, something which Giles was particularly critical of in the concluding weeks of the season. It is tough to criticise a team who only suffered one defeat in four-day cricket, but tougher oppositions in Division One will not be so easy to overcome as those in the second tier.

Tweet of the Season:

An emotional farewell from Ashwell Prince takes the prize for the Tweet of the Season...

https://twitter.com/ashyp_5/status/646263016661590016

Season Summary:

Promotion to the first division and one-day silverware has made 2015 a memorable season for all those concerned with Lancashire and particularly the players who have fought hard for their success. If they had been able to win the second division and reach the knockout stages of the 50-over contest, then it would have been a near-perfect campaign. As it is, Lancashire enter the 2016 season as a Division-One side, as the defending champions in the T20 Blast and they also have a pool of talented youngsters who are ready to take their chance in the first team.

Lancashire End of Season Awards 2015

CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE

Player of the Year:

Ashwell Prince – A remarkable season has seen Prince score 1,478 runs at an average of 67.18. His farewell season includes a career-best 261 against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay – one of two double-hundred to be hit by the South-African maestro – and his absence next season will leave a sizeable void in Lancashire’s ranks. One of only two Lancashire players to have appeared in every single game this season, Prince has made his mark across all three campaigns for Lancashire this summer. He announced his retirement after five seasons at Old Trafford during his final home game against Surrey, scoring five centuries to finish the leading run-scorer in four-day cricket from either division.

Kyle Jarvis – A broken hand has plighted what should have been a formidable campaign for the Zimbabwean fast-bowler. 62 wickets in four-day cricket at 24.47 made Jarvis the deadliest bowler in the country until injury brought his season to a premature end. Jarvis has, arguably, been Lancashire’s most improved player this year, taking four five-wicket-hauls in Championship cricket. His new-ball pairing with Peter Siddle and latterly Tom Bailey made Lancashire a formidable bowling side in the first half of the season and the Red Rose will need another strong showing from Jarvis in Division One in 2016.

Karl Brown – Lancashire’s dependable opening batsman recorded seven consecutive scores of fifty or more in four-day cricket and his pedigree for the shorter format of the game has included some memorable performances for the Lightning. Brown averaged 45.06 in four-day cricket after scoring 766 runs and his form in the T20 Blast was a vital component in Lancashire’s maiden Twenty20 trophy. With the departure of Paul Horton after 12 seasons at Old Trafford, Brown must now consider himself to be one of the more experienced players at Lancashire and use his experience to help develop the likes of Luis Reece and Haseeb Hameed at the top of the order.

Steven Croft – Consistency and leadership have epitomised Croft’s season at Lancashire. The club’s leading run-scorer (478) in the T20 format has done a superb job in the absence of Tom Smith, guiding the Lightning to Edgbaston and lifting the trophy after the disappointment of the 2014 campaign. He and Prince are the only two Lancashire players to have featured in every single match this season and his recent form in four-day cricket has seen Croft accumulate 874 runs. 

Young Player of the Year:

Alex Davies – The 21-year-old has made a significant contribution across the board this season, with his Man of the Match innings in the final of the T20 Blast standing tall and proud. Davies has developed himself into a dependable batsman in the four-day game, accumulating 730 runs before injury ended his season prematurely. Before then, Davies had hit seven fifties and averaged 40.56 He hit a List A career-best of 73 against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.

Haseeb Hameed – England’s joint captain at Under-19 level has seized his opportunity at the top of the order with both hands, recording his maiden first-class fifty against Surrey at Old Trafford. He is certainly one-to-watch for the future and following the departure of Paul Horton, his promising start to life in the first team is a welcome sight for the Red Rose County. His innings of 91 against Surrey secured a draw against Surrey, a knock which not only showed his impressive temperament for the longer format, but also his maturity for someone so young.

Gavin Griffiths – A man for the big occasion, Griffiths made his Twenty20 debut – of all places – at Edgbaston on Final’s Day. Unfazed by the grandeur of a sell-out crowd, Griffiths delivered a maiden with his very first over against Hampshire on debut, claiming 2-23 to guide Lancashire to successive finals at Edgbaston.

One-Day Player of the Year:

Stephen Parry – Lancashire’s joint-leading wicket-taker in the T20 Blast has been a consistent performer in white-ball cricket for a number of years now and he has recently been recognised by the international selectors for his reliability. Parry took 25 wickets at an average 15.68, with an economy rate of just 6.88. The left-arm spinner also took more wickets than any other Lancashire player (11) in the 50-over contest.

Ashwell Prince – The South-African veteran has made an impression across all three competitions, recording the only one-day century for Lancashire this season in the Royal London Cup against Hampshire. Prince managed 455 Twenty20 runs and his contribution in the final against Northamptonshire, alongside Alex Davies, gave the Lighting a superb start to the game.

Steven Croft – The leading run-scorer for Lancashire in the Twenty20 format, Croft gave some truly memorable performances in white-ball cricket this season. He recorded a new career-best in the T20 format, hitting 94 not out in 49 balls against Derbyshire at Old Trafford and scored 478 runs at an average of 43.45 throughout the tournament. 

James Faulkner – The World-Cup winner claimed 25 wickets in the T20 Blast and his final appearance for Lancashire was the final against Northants. Faulkner carried on bowling even after Shahid Afridi had dislocated his finger and his accumulation of 302 runs included back-to-back sixes to take Lancashire to the T20 final.

Catch of the Season:

Arron Lilley v Nottinghamshire Outlaws – Steven Mullaney thought he had guided the ball to a vacant deep mid-wicket region, only for Lilley to pluck the ball with both hands, diving through the air to take a truly memorable catch at Emirates Old Trafford. Lancashire went on to lose the game by three wickets off the final delivery of the match, but they ultimately progressed to the quarter-finals ahead of Nottinghamshire. 

Steven Croft v Birmingham Bears – The Sky cameras may not have captured this particular catch, but Croft’s one-handed grab at backward point was a magnificent piece of fielding. It was a trademark piece of fielding from the Lancashire captain, who makes these kinds of catches look easy. In the very same fixture, Croft also hit a vital 64 and took two wickets, a remarkable all-round display from the stand-in captain.

Arron Lilley/Karl Brown v Kent Spitfires – The catch which potentially signalled to Lancashire fans that their Twenty20 drought was finally over. Lilley dived through the air, catching the ball with one hand on the square leg boundary and had the presence of mind to throw the ball back in the direction of Brown. Given that it was a quarter-final match which Lancashire won on the technicality of losing less wickets, it was not only a sensational catch, but an important one too.

James Anderson v Surrey – Zafar Ansari was on 99 when Croft delivered a fairly innocuous full toss, one which offered Anderson the opportunity to dive to his left and pluck the ball with one hand.