Lancashire defeat Bears in low-scoring affair.

Khan and Parry had combined figures of 6 for 24 runs.

Lancashire Lighting continued their habit of successfully defending low totals after they bowled the Birmingham Bears out for 111 to earn their fourth successive win of the Natwest T20 Blast campaign. 

A winning margin of 15 runs seemed out of the question after Lancashire were bowled out for 126, but Junaid Khan (4-12), Stephen Parry (2-12) and Kabir Ali (3-23) all played a significant role with the ball as Birmingham's innings capitulated.

Tom Smith continued his form as he made 44, the highest score of the Lancashire innings, but was unable to find any long-term support as the Bears assumed a stronghold on the match. The visitors appeared to be in control of their run chase at 29-0, but they lost four wickets for five runs as Lancashire repeated their heroics against the Durham Jets.

Lancashire were guilty of capitulating also and after reaching 70-2 and will have been disappointed to lose their final eight wickets for 56 runs as Andrea Agathangelou (21) added useful runs to the total.

But the hosts were in high spirits after their recovery yesterday and the signing of Andrew Flintoff for the T20 contest has brought a feel-good factor to Emirates Old Trafford and this was clear to see as they fought their way back into the match from a seemingly desolate position.

Smith's 44 from 21 balls proved to be crucial as Lancashire suffered a similar set back at the start of their innings, losing three wickets for two runs as Jeetan Patel (3-15) claimed the key wickets of Smith and Jordan Clark (10).

Clark and Agathangelou added 30 runs for the sixth-wicket to keep Lancashire in contention and a last wicket stand worth 15 runs between Parry (10*) and Khan (9) allowed the Lightning to post a competitive score of 126.

Lancashire's batsmen had certainly given the bowlers a challenge and after William Porterfield (14) and Varun Chopra (13) assumed a sturdy start it seemed as though the hosts were in for a heavy defeat.

But Khan made the first breakthrough of the innings to remove Porterfield and from this moment on Lancashire chipped away at the opposition. The visitors lost another two wickets with the score at 33, losing Chopra and Johnathon Webb (3) in quick succession.

Rikki Clark was unable to impart his experience on the match after he was superbly run out by keeper Alex Davies for just one and the Bears were thankful to earn 44 runs for the fifth-wicket as Tim Ambrose (22) and Laurie Evans (29) put the match back in the balance.

At 79-4, the Birmingham Bears were now in control, but the loss of Ambrose to Parry sparked another batting collapse, as the visitors lost their last six wickets for 34 runs.

Evans soon followed to give Khan his second wicket and the Pakistani fast-bowler continued to rip through the opposition, claiming the next two wickets as he finished with 4 for 12, Lancashire's second-best bowling figures in this format.

After Khan had reduced the Bears to 106-8, Ali was left with the simple task of defending 20 runs from the final over, but was keen to finish in style as he removed the remainder of Birmingham's batsmen to finish with 3 for 23 as Lancashire claimed the last wicket off the final ball of the innings.

This win consolidates Lancashire's position at the top of the North Group and their next match of this campaign is against Yorkshire at Emirates Old Trafford, where they hope to secure a fifth successive victory in the company of a certain Freddie Flintoff.

Man of the match: 

All three of Lancashire's top wicket-takers in this match deserve to share the accolade, but for claiming the second best bowling figures for Lancashire in this format, Khan edges it on this occasion. After claiming 3-21 against Durham yesterday, Khan is in imperious form and is proving why Lancashire re-signed him. His ability to bowl yorkers at will baffled the Bears this evening and  this will be crucial going forward.