Smith and Horton stand defeats Worcestershire.

Lancashire achieved their first win of the T20 campaign.

Lancashire edged a tense affair at Emirates Old Trafford against Worcestershire rapids, achieving their first win of the Natwest T20 Blast campaign by 12 runs after suffering a defeat to Nottinghamshire Outlaws yesterday.

It was a tighter match than many would have thought after Worcestershire were set a daunting target of 195. Tom Smith (74) and Paul Horton (71*) struck a record third-wicket stand worth 128 runs for Lancashire in T20 cricket, as the hosts posted 194-3 after winning the toss and electing to bat first. 

Lancashire's power play was a class apart from their performance at Trent Bridge, reaching 61-2 after Smith and Karl Brown bludgeoned the visitors for more than ten runs per over on a good batting surface.

A 55-run partnership for the first-wicket propelled the hosts into a strong position, but the loss of two wickets at 65 put the match back in the balance. Birthday-boy Brown fell for 28 and Steven Croft was dismissed for a two-ball duck as both batsmen fell into identical fashion, edging behind to Ben Cox off Charles Morris (2-44). 

After losing two quick wickets Smith and Horton established a strong partnership and continued to progress at a promising rate as they made another fifty partnership in 40 balls for the Lightning. Both men set their sights on half-centuries but it was Smith who did so first in 35 balls.

Horton then made his first half-century for Lancashire in this format of the game shortly afterwards in 33 balls, as Lancashire continued to motor along at just under ten runs per over. The 100 partnership soon followed in just 65 deliveries as Smith and Horton struck a combined total of 14 fours and four sixes.

But their stand was to come to an end at 183-3, with Cox once again in action, stumping Smith for 74 off Saeed Ajmal, calling Jos Buttler (10*) to the crease, who made a brisk contribution to assist Horton. 

With a target of 195, Worcestershire needed a good start and when Moeen Ali stuck Croft for ten runs in two balls it seemed to be going well for the visitors. But the England all-rounder was to experience a short stay at the crease, chipping to Brown as he fell for 11.

Richard Oliver made 34 from 23 balls despite playing just one Second Eleven match all season last year and shared a 37-run stand with Tom Kohler-Cadmore (25) as Worcestershire set about achieving an unlikely victory.

The visitors raced to 49-2 before Stephen Parry took a superb diving catch to remove Kohler-Cadmore, but this brought New Zealander, Colin Munro, to the crease and the Rapids continued to accelerate. 

Worcestershire's search for boundaries on a regular basis brought timely breakthroughs for the hosts as Oliver became the third casualty of the innings, with Arron Lilley (1-29) taking his wicket. At 78-3 Lancashire had managed to claw their way back into the match, but the batsmen kept on coming for Worcestershire, as they reached 95-3 at the halfway stage. 

The home side need to keep taking wickets, but had to wait for a 43-run stand between Munro and Worcester captain, Daryl Mitchell (19) to be brought to an end by Clark (2-30) with the match slipping further away from the visitors by economical bowling.

The crucial wicket of Munro (39) gave Clark his second wicket of the match and assisted Lancashire's bid for their first win of the campaign. An unbeaten stand worth 37 for the fifth wicket was unable to guide Worcestershire over the line and Alexi Kervezee (32*) and Ross Whitely (17*), as Worcestershire slipped to the second defeat of the tournament in as many days.

Man of the match:

Tough picking between Smith and Horton. Since it was his inaugural fifty in this format of the game for Lancashire, Horton gets the nod on this occasion. He made 71 not out from 43 balls and played a very uncharacteristic innings by his own standards, as he and Smith launched Lancashire towards their total of 194-3. As stand in captain, Horton has certainly stepped up to the mark on this occasion and Lancashire will be hoping to see more of the same from him.