Lancs defeat MCC Universities in Dubai.

Tom Smith made 83 as Lancashire posted 282-5.

Lancashire cruised to a 144-run win over the MCC Universities, giving them their third win on their tour of Dubai.

Openers Karl Brown and Tom Smith made 166 for Lancashire's first-wicket and the Lightning didn't look back, posting 282-5, which proved more than enough to capture victory.

The MCC youngsters made just 138 in response as they were bowled out inside 45 overs, with Kabir Ali taking 4-22.

Brown top-scored for the Lightning with 93 and was supported by Smith who also came close to a century with 83, as Lancashire made 166 after 35 overs.

Smith was the more aggressive of the two, reaching his half-century in 59 balls and Brown took almost twice as long, taking 106 deliveries to reach the same milestone.

Contributions from Liam Livingstone and Jordan Clark boosted the Lancashire total further after the first-wicket stand was finally broken, but by this stage the Lightning had already made enough to compete.

Smith and Brown shared a 71-run stand in Lancashire's first tour match against a Fly Emirates XI, where Smith led the innings with 70 from 41 balls.

An eventual target of 283 would be more than enough to secure victory, but Lancashire proved to be brutal in the way they went about this match, as was reflected by the margin of 144 runs between the two sides.

Lancashire inflicted an even heavy defeat on the MCC Young Cricketers yesterday, with Luke Procter making 125 as the Lightning won by 149 runs.

Kyle Jarvis and Kabir Ali claimed early wickets as the MCC Universities reached 37-2 after nine overs and Lancashire continued to constrict the flow of runs for the remainder of the innings.

Smith added to his efforts with the bat as Lancashire made further progress, reducing the opposition to 74-4 after 21 overs, giving him cause to be named man of the match.

Simon Kerrigan and Luke Procter each chipped in with a wicket in the middle of the innings, setting the youngsters the improbable task of scoring a further 190 runs with just four wickets remaining.

Ali returned and claimed another wicket and a run out set the MCC Universities back to 136-8 after they had showed some defiance with the bat.

But, after a brief period of resilience, Lancashire overcame the opposition, with Ali claiming the last two wickets, as the MCC Universities added just two more runs to their total.

Lancashire have now won three out of their four tour matches and will play Sussex in a 2-day match starting Tuesday, as they seek revenge for the 25-run defeat which they suffered on Friday.

Lightning strikes as England lose World T20 opener.

Moeen Ali made 36 as England posted 172-6, a score which may well have won them the game.

England lost their first match of T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in harsh circumstances, after New Zealand were awarded a nine-run win on the Duckworth Lewis method, with heavy rain, hail and thunder preventing further play in Chittagong.

England had posted an impressive total of 172-6, the highest total by any team at this ground in a Twenty20 International, after they were inserted by Brendon McCullum and were on top at the halfway stage despite no stand out performances with the bat.

But the Kiwi's reached 52-1 after 5.2 overs and consecutive boundaries ensured that New Zealand were ahead on D/L, much to the anguish of Stuart Broad who felt that his side had done enough to win.

The match commenced in a fashion which England fans had become accustomed. Alex Hales played the ball to mid-off as he was out for a second-ball duck thanks to a stunning catch from Corey Anderson with the score at 1-1.

Defiance against this early set back came from two of England's more inform batsmen, Michael Lumb and Moeen Ali, the latter leading the England assault, as they added 72 for the second wicket.

Ali struck a total of seven boundaries as England reached 55-1 at the end of the power play and Lumb followed suit with successive boundaries in the seventh over.

England seemed to be going strong and were playing in a style reminiscent of their 2010 World Cup success, scoring boundaries to all four corners of the ground, but New Zealand's bowling also left something to be desired.

They were, however, given some respite when Ali was caught on the leg-side boundary for 36 which proved to be the highest score in England's innings.

Lumb followed soon followed for 33, Mitchell McClenaghan taking the wicket as he finished with 1-22 from four overs, after he had taken the catch to remove Ali, causing England to lose two wickets for the addition of three runs.

Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler steadied the innings after this blip, but England struggled to score at the same rate at which they had started this tie. Buttler managed to find the boundary, but Morgan's poor form continued as he fell for 12 with England 102-3.

But with plenty of time remaining in this tie England set their sights on a daunting total, one which was achieved but not vindicated courtesy of biblical weather.

Buttler made 32 from 23 balls but was dismissed at a crucial time and with just over four overs to bowl England were still short of a competitive score. But the England batsmen were able to add 42 runs in the last four overs, Bopara finishing not out on 24 and Chris Jordan adding a quick-fire eight.

Tim Bresnan struck consecutive boundaries as he finished unbeaten on 17 from eight deliveries and England breathed a sigh of relief after they posted an encouraging score of 172-6.

Early wickets were key if England wanted to put New Zealand on the back-foot and, when Martin Guptill fell for 11 in the fourth over, England were beginning to seize the tie, with runs on the board often putting unnecessary pressure on the opposition.

But one man who knows how to deal with this sort of pressure is the New Zealand skipper, McCullum, and his vast experience in this format proved to be vital in seeing the Kiwi's over the line.

The man with the most runs in this form of the game at International level hit Stuart Broad for 16 runs off an over, but would not face another ball due to the rain which came down in instalments Chittagong.

Kane Williamson also proved to be a tricky customer and his unbeaten 24 off 17 balls aided the Kiwi's cause, putting New Zealand ahead of D/L as the players left the field.

Despite suffering their eighth T20 loss in nine matches, England will take solace from the resilience of their batsmen to post such a competitive score, but it will be hard to swallow a defeat of this nature after they started so well.

Procter century guides Lancs to victory.

Luke Procter made a match-winning score of 125 as
Lancashire thrashed the MCC Young Cricketers by 149 runs.

Luke Procter made 125 as Lancashire defeated the MCC Young Cricketers by 149 runs in Dubai after the Lightning had made a daunting total of 312-5.

Contributions from Lancashire captain, Paul Horton (76*), and Andrea Agathangelou (40) ensured that the Lightning had more than enough runs on the board, as they successfully acquired their second tour win.

The efforts with the bat were backed up by England stalwart, James Anderson, who claimed 4-11 from eight overs and the young crickets were overwhelmed by their experience opponents.

The toss of this 50-over competition was won by the Young Cricketers who inserted Lancashire, claiming the wicket of Karl Brown for 10 to make early progress.

But after this breakthrough they experienced a onslaught from Agathangelou and Procter who made 104 runs for the second wicket to establish a commanding position, one which, in reality, was expected from Lancashire in this match.

Lancashire's Cypriot all-rounder made a useful 40 from 63 deliveries before his time at the crease came to an end, but he was ably replaced by skipper Horton, who continued Lancashire's progress with the bat.

Procter had made his way to 85 by the time this partnership was broken, but played with the same level of confidence with Horton at his side. His century came up in 107 balls and form with the bat will be useful to Procter ahead of a tough season in Division One.

Horton followed suit with a half century of his own as Lancashire added 151 runs in the last 16 overs.  Procter eventually fell for 125 and the Young Cricketers were also rewarded with the wicket of Steven Croft.

With more than enough runs already of the board, Wayne White added insult to injury, striking his first two balls for six, as he finished unbeaten on 18 from just five balls, with Horton making a useful contribution of 76 not out.

Lancashire made an exhibition of the match, with the MCC Young Cricketers faltering to 50-4 after 16 overs. Anderson claimed two wickets in his first spell, both bowled, and a wicket for Oliver Newby ensured that Lancashire's seam attack gained depth ahead of the 2014 campaign.

The Lightning's opponents recovered to 100-4, but Anderson's return spelt trouble. He picked up a wicket with the first ball of his second spell, another bowled and after this the game fell into Lancashire's hands.

Soon enough the Young Cricketers were 144-8 with Anderson claiming another wicket and were eventually bowled out for 163 inside 48 overs, as Lancashire claimed a gigantic victory to give them a boost of confidence after they were beaten by Sussex Sharks in yesterdays semi-final.

Lancashire were due to play an MCC Universities team today, but will now play them in a 50-over match tomorrow, where they hope to replicate their performance from todays match.

County Cricket - Week Five - News and WT20 prediction without KP.

England's World Cup Woe.

Lumb and Hales will need to get England off to good
starts if they hope to challenge in this tournament. 

With an appalling winter behind them, England will be eager to shock the world in Bangladesh as they take on the T20 World Cup and hope to regain the title which they won which such conviction in 2010.

It is hard to believe how quickly England’s fortunes have turned around and the shortest form of the game is a good example of how sudden these changes can happen.

England will go in to their opening match versus New Zealand tomorrow having lost seven of their last eight T20 fixtures and, as preparation for a major tournament goes, England have experienced a horrid period recently.

Preparation for this tournament in particular has been poor, with a 2-1 defeat to the current holders of the tournament, the West Indies, and defeats to India and the West Indies in warm-up matches have served to diminish the spirit in camp, if one still exists that is.

Despite their modest preparation, Moeen Ali and James Tredwell have both made it clear that England will go in to this tournament aiming for nothing less than outright success.

Whether or not you agree with England’s decision to part company with Kevin Pietersen, it would be foolish to say that England would not benefit from having him in the squad, with England’s batsmen failing to excite throughout the winter.

He is leaps and bounds ahead of all other England players in this format of the game, with an unassailable batting record and the decision to appoint him as captain of the Delhi Daredevils for the IPL demonstrates how he is still regarded as a significant player on a global stage.

England’s current squad is one with experience and the capacity to win in this tournament. The likes of Lumb, Hales, Wright and Morgan, just to name a few, all have vast experience in the shortest form of the game, but the England camp have lost confidence and lack the same level of belligerence as other teams.

Injuries to Joe Root and Ben Stokes have also played there part in hampering England’s plans, but the likes of Ali and Chris Jordan have seized their opportunities well and will be crucial in this tournament.

How they’ll fare:

It would be fair to say that England will be regarded as underdogs in this competition. Teams like Australia, India and West Indies all have greater reason to believe they will challenge for the title and to progress from the group stages would be an achievement for England.

However, given the current state of affairs, it is hard to see England turning things around so quickly. Anybody can win on the day in T20's, it is one of the reasons that it has captured the imagination of punters around the world.

But at the highest level it becomes far easier to predict the outcome of major tournaments and with a severely damaged England camp aiming for such heights, they may face a terrible thud when reality hits them.

With a lack of wins in T20 cricket of late, England will need to win their opening match against New Zealand, hit the ground running and carry some sort of form throughout the tournament.

It is important that they make other teams remember that they can post imposing totals and not just settle for 160, thinking that it will be enough against vastly superior opposition.

Bowling wise, economy is the name of the game. Trying to take ten wickets is a futile goal in t20’s and constricting runs is all the bowlers can do if they want to be successful.

Dernbach and Bresnan need to find some consistency. They have tended to start innings’ well, but they need to hit more Yorkers and use the short ball in moderation, otherwise they will be made to look silly by the likes of Gayle and Finch.

Tredwell seems to be a very useful asset in the spin department, but has been put under a lot of pressure to deliver. The likes of Stephen Parry and Moeen Ali will not be expected to perform to the level of Narine, and Tredwell will have to do a lot of the work in the middle overs alongside Bopara, as he has done consistently over the last month.

Teams underestimate the value of good fielding, but one misfield can cost you the game in this format, so it is as vital as ever to get the basics right before trying to be clever.

Buttler’s role as a keeper will no doubt be overshadowed by his importance as a strong finisher and with a lack of boundary hitters in the team he is being tipped as England’s key player in this tournament.

Team:

Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad (Captain), Jos Buttler (W/K), Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Parry, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright.

Sharks eliminate Lancashire in tough semi-final.

Micheal Yardy's men made an exhibition of the semi-final in Dubai against Lancashire, cruising to a 25-run victory after the Lightning failed to replicate their excellent start to their tour,  inflicting a heavy defeat upon the Fly Emirates XI yesterday afternoon. 

Lancashire were set an achievable total of 149 to win from their 20 overs, but were overwhelmed by the likes of Chris Liddle and Jon Lewis, who claimed two wickets each, as Sussex strolled to victory over the Lightning

Jordan Clark claimed impressive figures of 4-18 from his allocation, but the efforts of Yardy, who made 59 from 41 balls, and Matt Prior (21), were enough to seal a comfortable win.

Skipper, Paul Horton invited Yardy's men to bat first and this, initially, seemed to be a good decision by Lancashire, after the Sharks stumbled to 41-3 in the fifth over.

But a 65-run partnership between the Sussex captain and young Harry Finch (20) recovered the situation and a much more competitive target was on the board soon enough.

Clark's bowling became a vital component for keeping Lancashire in the match, but Ashar Zaidi added an unbeaten 24 as Sussex finished on 148-6.

This defeat was perhaps not as damaging as the repeat fixture last season, where Chris Nash guided Sussex to an eight-wicket victory, but Lancashire's inability to keep up with the run rate was plain for all to see.

Horton's men slipped to a similarly disappointing score of 44-3, but had faced a staggering eleven overs by this stage and were already facing defeat.

Openers Tom Smith and Karl Brown had made a 71-run stand yesterday Vs. the Fly Emirates XI, but were certainly off their best today with the first wicket off Smith falling at 16.

Brown soon followed his partner and at 30-2 the Lightning were a long way off achieving what had seemed a realistic target.

Liam Livingstone, Steven Croft and Horton all fell cheaply and with Lancashire's total at 83-5, the match had become a formality.

The absence of Luis Reece, who scored 61 for the MCC, may have helped Lancashire's cause, after their batsmen failed to adjust to the conditions in Dubai.

Clark attempted a clever shot against Jon Lewis, who finished with 2-34, which resulted in his demise, but Alex Davies showed some resistance despite the inevitable nature of the result.

Lancashire finished on 123-8 after Davies and Kabir Ali were both removed and Sussex earned a comfortable win which allows them to progress to the final for the second year in a row, where they will play either the MCC or the Karnataka Premier League XI.

Lancashire dominate in first tour match.

Smith led Lancashire's innings with 70 from 41 balls.

Lancashire overwhelmed the Fly Emirates XI in their first tour match in Dhabi, cruising to an 85-run win after the Emirates XI made just 89-7 in their twenty overs chasing 184 to win.

Tom smith made 70 from 41 deliveries as he led the Lightning's first innings of 2014 and a late surge from Steven Croft added 53 to boost Lancashire's total to 183-4.

Kyle Jarvis and Simon Kerrigan each claimed two wickets to propel Lancashire into a commanding position, one which was established after they reduced the opposition to 8-3 and continued throughout the game.

Karl Brown and Tom Smith shared a first wicket stand worth 71 runs, with Smith leading Lancashire's assault. He raced to his half century in just 32 deliveries and after six overs the Lightning had established a demanding platform on 51-0.

Brown was the first man to fall in the ninth over of the innings as he was caught at backward-point of Raza's bowling for 21, but by this point Lancashire had already inflicted a lot of damage.

Smith put his foot on the accelerator as he hit two fours and a six to take Lancashire pass 100 inside the thirteenth over. Smith's charge was cut short as he attempted to reach the boundary once more and was caught at long leg for a match-winning effort of 70.

Steven Croft and Jordan Clark continued to diminish the efforts of the fly emirates bowling attack, adding a further 40 runs in four overs, before Clark fell for 17.

It was ultimately Croft's 53 off 41 balls which put the game beyond the opposition and Lancashire finished with a daunting total, one which proved to be too much for the fly emirates side.

Jarvis and Oliver Newby struck early blows as the Fly Emirates faltered to 8-3, with young wicket-keeper Alex Davies claiming two catches in the early passages of the run chase.

A recovery saw the Fly Emirates reach 44-3 after six overs, but the efforts of Smith and Croft were now starting to toll as the run rate weighted against the opposition.  

Any hope of a dramatic comeback were halted by Simon Kerrigan who removed Pawar, with Andrea Agathangelou taking a smart slip catch at 50-4.

Kerrigan and Croft then struck in successive overs and at 66-6 the match was all but over with eight overs still to bowl.

One more wicket fell before the close of play, allowing the Emirates team to redeem a shred of pride, but the deficit of 85 runs said all you needed to know about the gulf between the two teams today.

Lancashire will play Sussex  in a twenty20 match tomorrow morning.