Livingstone fifty helps Lancashire to tour victory in Dubai

An eye-catching half-century from Liam Livingstone (52) guided Lancashire Lightning to a 33-run win against an Emirates Airline side, as the Red Rose warmed up for the Airline Tournament in Dubai tomorrow with an emphatic victory.

Lancashire largely found life tough in their warm-up game, stumbling to 49/4 as the top-order batsman struggled to adapt to conditions. But Livingstone's crucial fifty and an all-round strong display from the bowling unit ensured that the reigning T20 champions did not suffer what would have been a shocking defeat.

The tourists posted 137/8 in 20 overs and were indebted to Livingstone's knock, with several other Lancashire batsmen making starts and failing to kick on. The Emirates side were unable to chase their target of 138, reaching 104/8 at The Sevens Stadium. George Edwards was the pick of the Lancashire attack, claiming figures of 2-3 from three overs.

Winning the toss and batting first, the Lightning clawed their way to 39/2 at the end of the powerplay, after losing both openers cheaply. Alex Davies (2) was first to depart, caught at backward point by Ahmed Nizam off Nisar Khan (1-16) and former skipper Tom Smith followed at the end of the fifty over, top-edging behind off Krishna Chandran for 16.

Chandran proved to be the thorn in Lancashire's bid for a strong total, as he finished with figures of 3-15, also accounting for Karl Brown (11) and captain Steven Croft (13). The first stable partnership emerged when Jordan Clark and Livingstone came together for the fifth wicket, as they added 39 runs to give the innings a platform to build upon.


Boundaries were hard to come across, with more sixes being hit than fours, but the pair ran well between the wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Clark fell lbw for a hard-fought 19, as Livingstone started to accelerate, smothering a straight six to take him to a 35-ball fifty.

However, he fell to the next delivery when he was stumped for 52, losing his bat in the process to give Silva the first of two wickets. Silva had Kyle Jarvis out to the last ball of the innings, also stumped, as Lancashire set a modest target of 138.

Any fears of a Lancashire defeat were put to rest early on in the Emirates run-chase as Jarvis started with a maiden, before Edwards removed both opening batsmen. He had Cheema caught behind by Davies without scoring and Jarvis collected his first victim when Hussain (4) was caught by Smith at mid-off.

Edwards struck again in his third over, removing Pawar for nine, with Smith once again taking the catch, a wicket which left the Emirates side in trouble at 20/3 in the sixth over. Nizel Fernendes (31) hit the first of two sixes in the ninth over of the innings, as the first true sign of danger for Lancashire emerged.

Fernendes and Chandran, who top-scored for Emirates with 32 not out after his antics with the ball, fought well to resist the high quality of Lancashire's bowlers, but the slow start to the innings made it hard for them to keep up with the run rate.

Lilley accounted for the dangerous Fernendes when he was caught by Croft at 54/4 and spin started to take ahold of the run-chase when Stephen Parry removed Ahmed Nizam for two, with both Lancashire spinners claiming figures of 1-6 from two overs.

Livingstone (1-11) added to his vital fifty with a wicket of his own, trapping Dahanayaka lbw in the 14th over. Silva then gifted Parry a routine catch, supplying Croft (1-10) with a breakthrough, as all four of Lancashire's spinners took a wicket apiece to increase the pressure on the home side.

Gavin Griffiths returned to leave another dent in the Emirates run-chase, although by the time he came back onto bowl, Lancashire were firmly in the driving seat. The wicket of Siddique at 82/8 came with the Emirates side needing 56 to win with little more than two overs left.

The hosts avoided being bowled out by Lancashire, but could only manage 104/8 from their 20 overs, as Lancashire collected a morale-boosting win in preparation for the T20 tournament tomorrow.

Fifties for Procter and Reece in draw with Yorkshire

Lancashire 256/6 after 90 overs - Procter 64, Reece 58; Carver 2-93, Bresnan 1-18

Luke Procter and Luis Reece both made half centuries as Lancashire and Yorkshire's two-day friendly encounter in Dubai ended in a draw.

Lancashire reached 256/6 at close, still trailing Yorkshire's total by 57 runs, but the Red Rose demonstrated that they have the potential to compete in the upcoming season, having tested their credentials against a formidable opponent in the current county champions.

A sturdy partnership worth 80 runs between Tom Smith and Luke Procter allowed Lancashire to recover from a nervous start to their innings, before Luis Reece and Liam Livingstone cemented the innings with a flamboyant partnership.

Smith (31) and Procter (64) came together at 29/2 with Yorkshire in the ascendancy, but managed to get Lancashire back on track with a determined partnership at the ICC Academy Grounds. Yesterday, the White Rose notched up 313/6 dec, with Gary Ballance hitting an unbeaten century and Andrew Gale also carrying his bat with a brisk fifty.

In reply to Yorkshire's strong total, the Red Rose made a shaky start in Dubai, losing both opening batsman inside the first hour of the day. Reaching 22/0 before the first threatening delivery, 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed was first to depart when he shouldered arms to Jack Brooks (1-25) and was bowled for 10.

Although it took Yorkshire longer to make the first breakthrough, their second-wicket partnership was far more significant than Lancashire's. Karl Brown edged behind to Andrew Hodd off Tim Bresnan (1-18), who struck in his first over to leave the Red Rose in discomfort at 28/2.

Lancashire needed a strong partnership to prevent a devastating top-order collapse, which arrived when former captain Smith and Procter came together for the third wicket. Procter in particular looked to dispatch the bad ball and dig in against a ferocious Yorkshire bowling attack, with the likes of Brooks, Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom all featuring for the White Rose.

Smith, however, was looking to test his credentials against the current county champions after an extended absence from the first team. Procter continued to dispatch anything wide of his off-stump, scoring seven boundaries on his way to fifty, which he registered in 119 balls.

Their partnership continued to develop unscathed, until Matthew Fisher (1-18) encouraged an edge to Hodd, as Smith was caught behind for 31. Procter fell soon after, now accompanied by wicketkeeper Alex Davies, edging to Bresnan at slip off the spin bowling of Karl Carver (2-93).

Carver continued to bowl a tidy line throughout the afternoon session as Davies and Luis Reece survived until the tea interval. After the break, Davies began to open his shoulders, hitting Carver to the boundary regularly, before departing for 28 when he was caught off the bowling of Jack Leaning (1-21).

Reece adopted a similar approach, with his new partner, Livingstone, also enjoying the aggressive route. They added a further 88 runs for the sixth wicket in less than 20 overs, as Reece progressed to a 102-ball fifty, with three fours and a six.

Carver claimed his second victim when he had Reece stumped for 58, with his wicket all-but signalling the end of this two-day fixture. Livingstone threatened to become the third Lancashire batsman to reach fifty, but fell short of this milestone when the match was drawn.

Ballance century spearheads strong day for Yorkshire

Yorkshire 313/6 declared after 89.1 overs, Ballance 103 (retired), Gale 64 (retired), Bailey 2-21

A superb century from Gary Ballance has put Yorkshire in a commanding position in their two-day friendly game against rivals Lancashire at the ICC Academy Grounds.

Lancashire were put to task by the County Champions in their opening tour fixture in Dubai, after a terrific innings by Ballance, who shared a determined partnership worth 127 runs with Alex Lees (49). He then added a further 85 runs with skipper Andrew Gale, consolidating a sturdy platform into a hard-fought day for the Lancashire fielders.

The tour began perfectly for Lancashire when Tom Bailey (2-21) had Adam Lyth trapped lbw with the very first ball of the game, but this glimmer of success was to be the only joy for the Red Rose in the morning session.

Bailey also made a crucial breakthrough after lunch, removing Lees before he could make fifty, forcing him to edge behind to Alex Davies with the score at 127/1.

Lyth's dismissal was welcomed by Lancashire, with the opening batsman vying to prove his credentials to the England selectors, but it was another England exile who would hurt Ashley Giles' side.

Ballance and Lees added 110 runs for the first wicket before lunch, reversing the strong start made by Bailey and ultimately giving Yorkshire the upper hand by close of play.

Lancashire, captained by Karl Brown in the absence of Steven Croft, welcomed the return of Tom Smith, who was out for the majority of last season with a persistent back injury.

Ballance accumulated boundaries at regular intervals, progressing to his half-century in 80 balls. He then moved to an impressive ton in 188 balls, scoring 18 fours in the process.

Ballance retired immediately after reaching three figures, with Jack Leaning coming in to bat just before the tea interval. Leaning became the third Yorkshire batsman to retire when he had progressed to 35 from 62 balls, with Tim Bresnan enjoying a late rally in the evening session alongside Andrew Hodd (6*).

As Ballance was approaching his century, Gale fired his way to a brisk half-century in 67 deliveries, with five boundaries and one six. Skipper Gale then retired on 64 from 96 deliveries, before Leaning and Bresnan added another 49 runs.

Bresnan made 46 before he fell to Liam Livingstone (1-22), picking out Arron Lilley on the boundary to signal close of play in Dubai, with Yorkshire declaring on 313/6.

For live updates of the match, click here

Lancashire Pre-season schedule

Lancashire will take part in the annual Emirates Airline T20 tournament as part of their pre-season tour to Dubai this March.

The reigning Twenty20 champions will take on Yorkshire, United Arab Emirates or the MCC in the semi-final at The Sevens Stadium.

Lancashire will play rivals Yorkshire in a two-day match, before potentially facing the White Rose county in the T20 tournament a few days later.

After completing the double over Yorkshire in the Natwest T20 Blast, Lancashire will be hoping for a better performance in the Airline tournament than last year. The Lightning were beaten by 21 runs in the semi-final last year when Jonny Bairstow guided the Vikings to a comfortable victory.

Lancashire have decided not to travel to Sri Lanka, as they did last year, but instead to challenge UAE in a two-day match to complete their tour preparations. The Red Rose county will then fly back to Manchester to take part in two pre-season friendlies against Somerset and Cambridge MCCU respectively.

This is the first of four years in which Lancashire will make Dubai their permanent pre-season home, after agreeing to a deal to deal in October. Yorkshire and the MCC will open the tour to Abu Dhabi, with Ian Bell set to captain the MCC side in the annual champion county match.

Tour fixture list:

• March 14/15 - Yorkshire v Lancashire, two-day match at ICC Academy Grounds
• March 17 - Emirates Airline T20 v Lancashire, warm-up match at The Sevens Stadium
• March 18 - Emirates Airline T20 tournament at The Sevens Stadium
• March 21/22 - UAE v Lancashire, two-day match at ICC Academy Grounds

Lancashire have named a 22-man squad for the tour of Dubai:

Tom Bailey, Karl Brown, Nathan Buck, Glen Chapple, Jordan Clark, Steven Croft, Alex Davies, George Edwards, Gavin Griffiths, Haseeb Hameed, Kyle Jarvis, Rob Jones, Simon Kerrigan, Toby Lester, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Stephen Parry, Luke Procter, Luis Reece and Tom Smith.

All information from Lancashire's matches will be available on my Twitter profile with match information, including reports and images, being posted on this blog. 

Hameed signs four-year contract with Lancashire

Lancashire opening batsman Haseeb Hameed is the latest member of the team to extend their stay at Emirates Old Trafford, agreeing to a four-year contract with the Red Rose county. 

The England Under-19 joint captain featured in four Championship matches last season, as Lancashire achieved promotion to the first division. The talented young batsman recorded 257 runs in six innings, scoring 91 against Division Two champions Surrey on home soil.

"When Ash [Ashley Giles] came up and offered me the deal, I was delighted to accept it and commit my future to this club," said Hameed.

"Lancashire have shown great faith in me throughout my development and have been crucial to my progress as a cricketer. I'm still learning the game and there is no other place I would rather play my cricket than Lancashire, my home county.

"I've been at the club since being a little boy - I think I was nine when I joined - I've come through the age groups and got a taste of playing for the first team last year."

Hameed is one of many Lancashire players to commit their future to the club this winter, with Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Stephen Parry, Kyle Jarvis, Tom Bailey and Gavin Griffiths all signing new deals since the end of the 2015 season.

Hameed during his innings of 91 against Surrey at Emirates Old Trafford

Hameed, who made his Lancashire first-class debut against Glamorgan in August, seized his opportunity at the top of the order alongside Karl Brown after the club revealed that they would not be renewing Paul Horton's contract.

The talented batsman, born in Bolton, averaged 42.83 in four-day cricket, but he is yet to make an appearance in white-ball cricket. Hameed may only have played a handful of matches for Lancashire last season, but he has already impressed the Old Trafford faithful.

His determination at the crease makes him a dependable opening batsman and he overcame his tender age against Surrey at Old Trafford with a defiant innings of 91 from 234 deliveries, although this only delayed the inevitable, as Surrey lifted the Division Two title.

Lancashire's Director of Cricket, Ashley Giles, believes that his resilience at the crease will allow him to compete in the first division this summer and expressed his desire to retain young cricketers in the future.

Giles said: "He really impressed me in the four first-class games he played last year and he showed that he has an experienced head on young shoulders.

"We have now been able to retain a number of our young, home-grown cricketers on long-term contracts. This is hugely important to us as a club as they represent the future of Lancashire cricket."

Kiwi Wagner signs for Lancashire as overseas player

Lancashire have completed the signing of New Zealand left-arm pace bowler Neil Wagner as an overseas player for the 2016 season.

Wagner, as well as James Anderson, will be available for the start of the new season, and he is expected to feature primarily in four-day cricket. The Kiwi paceman has played 18 Tests for his country taking 67 wickets at an average of 33.34.

The Red Rose County are back in Division One of the Championship and Wagner will bring a wealth of experience to Old Trafford, having taken 431 first-class wickets at an average of 27.20.

Wagner said: "I am extrememly excited to play for such a great club. I have always admired Lancashire, ever since playing in the Liverpool Lancashire league for Ormskirk in 2008.

"I'm very much looking forward to joining up with the squad and working with Ashley and the rest of the team. I hope my contributions will help Lancs to win some silverware to sit in the cabinet at Emirates Old Trafford."

Captain Steven Croft was quick to welcome Wagner to Lancashire.

The South-African born bowler started his career at Northerns, before moving to New Zealand, where he now represents Otago, playing alongside the likes of Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder.

Director of Cricket and Head Coach, Ashley Giles, said: "We are delighted to have brought in Neil Wagner to strengthen our bowling attack.

"Neil is a world class bowler with a tremendous pedigree and having him available for such an extended period will give our County Championship Division One campaign a real boost.

New Zealand's Test series against South Africa means that Wagner is likely to be available until the end of July, with a replacement overseas player likely to be announced thereafter.

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.