Lancashire v Yorkshire

Old Trafford was well blessed in the entertainment stakes yesterday. There were bouncy castles, blaring music, fast food, fast cricket, fireworks, plus a strange stall which seemed to encourage small children to batter their peers with giant rubber mallets, and a huge purple smiling dinosaur mascot called Sugar. Nearly 12,000 people turned up, and were provided with all the aforementioned. And - almost as a sidebar - a truly inept batting performance from the Lancashire Lightning.

Many people, myself included, could not quite work out why the Lightning were doing quite so badly in one day cricket. A lot of pundits, not surprisingly myself included, believed that Lancashire would `sweep the board' this season. Lancashire were beaten yesterday, badly beaten.

In a contest which stretches a hundred years, the "War of the Roses," between the cricket teams of Lancashire and Yorkshire has become one of sports finest rivalries. Yesterday was no different, as Old Trafford was tightly packed to view what promised to be an intriguing match. Even though eight first teamers were missing, the two sides combined could boast eleven internationals between them. It was the inexperienced, though, that first took the sword to Lancashire. Young opening partnership Matthew Wood and Gary Fellows, 23 and 21 respectively, set about the Lightning bowlers with abandon after the Phoenix won the toss and batted on a decent wicket. Wood was particularly harsh on anything which gave him the room or width to cut, whilst Fellows lept on half volleys frequently.

Wood went, bowled round his legs by an excellent Chris Schofield, for 31, but there was no Light for Lancashire. Darren Lehmann joined Fellows, and the two began to accumulate runs steadily. Lehmann played the shot of the day, easing Glen Chapple (84mph+) over mid-wicket for six. Fellows went for 57, Lehmann 62, and it was left to Anthony McGrath, 32 at a run a ball, including some thumping drives, to ensure the Phoenix reached the respectability of 225.

The Lightning were never really in the game. Opener Mark Chilton was bowled through the gate by a rampant Chris Silverwood, who got rid of Ganguly, caught at point, soon after. Paul Hutchinson joined in the fun, uprooting Neil Fairbrother's middle stump. It was always going to be a long way back from 22-3.

John Crawley and Graham Lloyd gave the Lightning some hope, accumulating quickly, and keeping the run rate at a manageable 6.5. Lloyd fell leg before to Hamilton, Umpire Holder pausing five agonising seconds before deciding upon Lloyd's fate.

Then everything went dark.

Yet again, the floodlights had failed. To be precise, one pylon was down, but this was not the first floodlit game to be effected this season. The players were off the field for the best part of half an hour as someone put a penny or two in the generator.

The Lightning didn't really appear motivated for the task - a further 112 from 8.3 overs - which messers Duckworth and Lewis had set them. Joe Scuderi and John Crawley found themselves at the same end, Scuderi falling on his word so his in form skipper, already past 50, could continue. Watkinson, Schofield and Smethurst were all stumped, aimlessly trotting down the wicket. Everything became rather predictable. The Phoenix knew they had won, and the wheels came off the fielding machine. There was a rather entertaining pitch invasion by a lone fan. Other than that, the game became rather dull, as the Lightning batsmen managed to lose their wickets in all sorts of bizarre ways, as they subsided for 138, and a 69 run defeat. It was easy to recognise why they have struggled so much this year.

Even Sugar, whose smile had long since departed, could have done better.