Alex Davies 83 from 54 makes light work of Derbyshire target
Leus du Plooy's unbeaten 92 in vain in five-wicket defeat at Derby
ECB Reporters' Network
15-Jun-2021
[File photo] Alex Davies cut loose with 83 from 54 balls • Getty Images
Lancashire 197 for 3 (Davies 83, Livingstone 45, Vilas 40*) beat Derbyshire 196 for 5 (du Plooy 92*, Came 56) by five wickets with 10 balls to spare
Alex Davies led Lancashire Lightning to an impressive seven-wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons in the Vitality Blast North Group match at Derby.
Davies hit 13 fours in an unbeaten 83 off 54 balls as Lancashire chased down a target of 197 with 10 balls to spare.
Liam Livingstone, dropped before he scored, smashed four sixes in 45 off 29 balls and Dane Vilas accelerated to an unbeaten 40 from 18 as Lancashire romped to 197 for 3.
Leus du Plooy scored a T20 best 92 off 56 balls and Harry Came made 56 from 37 in his third Blast appearance but 196 for 5 proved inadequate.
Derbyshire rebuilt after Tom Bailey had Luis Reece caught at mid off and Billy Godleman was bowled in the second over.
Came ramped Bailey for six and du Plooy repeated the stroke to take Derbyshire to 49 for 2 in the powerplay before du Plooy drove Tom Hartley onto the roof of the media centre.
The pair also ran well between the wickets to take the Falcons to 93 for 2 after 10 overs and the stand was worth 100 in 11 when Came pulled Danny Lamb to long on.
Derbyshire were aided by some sloppy ground fielding but there was little they could do when Critchley and du Plooy pulled Lamb for six to take 24 from the 17th over.
Critchley holed out to long-on but Wood speared a no-ball down the leg side for four byes in another costly over before du Plooy's outstanding innings ended when he drilled Bailey to deep midwicket in the last over.
Lancashire's chase began badly with Liam Livingstone dropped at third man by Conor McKerr on his T20 debut before Finn Allen was caught behind for a duck in the first over.
Livingstone ramped McKerr for six, pulled George Scrimshaw for two more before twice dispatching Fynn Hudson-Prentice over the ropes as Lancashire ended the powerplay on 72 for 1.
Livingstone was threatening to run away with the game when he was well caught by Critchley at long off but Davies reached 50 with his 10th four to leave Lancashire needing 84 off the last 10 overs.
Jos Buttler hit two sixes before holing out to deep midwicket attempting a third but Dane Vilas and Davies took 18 off van Beek in the 17th over to settle it.