Lancashire charge to 10-wicket win
Junaid Khan starred as Lancashire continued their climb up the North Division with a thumping 10-wicket Friends Life t20 win over Derbyshire at Old Trafford
03-Jul-2011
Junaid Khan starred as Lancashire continued their climb up the North Division with a thumping 10-wicket Friends Life t20 win over Derbyshire at Old Trafford.
The Pakistan left-arm seamer bowled with pace as he picked up three wickets for the first time in his fledgling career to restrict the visitors to just 81 for eight after captain Luke Sutton had elected to bat first. Lancashire opener Stephen Moore then made a mockery of the visiting total with 54 not out off 33 balls, including four sixes, as the win was secured with 11 overs to spare.
This was the hosts second 10-wicket win this summer and only the third of their history. It was also the fastest ever 10-wicket win in the history of English Twenty20 cricket. Junaid, 21, who also took two wickets in Friday's win over Durham, struck twice in his first two overs today, getting both Wes Durston and Garry Park caught behind by Gareth Cross to help leave Derbyshire 24 for 3 in the fifth over.
Junaid also held a tough high chance at mid-on in the next over to help fellow overseas player Farveez Maharoof get rid of the dangerous Martin Guptill for eight. Derbyshire, who started the game level with their hosts on 10 points from 11 matches, never recovered as they posted the lowest total in their 20-over history.
Chesney Hughes and Ross Whiteley tried to mount a Falcons' fightback with a stand of 29 for the fifth wicket but the former played on to Maharoof in the 13th. Lightning spinners Stephen Parry and Gary Keedy also struck, as did Sajid Mahmood, before Junaid returned at the death to bowl Jon Clare and complete figures of three for 12.
Left-handed Hughes top-scored with only 16 as the woeful Falcons recorded the fifth lowest total in English Twenty20, making only four boundaries in the innings. Moore then blazed a trail at the top of the Lancashire order in reply.
Moore and Tom Smith posted 28 off the first three overs, the former racing to 32 from 18 balls, including straight sixes off Durston's off-spin and Clare's medium pace. Smith survived a rare drop from New Zealand's Guptill off Durston and the batsmen brought up their 50 stand in the sixth over, their fifth in this season's competition.
Moore hit his third six off Clare before Smith got in on the act by slog-sweeping Hughes. Moore's fourth six, also off Hughes, brought up a 32-ball half century as Derbyshire were put to the sword.