Chris Green strikes as Lightning destroy Falcons

Lancashire Lightning inflicted a second defeat in three matches on Derbyshire Falcons when they eased to a comfortable 57-run victory in the Vitality Blast match at Emirates Old Trafford.

After posting 179 for 7 in their 20 overs, Lightning restricted the Falcons to 122 all out, with highly-rated Australian signing Chris Green taking 4 for 12 to add to his rapid 22 in 11 balls late in Lancashire's innings.

Asked to bat first, Lancashire made a fine start, Josh Bohannon taking 14 off three successive balls from Pat Brown and 42 runs being scored in the first four overs. However, Luke Wells was bowled by Daryn Dupavillon for 5 and Bohannon caught at mid-off by Mitchell Wagstaff off Zak Chappell for 39 to leave the home side on 50 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.

Lancashire skipper, Keaton Jennings, restored to fitness after a back spasm, made a breezy 16 before being dismissed in similar fashion to Wells off the bowling of Brown and the experiment of promoting Luke Wood up the order ended when he came down the wicket and was stumped off Samit Patel for 1.

Tom Bruce and Matthew Hurst then put on 39 for the fifth wicket, their progress aided by a high full-toss from Chappell, who redeemed himself two balls later when he had Bruce caught at deep midwicket by Ross Whiteley for a 28-ball 35.

Lancashire were 121 for 5 after 15 overs and in the remainder of the innings both Hurst and Steven Croft perished at deep midwicket off Chappell and Brown respectively, Hurst making a 25-ball 27.

Lightning were 157 for 7 at the start of the last over but Green heaved two leg-side sixes off Dupavillon's last set of six, which cost 22 runs and ruined the South African's figures. He finished with 1 for 35 whereas Chappell took 3 for 38, Brown 2 for 37 and Patel 1 for 29.

Derbyshire's reply got off to a poor start when Luis Reece played on to Green in the second over for six and worse was to come in the fifth when Mitch Stanley yorked David Lloyd for 10. And despite scoring 48 runs when the initial field-placing restrictions applied, the powerplay ended on a low note for the visitors when Patel pulled Green straight to Jack Blatherwick at deep square leg.

Nearly two overs later, Harry Came was bowled by Blatherwick for a 22-ball 26 and the visitors reached the midpoint of their innings needing 111 runs off 60 balls. Things got worse in the next over when Anuj Dal miscued a pull off Wells and was caught by Bohannon for 9 and though 15 runs came off Wells' last over, the leg-spinner ended his spell by having the dangerous Ross Whiteley caught at deep midwicket by Blatherwick for 9.

Brooke Guest's attempt to hold the Falcons' innings together ended when he was caught by Jennings off Tom Aspinwall and Green then removed Chappell and Dupavillon with successive deliveries in his next over before last man Brown was run out for nought to end what had become a one-sided contest.