Lancashire: Oh Lordy! Wasim wants final role (12 Aug 1998)

12 August 1998

Oh Lordy! Wasim wants final role

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Wasim Akram today thanked John Crawley for captaining Lancashire to victory in the NatWest Trophy semi-final at sizzling Southampton.

But there is no danger of Wasim letting his deputy lead the county in the final at Lord's.

The Pakistan star was forced to pull out with a toe injury he suffered during his whirlwind 75 in the AXA League against Gloucestershire on Sunday.

In his absence Crawley hit 79, the foundation of a Lancashire total of 252, then supervised a superb bowling and fielding performance which restricted Hampshire to 209-9. Wasim was forced to look on from the BBC commentary box, where he seemed to pick most of his Lancashire team-mates for England.

"As usual it was a great team effort," he said afterwards. "But I think John Crawley captained the side superbly and I would like to thank him especially.

"I was very disappointed at having to pull out, but there was no way I could play. Now I am looking forward to leading out the side at Lord's." Of Lancashire's seven players in the 37-man England one-day squad, only two - Mike Atherton and Peter Martin - survived the cut yesterday for this weekend's triangular tournament against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Martin celebrated by claiming three wickets, including the crucial one of Hampshire skipper Robin Smith as the first five tumbled for 28.

But Warren Hegg, with a handy 28 and three catches, Neil Fairbrother and especially Ian Austin offered yet another reminder of their one-day value.

Austin set the tone for the Hampshire innings, along with Martin, in his opening spell of 6-2-4-1, later returning to bowl an over full of yorkers to frustrate West Indies star Nixon McLean and end with 3-25.

"He should be playing for England," insisted Wasim.

"I'm happy but absolutely shattered," said Austin. "It's a long day in this heat. I think it's time they cut this competition back to 50 overs. "But it was worth all the effort. A Lord's final is something special."

Spinners Mike Watkinson and especially Gary Yates also played their part by keeping Hampshire tied down after the early wickets ad leaving them needing an impossible run rate in the closing overs.

Andy Flintoff made up for another batting failure with a stunning catch on the boundary late in the day, but arguably the crucial contribution to Lancashire's victory came with Fairbrother's intelligent 59 in his second wicket stand of 116 with Crawley.

As Wasim said, a real team effort. But there were no wild celebrations, as the Lancashire players made the long journey home last night. If Austin was anything to go by, they just didn't have the energy.

Lancashire will play the winners of today's other semi-final between Leicestershire and Derby on September 5.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)