Rocky Flintoff scored his first fifty runs for Lancashire in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup encounter against Middlesex at Emirates Old Trafford, but his 88 runs off 115 balls was insufficient to stop the visitors from winning by five wickets, which was necessary for them to advance to the competition’s knockout stages.
With 48 overs per side, the 16-year-old’s polished contribution saw his team total 233 for 9. However, Middlesex exceeded that amount, when Joe Cracknell scored 98 before being stumped by Jack Morley with just 24 runs left to win.
After hitting six fours and two sixes in his fifth innings for the county his father, Andrew, served with distinction, Flintoff was caught off the final ball of his side’s last over.
But Cracknell and Sam Robson, who put up 175 for Middlesex’s second wicket, outscored him in this attempt.
Later in the innings, the visitors lost four wickets, which caused some anxiety in the away dressing room. However, Robson was still undefeated at 87 when the victory was secured with eight balls remaining.
George Bell was caught at backward point by Luke Hollman off Ethan Bamber for four, which was a terrible start to Lancashire’s innings. After the home captain attempted to work the ball to leg, Henry Brookes had Josh Bohannon leg before wicket for five after three overs.
After Bohannon was substituted, Lancashire supporters saw optimism in Flintoff’s 58-run partnership with rookie Kesh Fonseka. But Fonseka top-edged a sweep attempt, and Hollman caught and bowled him for 42. Venkatesh Iyer too lost his life in a similar fashion, going down for nine when he hit a short ball hard and low to Hollman’s left, and the bowler dove to grab a superb one-handed catch.
Despite these setbacks, Flintoff persisted in using sound batting judgement to reach his fifty off 77 balls, including four fours and a six. The patient Middlesex attack claimed the lives of other spouses. After making nine, George Balderson was caught and bowled by Josh de Caires for eighteen, then Chris Green top-edged a hook off Brookes and was caught at long-leg by Noah Cornwell.
After a brief weather delay that restricted the match to 48 overs each side, Flintoff and Bailey launched an offensive, scoring 60 runs in 52 balls before Bailey was caught at long-off off Brookes by de Caires for thirty. Harry Singh was dismissed by Cornwell off Bamber for 19.
The identical combination removed Flintoff three balls later, but not before the 16-year-old received a standing ovation from the audience, some of whom had likely cheered for his father in similar situations. With four wickets for 43 from his ten overs, Brookes was the most successful player for Middlesex, although he shared the spoils with Bamber, who finished with two wickets for 31 from nine overs.
Rain was falling close to Old Trafford, so Middlesex’s batsmen had to watch the total that Duckworth-Lewis-Stern would have needed to make if the match had been stopped. Aware of this, Joe Cracknell and Nathan Fernandes shared a 45-run partnership in 61 balls until Fernandes was caught by Bell down the leg side for an 11-run total, giving Josh Boyden his maiden Lancashire wicket.
Cracknell and Sam Robson kept the Middlesex innings moving at a steady pace, which made it easier to score runs against spinners who were having trouble gripping the ball in the light drizzle.
At half of their innings, the visitors were 104 for one, and Cracknell had achieved his fifty off 71 balls. But that was just a sign to pick up speed again, and Lancashire’s bowling and fielding were exposed as the second-wicket combination took command of the match.
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Robson scored the winning runs after reaching his half-century off 64 balls, which seemed appropriate. After causing the late jitters, Boyden finished with 2 for 35, while Morley grabbed 3 for 48.
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