REPORT & INTERVIEW | Falcons play out another thrilling tie at Old Trafford

Lancashire Lightning and Derbyshire Falcons played out a thrilling tie at Emirates Old Trafford which does neither side any favours in terms of Vitality Blast quarter-final qualification.

Both finished on 150, with Lancashire failing to get 13 off the last over from Nick Potts, including one off the last ball. Seamer Potts yorked Matty Hurst for 30.

The Falcons were restricted to 150 for nine thanks to two wickets apiece for Sir James Anderson, Liam Livingstone and Tom Hartley. Opener Martin Andersson top-scored with 49 off 37 balls.

Lancashire were hurt by a number of batters getting in but not going on. Livingstone for 31, for example. Pakistani wrist spinner Sufyan Moqim was excellent with three for 15, but Potts ensured two points apiece right at the death to leave Lightning 150 for eight.

Despite the loss of captain Aneurin Donald, caught behind attacking at Anderson, Derbyshire made a fast start.

Donald had hit a couple of leg-side sixes off quick Mitch Stanley before Andersson took successive boundaries off Hartley’s spin as the score advanced to 44 for one after four overs.

The excellent Anderson struck again for the Lightning when Yousaf Bin Naeem was caught at deep backward square-leg shortly afterwards before the spin of Livingstone, Shadab Khan and Hartley really put the squeeze on the Falcons.

Shadab’s leg-spin had a sweeping Wayne Madsen lbw with the googly – 66 for three in the eighth over – before Livingstone and Hartley both struck twice in an over as the Falcons slipped to 121 for seven after 16 overs.

In all, they lost six wickets in the last six overs on a surface which gripped.

Anderson finished with two for 21 from his four overs and Livingstone two for 24 from his four.

Keaton Jennings dragged early sixes over deep midwicket off Matt Montgomery and Akif Javed before the former gained revenge by bowling the Lancashire captain for 23 as the score fell to 35 for one in the fifth over.

Like Jennings, fellow opener Michael Jones failed to get out of the twenties and was bowled on 28 by the pace of Pakistani left-armer Akif with the score on 61 in the ninth over.

But Livingstone opened his shoulders shortly afterwards to launch former county colleague Jack Morley over long-on for six and move into double figures.

Superb Sufyan created some doubt when he had Ben McDermott caught at deep midwicket and Joe Moores caught behind next ball – 80 for four after 13 overs.

And even more so when he had Livingstone caught at deep midwicket for 31 the ball after being hit for six in the 15th, 100 for five.

The target later became 30 off two overs.

Hurst and Jack Blatherwick hit a six apiece as 17 came off Akif in the penultimate before Hurst hit two fours over the off-side to leave one needed off the last ball. But he was bowled by a brilliantly executed delivery from Potts.

Group leaders Nottinghamshire have now qualified for the quarter-finals.