Lancashire coast past Northants via D/L by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	Northamptonshire v Lancashire
Player:	VVS Laxman, TC Smith, JJ van der Wath

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DateLine: 5th August 2009

 

Lancashire moved to the top of the NatWest Pro40 Division two after an eight wicket victory over Northamptonshire. In a match that was initially reduced to 21-overs per side after mid-afternoon rain, the visitors chased down 88 runs that were required via the Duckworth/Lewis method as further showers kept halting the game.

 

The result was hardly in doubt as openers Tom Smith and VVS Laxman took the attack to the Steelbacks bowling. The pair put on 72 for the first wicket. Smith was the major aggressor between the duo with 43 from just 28 balls with six boundaries and a six before he was bowled by Andrew Hall going for one shot too many.

 

Laxman looked to play the sheet anchor's role and it was only when Smith departed that he started to hit out, the Indian also ending with six fours in his unbeaten 38 off 37 deliveries.

 

Northamptonshire scored courtesy some big hitting late in the innings by Johan van der Wath after Lancashire skipper Mark Chilton had won an important toss under oversast skies.

 

Stephen Peters and Riki Wessels fell early before the players went off, and on their return Niall O'Brien and Alex Wakely also fell cheaply as Kyle Hogg picked up three wickets.

 

Smith then also removed Nicky Boje as the hosts were reduced to 25 for five before Rob White and Hall finally put up some resistance with a 31-run stand.

 

Stephen Parry then removed both of them, bowling White for 23 and then he had Hall stumped for 13. After this South African van der Wath clobbered an unbeaten 35 from 28 balls while David Willey also hit a six late in the play.

 

With 10 overs needed to at least complete a match, play was once again stopped by the weather after five overs of the Lancashire reply with the visitors initially chasing 100. The drizzle though relented long enough for Lightning to complete the win with plenty of time to spare.