Lancaster Lightning recently edged past Kent Spitfires in a thrilling quarter-final at Emirates Old Trafford to set up their place at the Vitality Blast Finals Day, taking place tomorrow, 13th September, at Edgbaston.
C&C, ably led by our MD, Malc, were on hand to witness some fantastic cricket in this T20 Blast, with Kent being beaten by three wickets with nine balls remaining.
Kent were bowled out for 153 in 20 overs. Lancashire had a shaky start (five for two) but recovered quickly to marshal their chase with composure. The unquestionable star of the Lancashire show was Liam Livingstone. Not only did he take 2 for 21, but he also delivered a breathtaking 85 not out off 45 balls, smashing seven sixes along the way, which guided Lightning to the win and a place at the Finals Day. A feat amplified even further by his continuing to play after being hit on the helmet after 15 runs and having to undergo an on-field concussion check. We think it’s fair to say that Liam was up for it!
Livingstone was particularly impressive against former teammate Matt Parkinson, hitting three enormous sixes off him in a single over. (No doubt Liam will never, ever, bring this up when they next meet in the bar for hydration!)
The victory marked what will be Lancashire’s tenth appearance at Finals Day, and Livingston is especially hopeful that Lightning go on to win the trophy again, having only won it once in 2015 during his time at Lancs.
As the longest serving commercial sponsor of Lancashire Cricket, C&C was invited to present Liam Livingston with the Player of the Match award, live on SKY TV. Enter our man, Malc, who was happy to step up to do the honours! You can watch a clip of him presenting Liam here.
Malc says: “Congratulations to Lancashire Lightning on a gutsy performance; beating Kent under pressure is no easy task. What a bonus it was to make a cameo appearance on SKY to present Liam with his very well-deserved Player of the Match trophy! We’re proud of our long-standing relationship with Lancs, and days like these are hugely entertaining for the crowd. We’re also proud of how the team held their nerve, and we’re right behind them in the semi-final against Somerset. Best of luck, lads!”
The Finals day will be covered by SKY Sports – fingers crossed for another couple of Lightning strikes tomorrow!
