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Your support makes all the difference.Lancashire, winners for the last two seasons, are effectively out of the Benson and Hedges Cup despite a last-ball victory at Old Trafford yesterday that left them technically still in the competition.
Even if Warwickshire defeat Derbyshire today in a match held over because of the weather, leaving three counties in Group A tied on six points behind Yorkshire, Lancashire's run-rate is so inferior to Warwickshire's they could not go through.
The holders won yesterday by losing fewer wickets after a wicket off the last ball left Worcestershire's 50-over score equal to Lancashire's, an unexpected outcome given that the Midlands side had entered the last 10 overs needing a relatively modest 49 with six wickets in hand.
But after a brave catch by Michael Atherton had taken Gavin Haynes out of the equation, Worcestershire went to pieces, giving away three wickets for 13 runs between the 42nd and 45th overs, David Leatherdale running himself out and Steven Rhodes going lbw to his first ball.
The target came down to nine off the last, in which Wasim Akram proved as difficult to get away as Ian Austin had in the previous one. Philip Newport ran two off the first ball and then Wasim gave Worcestershire a real chance by conceding a no-ball with his second delivery.
But after three singles, Newport's attempt to secure victory with another off the last ball resulted in an easy catch for Richard Green at mid-on. It was an especially frustrating finish for Worcestershire's captain, Tom Moody, who looked to have played the match-winning innings, a splendid 92 off 83 balls. Moody has become the opponent Lancashire least like to see bounding down the pavilion steps. In the last three seasons, their bowlers have conceded 649 runs to him in all forms of cricket.
He allowed them no respite yesterday in a partnership of 131 in 17 overs with Graeme Hick, setting Worcestershire up nicely to chase the total of 274 for 6 that accrued to Lancashire after the decision of their acting captain, Wasim, to bat first.
Moody's innings included 11 fours and three sixes, one of which, during a sustained assault on Gary Yates's off-spin, cleared the two-tier Statham- Washbrook stand, endangering tram passengers. Moody earned the Gold Award.
Lancashire's innings, in squally conditions, began with another failure by Atherton, whose form must be giving the watching England coach, David Lloyd, cause for concern. His tally with the bat this season stands at 95 from seven innings. Happily, Jason Gallian, with 59 off 55 balls including 10 fours, and Neil Fairbrother, with a typically hard-working unbeaten 75, were in much better form.
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