As England’s Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone made their county comeback, Lancashire defeated struggling Nottinghamshire by eight wickets while chasing 132 at Emirates Old Trafford, becoming the second North Group team to reach the Vitality Blast quarterfinals.
With their seventh victory in 13 games, second-place Lightning joined leaders Birmingham in moving forward. Luke Wood, a left-arm fast, had the greatest bowling performance of the season with three wickets in twenty-three, helping his old county be reduced to 131 for seven.
After playing in the T20 World Cup, Salt supported a successful chase with a more destructive 70 off 42, including five sixes, in his maiden innings. All-rounder Lyndon James top-scored with a career-best 51 off 38 balls.
Another returning international, Livingstone, chipped in with three catches, a wicket and 54 off 37 with three sixes. With 5.3 overs remaining, he and Salt compiled a second-wicket stand of 112 to ensure victory.
In Blast history, Lancashire became the first county to reach 150 victories.
Lightning took control of the game from the time Outlaws captain Joe Clarke received a thick edge behind off Saqib Mahmood’s pace, leaving the visitors two for one after eight balls.
After being introduced, the Outlaws collapsed to 28 for four in six overs. Wood claimed his first wicket, catching Jack Haynes at deep square-leg, and added further wickets for spinners Chris Green and Tom Hartley.
Due in large part to his limited experience at the last T20 World Cup, the latter, a left-arm spinner for England, had Matt Montgomery caught at deep square-leg for his first wicket in any format since May 12.
Nottinghamshire (144) are the second most successful side in Blast history in terms of games won. They have only triumphed twice in this season, so they will want to forget about it.
The home skipper, Keaton Jennings, used four spinners to share 12 overs, but James and Tom Moores broke the back and put the Outlaws into at least an innings. They shared a fifth-wicket 53 in eight overs, each hitting a six.
Livingstone was one; Irish overseas debutant George Dockrell was not.
And in the 13th over, he ended the partnership when Moores misplayed a wider ball to long-off for 26 – 81 for five.
James got his fifty off 37 balls after Wood struck again, trapping Liam Patterson-White at deep cover. By then, Nottinghamshire were 122 for six early in the 19th over.
Salt struck Luke Fletcher twice in quick succession over the off-side after he had drawn Olly Stone for an early six.
As Salt achieved his fifty off thirty-one balls, Lancashire were cruising at eighty-four for one in the tenth over, well on their way to a home tie in the quarterfinals.
Before succumbing to Patterson-White’s spin, Salt smashed two more sixes off Fletcher’s seam to establish the century partnership with Livingstone.
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