Belligerent Buttler Defies The Vikings

Young Jos Buttler took his recent runs-scoring form for England straight into the Twenty20 arena for Lancashire, as his new county defied the odds and managed to successfully chase down a large total from the hosts, masterminding a dramatic last-ball triumph in the process. Of course it is just like Lancashire Lightning to pull off such a coup. Whilst the county over the Pennines has been enjoying considerable success in the last couple of years, the red rose bunch have been floundering by comparison, so one could reasonably expect them to raise their game for the challenge of taking the Tykes down a peg - and so it proved.

At least Joe Root treated his supporters to a fleeting appearance for Yorkshire whereupon he helped himself to an impressive half-century. Unfortunately his efforts could not be matched by our latest Aussie import, Glenn Maxwell. Misfiring Maxwell did spank eighteen runs off nine balls, but this is not the brief cameo that was envisaged or hoped for when he was promoted to the top of the order. Regrettably, Maxwell has yet to justify his salary, even though he did chip in with three Lancashire wickets. Gary Ballance produced an encouraging 31, but it was Yorkshire's bowlers that lost the plot amidst the onslaught from the brilliant Buttler. For the second week running, Tim Bresnan uncharacteristically was smacked to all corners of the ground, conceding a damning fifty-one runs from his four overs. Young Matt Fisher was equally out of sorts, as he gifted 35 runs to the visitors from three overs.

As long as the Vikings maintain their awful habit of losing close matches, then they will not succeed in one-day cricket. To make matters worse, while Chris Gayle is delighting the Somerset contingent with his awesome batting, our overseas signing might be better off returning overseas. Two defeats from four matches isn't the end of the world, but it simply leaves the Vikings with less margin for error in the remaining fixtures. Let's just hope that they aren't close contests.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS versus Lancashire Lightning; at Leeds; Friday the 5th of June 2015. Lancashire Lightning won the toss.

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS: 185 for eight (off twenty overs)

Maxwell c Davies b Edwards 18 (20-1)

Gale b Faulkner 6 (25-2)

Root c Bailey b Faulkner 55 (155-5)

Bairstow c Brown b Lilley 18 (65-3)

Ballance c Brown b Lilley 31 (128-4)

Leaning c Buttler b Faulkner 22 (174-7)

Bresnan b Edwards 12 (172-6)

Pyrah run out (Edwards) 4 (185-8)

Plunkett not out 9

Extras: 10

Faulkner 4-0-27-3

Lancashire Lightning: 186 for six (off twenty overs)

Prince lbw b Maxwell 32 (89-3)

Livingstone c Rashid b Maxwell 27 (41-1)

Brown c Ballance b Maxwell 21 (82-2)

Buttler not out 71

Croft c Pyrah b Plunkett 15 (141-4)

Faulkner c Maxwell b Fisher 8 (155-5)

Davies lbw b Fisher 0 (169-6)

Lilley not out 1

Extras: 11

Maxwell 3-0-15-3

Lancashire Lightning won by four wickets. YORKSHIRE VIKINGS no points, Lancashire Lightning 2 points.