A Draw In Manchester

It wasn't quite a rainy night in Georgia, but instead a rainy night in Manchester, as the two old adversaries had to settle for a share of the Twenty20 spoils. It was a pity that the precipitation succeeded in sabotaging the proceedings, because a close finish was more than likely on the cards. The Vikings only needed one big innings or one big partnership to take them close to the chequered flag, but equally a flurry of a few wickets would surely have tilted the match in the home team's favour. Regrettably, this was the second successive match of the week when Yorkshire had to settle for one point (after a deluge in Northampton), but given the team's erratic performances, maybe two points from two matches is a par score.

Initially, the hosts had set off like the proverbial express train, but some decent bowling from the Tyke spin twins of Rafiq and Rashid reined the home team in. Still, 177 was still a large mountain to climb for a team that appears more comfortable batting first than chasing. Anyhow, we will never know if the Vikings' raid on Manchester would have been a successful one. In the end it was that plucky duo of Duckworth and Lewis who had the final say in the outcome.

Lancashire Lightning versus YORKSHIRE VIKINGS; in Manchester; Twenty20; Friday July the fourteenth. Lancashire won the toss.

Lancashire Lightning: 176 for four (off twenty overs)

Brown b Patterson 61 (160-4)

Livingstone st Handscomb b Rashid 34 (61-1)

Buttler c Kohler-Cadmore b Rafiq 28 (115-2)

Vilas c Lyth b Rafiq 7 (129-3)

McLaren not out 34

Croft not out 3

Extras: nine

YORKSHIRE VIKINGS: 64 for two (off 8.1 overs)

Kohler-Cadmore b McLaren 12 (14-1)

Lyth c Lilley b McLaren 20 (44-2)

Willey not out 23

Marsh not out 6

Extras: three

Match tied on the Duckworth-Lewis method.