By Gary Watton
June 3 2016

Big-hitting Lancashire made a nonsense of Yorkshire's decision to bowl first. Brown and the lethal Livingstone cashed in on more mediocre bowling from the flagging Phoenix. At least the Tykes had the good sense to recall the criminally overlooked Patterson, but even SP and the admirable Bresnan could not compensate for the carnage visited upon Coad, Rashid, Rhodes (yet again), and upon Root too. I'm afraid that the bold decision to pitch Joe Root straight into the bowling attack did not pay off.

However at least young Root made amends with bat in hand, as he reminded everyone just why he is one of the hottest batsmen in world cricket with a virtuoso performance that finished cruelly short of a deserved ton. Even the swashbuckling assistance of big Liam Plunkett could not arrest the inevitable. Of course the misfit Rhodes completed his miserable match with a duck egg. Yorkshire are now winless from three matches. Already their Twenty20 hopes are hanging by the proverbial thread. We can't even count on the contribution of Root too often, as he is otherwise engaged. However of pressing concern is the need to find bowlers who won't get demolished. Until we improve our bowling, our Twenty20 hopes will remain an impossible dream.

Lancashire Lightning versus YORKSHIRE PHOENIX; in Manchester; Friday the 3rd of June. YORKSHIRE PHOENIX won the toss.

Lancashire Lightning: 204 for seven (off twenty overs)

Guptill c Lees b Bresnan 13 (24-1)

Petersen c Bairstow b Patterson 16 (31-2)

Brown c Ballance b Patterson 54 (167-5)

Livingstone c Coad b Plunkett 55 (129-3)

Buttler c Bresnan b Coad 23 (160-4)

Croft not out 9

Clark c Bairstow b Bresnan 28 (202-6)

Wagner c Root b Bresnan 2 (204-7)

Extras: four

Bresnan 3-24

YORKSHIRE PHOENIX: 178 for seven (off twenty overs)

Lees c Lilley b Edwards 16 (29-1)

Willey c Croft b Wagner 10 (29-2)

Root not out 92

Bairstow c Buttler b Lilley 18 (69-3)

Ballance c Petersen b Parry 8 (86-4)

Bresnan c Brown b Lilley 3 (98-5)

Plunkett c Clark b Edwards 22 (174-6)

Rhodes c Parry b Edwards 0 (175-7)

Rashid not out 1

Extras: eight

Edwards 3-33

Lancashire Lightning win by 26 runs. Lancashire Lightning two points, YORKSHIRE PHOENIX nul points.