Joe Cracknell, Sam Robson steer Middlesex to victory

Report

Rocky Flintoff hits maiden fifty for Lancashire in vain

Joe Cracknell crashes one away over the off side  •  Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Middlesex 236 for 5 (Cracknell 98, Robson 87*) beat Lancashire 233 for 9 (Flintoff 88, Brookes 4-43) by five wickets

Rocky Flintoff hit his maiden fifty for Lancashire in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup match against Middlesex at Emirates Old Trafford but his 115-ball 88 could not prevent the visitors securing a vital five-wicket victory in their bid to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition

The 16-year-old’s polished contribution helped his side post 233 for 9 in what had become a 48-overs-a side match. But that total was overhauled by Middlesex for whom Joe Cracknell made 98 before he was stumped off Jack Morley when only 24 runs were needed for victory

Flintoff had been caught off the last ball of his side’s final over, having hit six fours and two sixes in his fifth innings for the county his father, Andrew, represented with distinction. However, his effort was eclipsed by Cracknell and Sam Robson, who put on 175 for Middlesex’s second wicket.

The visitors then lost four wickets late in their innings to spark a few nerves in the away dressing-room but Robson was unbeaten on 87 when the victory was sealed with eight balls to spare.

Lancashire’s innings began poorly when George Bell was caught at backward point by Luke Hollman off Ethan Bamber for four. Three overs later, Henry Brookes had Josh Bohannon leg before wicket for five when the home skipper was looking to work the ball to leg.

Bohannon was replaced by Flintoff, whose 58-run stand with the debutant Kesh Fonseka offered clear signs of promise to Lancashire supporters. However, Fonseka was caught and bowled by Hollman for 42 when he top-edged an attempted sweep and Venkatesh Iyer perished in similar fashion for nine, when he drove a short ball low and hard to Hollman’s left and the bowler dived to a take a fine-one handed catch.

Undaunted by these reverses, Flintoff continued to bat with good judgement and reached his fifty off 77 balls with four fours and a six. Other partners succumbed to the patient Middlesex attack. Having made nine, Chris Green top-edged a hook off Brookes and was caught at long-leg by Noah Cornwell, and George Balderson was caught and bowled by Josh de Caires for 18.

Harry Singh was caught at mid-off by Cornwell off Bamber for 19 but after a short break for rain that reduced the game to a 48-overs-a-side contest, Flintoff and Bailey went on to the attack, putting on 60 runs in 52 balls before Bailey was caught at long-off by de Caires off Brookes for 30.

Three balls later the same combination took Flintoff’s wicket but the 16-year-old received a standing ovation from the crowd, some of whom will probably have applauded his father in similar circumstances. Brookes was the pick of the Middlesex attack, taking four for 43 from his ten overs, but he shared the laurels with Bamber, who finished with two for 31 off nine.

With rain falling not far from Old Trafford, Middlesex’s batters had to keep an eye on the total required by Duckworth-Lewis-Stern should the game have been interrupted. With that in mind, Joe Cracknell and Nathan Fernandes put on 45 in 61 balls before Fernandes was caught down the leg side by Bell for 11, thus giving Josh Boyden his first wicket for Lancashire.

The steady tempo of the Middlesex innings was maintained by Cracknell and Sam Robson and run-scoring became easier against spinners who found it difficult to grip the ball in the thin drizzle.

Cracknell reached his fifty off 71 balls and the visitors were 104 for one at the midpoint of their innings. That, however, was only the signal for further acceleration and Lancashire bowling and fielding flagged as the second-wicket pair seized control of the game.

Robson reached his half-century off 64 balls and it was fitting that he struck the winning runs. Boyden finished with 2 for 35 and Morley, who had caused the late jitters, took 3 for 48.