Congratulations to Lancashire for finally getting their collective hands on the domestic Twenty20 trophy! The decision to abandon the ‘block’ of group stage matches in favour of a more prolonged schedule focussing on Fridays and weekends has proved to be a good one. Apparently the attendance figures are up despite it not being a sizzling summer.
Admittedly it wasn’t a vintage Finals Day, but that won’t bother Ashley Giles and his charges, who overcame Hampshire and Northamptonshire at Edgbaston to claim their first one-day silverware since 1999. Lancashire weren’t exactly nailed-on favourites. They progressed to the knockout stage only on net run-rate when rain washed out the games involving them and closest rivals Notts. Then in the quarters, they tied with Kent and qualified for Finals Day on fewer wickets lost. Nevertheless they were the side with the nous and flexibility required to succeed on a low-scoring wicket on a cool August evening.
Batsmen usually grab the headlines in one-dayers but Lancashire’s campaign was built on the bowling of Kyle Jarvis (pre-injury), Arron Lilley and the tournament’s leading wicket-takers James Faulkner and Steven Parry, with 25 apiece. The last three also enjoyed economy rates under seven an over, which is quite an achievement. Their winning team featured several players in their early twenties, including Lilley, T20 specialist Liam Livingstone, debutant Gavin Griffiths and the Final’s Man of the Match, Alex Davies, who is 21 but looks about 16. I don’t know if South African veterans Prince and Petersen will still be around next season to consolidate Lancashire’s Championship Division One status, but much will be thrust upon the shoulders of the locally-produced youngsters.
Some credit must go to captain Steven Croft, whose hundredth consecutive appearance coincided with Finals Day. Born in Blackpool, he has been a reliable all-rounder in all formats for Lancashire for a decade, and deserves a few headlines of his own.
Northants have won the tournament before but will badly miss the explosive batting and fast bowling of David Willey, who scored almost 300 runs and took 15 wickets throughout the summer. They need a thriving T20 Blast merely to survive as a business, as do several other non-Test-playing counties like Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire.
Did the tournament benefit from the contributions of global stars like Jayawardene, McCullum, Maxwell, Tait and Shahid Afridi? Not hugely, I think. Big Brendon struck the highest individual score of the 2015 Blast (158 not out in 64 balls for the Bears), Tait nabbed a creditable 23 wickets and Afridi provided some delightful cameos in the Finals. However, the overseas stars tended to make only fleeting appearances, taking the money and running.
It seems like ages since Chris Gayle swept into Somerset in May, seemingly contracted to play six Blast games. He made an instant impact, smashing sixes galore, 328 runs and peppering the River Tone. However, his early departure after only three matches did leave a sour taste in the mouths of Somerset fans like me. I doubt we would have qualified even had he stayed for another week but a lot of tickets – home and away – were sold on the basis of his appearances, and his absences felt like betrayal.
The top run scorers were predominantly home-grown. In an otherwise mediocre season, James Vince excelled in the Blast, Sam Northeast struck some big scores at hefty rates for Kent, and the ever-reliable Luke Wright topped 500 runs at a remarkable 172 per 100 balls, beaten only by Gayle. However, a special mention must go to Michael Klinger. The Aussie opener missed the start of the season but delivered an incredible three centuries and four fifties in twelve innings!
While the big old names from Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan deservedly carry much weight to go with their pay packets, I think the (mainly young) T20 audiences would prefer to see the England internationals like Bell, Buttler, Broad and Root representing their counties. They are the ones who will ultimately encourage children to take up cricket and their absence from most of the matches is regrettable if inevitable.
Finally, here is my T20 Blast team of 2015.
Vince (Ham), Klinger (Glo), Wright (Sus), Willey (Nor), Northeast (Ken), Bopara (Ess), Faulkner (Lan), Wheater (Ham +), Parry (Lan), Lilley (Lan), Tom Smith (Glo).
Individual of 2015: Chris Gayle (Som).
