Overseas star Ashwell Prince insists Lancashire can rival any team in one-day cricket after beating the Scottish Saltires and making it three Yorkshire Bank 40 wins on the spin.
After the Saltires posted 217-9, Prince top-scored with an unbeaten knock of 98 as Lightning chased down their target with more than three overs to spare.
And Prince believes the Red Rose are responding to the need to secure maximum points from their remaining group matches to qualify automatically for the semi-finals.
“We know we have the beating of any team in this competition – the belief is all that matters and we don’t fear anybody,” he told Lancashire’s official website.
“We got off to a slow start in the competition, which means we need to win more or less every game we play now, which is a good thing.
“We know there’s no margin for error, and we need to be on the button. I think the boys were today, especially in the field.
“It is a bit of a tough situation having to win every game, but we’ll give it a full go and see what happens.”
Wayne White was Lancashire’s standout bowler after returning to the side in place of rested skipper Glen Chapple.
The former Leicestershire all-rounder recorded figures of 4-38 from his eight-over allocation, while Kabir Ali took two and Stephen Parry once again went for less than five runs an over.
There were half-centuries for Freddie Coleman and Calum McLeod – who put on 90 for the third wicket – as captain Preston Mommsen also made 46 off 38 balls.
The Saltires were well-placed at 191-3 in the 36th over but lost six wickets for 24 runs in 27 balls to finish with a competitive but under-par score of 217.
In reply, openers Stephen Moore and Prince got Lancashire off to a commanding start with a century partnership.
Moore fell for 53 – his highest score of the campaign so far – although the main man was Prince who steered the Old Trafford club home alongside Tom Smith.
Prince – who hit seven fours and two sixes in his 102 ball innings – was denied a second List A ton of the summer in unfortunate circumstances.
Saltires’ Gordon Goudie bowled a no-ball to Smith which went for fours byes to end the contest, and while disappointed Prince prioritised the win over personal glory.
“It was a bit disappointing not to get a ton, but the umpire wasn’t sure what was happening either – whether it was a wide or no ball,” he added.
“In the end it was a no ball and four byes. It added up to six, and unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to get a ton. The most important thing was to win.
“We’ve come off a good tour down south with a good couple of wins in this competition, so we really needed to keep the momentum going.
“They played well today. We know they got a reasonable score, and it was a good professional effort by our guys.”
This victory represents Lancashire’s first over Scotland in three attempts at Emirates Old Trafford, as the competition now takes a break until mid-August.
Image courtesy of GCCC, via YouTube, with thanks.
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