Can’t get over that decision last night! 29 needed off 13, went down to 22 off the last two. It seemed obvious Essex would go for it in the 19th to not leave too much to do so why bowl a pet time leggie over a decent death bowler.
Lancs team feels very bits and pieces. Not sure they were good enough to win it anyway. Some of the southern teams seem to have a lot more firepower with the bat.
Got to agree with this.
With 29 needed from 13 balls I thought Lancashire were strong favourites. Croft missing that catch on the boundary, and compounding it by not stopping it going for 6, was the 1st poor piece of play. I know the conditions were difficult but at this level you should be taking that catch. That catch maybe would have negated the decision to bowl Livingstone in the 19th over.
22 off 12 seemed more even though with Faulkner on the last I was still thinking Lancs were favourites. To bowl Livingstone in that penultimate over was a poor decision before a ball was bowled. Part time spinner who hadn't even bowled particularly well in his previous overs. It's not like Dane Villas was backed into a corner with the available bowlers. He had frontline bowlers (pace and spin) who he could have turned to. That decision gave Essex the game on a plate. In doing so, Villas has probably killed Livingstone's confidence in bowling but also highlighted to the likes of Gleeson, Mahmood and Parkinson that he doesn't trust them bowling at the death.
I like Dane Villas as a captain. Lancs will have done well in both formats of the game this season. Semi finals of One Day Cup and QF of T20 (also topped North group), coupled with probable Division 2 title. But last night's captaincy for that last few overs was really poor and baffling. Looked like someone who was trying to be too clever when he just needed to give the ball to Mahmood or Gleeson and trust them to keep it to 12 or less in the over.
I think Lancs would have gone into Finals Day with a decent chance. They bat a long way down the order and have a number of bowling options. Maybe they could have even added Buttler if available for Finals Day.
