Lancashire ka naya tamasha, jahan James Anderson apne purane dino ki yaad dila rahe hain! Worcestershire ke khilaf Vitality Blast 2025 ke match mein, unhone ek baar phir apna jadoo chala diya. Worcestershire ki team toh bas 143 run par hi dhool chatt gayi, aur yeh sab Anderson aur Luke Wood ke teer se! Dono ne teen-teen wicket lekar Rapids ko jaldi pavillion bhej diya. Lekin sach batayein, kya yeh koi badi baat thi? Worcestershire toh pehle se hi thodi si kamzor nazar aa rahi thi, jaise koi school ka ladka jo bade bhaiyon ke saath khelne chala aaya ho.
Match ka scene yeh tha ki Worcestershire ne toss jeeta aur pehle batting chuni, lekin unka yeh faisla unke liye hi boomerang ban gaya. Brett D’Oliveira aur Ed Pollock toh bas shuruaat mein hi out ho gaye, aur phir Jake Libby ka ek shandaar chakka bhi Jack Blatherwick ke ek haath ke catch ne barbaad kar diya. Sirf Gareth Roderick (35 run, 28 ball) ne thodi si ladai dikhai, lekin baaki team toh bas Anderson ke samne kagaz ke phool jaise bikhar gayi. Yeh wahi Anderson hain jo Test cricket mein 704 wicket le chuke hain, aur ab T20 mein bhi apna rang dikha rahe hain. Ek X post ne toh unko “Jimmy turns back time” kaha, aur yeh bilkul sach hai
Ab chase ki baat karte hain. Lancashire ke liye yeh target toh bas ek mazak tha. Keaton Jennings (42 off 37) aur Liam Livingstone (41 not out off 22) ne aisa khela jaise woh koi Sunday ka friendly match khel rahe hon. Jennings ne shuruaat mein thodi si sambhal kar batting ki, lekin jab D’Oliveira aaya bowling karne, toh Livingstone ne unke pehle do ball ko seedha stand mein pahuncha diya! Ashton Turner ke saath unki 62 run ki partnership ne match ko ekdum aasaan bana diya. Yeh wahi Livingstone hai jisne 2015 mein Lancashire ko T20 Blast jeetwaya tha, aur ab bhi woh apne 360-degree shots se sabko hairaan kar raha hai.
Lekin yeh sab dekh kar dil mein ek chhota sa dard bhi hota hai Worcestershire ke liye. Yeh team, jo 2018 mein Blast champion bani thi, ab thodi si bechari si lagti hai. Unke pas Brett D’Oliveira jaise talented khiladi hain, jinhone is season mein Yorkshire ke khilaf 79 run ki shandaar inning kheli thi. Phir bhi, unki team mein woh consistency nahi dikh rahi jo ek champion team mein honi chahiye.
Lancashire ki baat karein toh unka yeh jeetna koi nai baat nahi hai. 2015 mein bhi unhone Northamptonshire ke khilaf final jeeta tha, aur tab bhi Livingstone aur Keaton Jennings jaise khiladi unke liye game-changer the. Is baar bhi team mein Josh Buttler, Phil Salt jaise stars hain, jo abhi IPL ya England duty ke chakkar mein nahi khele, lekin jab woh wapas aayenge, toh Lancashire aur bhi khatarnaak ho jayegi.
Anderson ki wapas aane ki kahani bhi koi kam nahi hai. 42 saal ki umar mein, jab log retirement ke sapne dekh rahe hote hain, yeh banda T20 mein aag laga raha hai. Durham ke khilaf bhi unhone 3-17 ke shandaar figures diye the, aur ab Worcestershire ke khilaf bhi wahi kahani. Ek X post ne toh unke 7 wickets in Blast ko “staggering” kaha, aur yeh bilkul bhi jhooth nahi hai.
Lekin Worcestershire ke liye thodi si ummeed bachi hai. Unke pas Adam Hose jaise khiladi hain, jinhone Yorkshire ke khilaf 54 run banaye the. Agar woh apni batting line-up ko thodi si stability de sakein, toh shayad agli baar woh Lancashire jaise teams ko hara sakein. Yeh team bhale hi abhi thodi kamzor dikh rahi ho, lekin cricket mein kabhi bhi palatwar ho sakta hai. Yaad hai na 2018 ka T20 Blast Finals Day, jab Worcestershire ne sabko hairaan karte hue title jeeta tha?
Ab thodi si baat Lancashire ke overconfidence ki. Yeh jeet toh thik hai, lekin yeh sochna ki woh har match aise hi jeet lenge, thodi si bewakoofi ho sakti hai. Northamptonshire ke khilaf unki haar ne yeh dikhaya ki unki bowling kabhi-kabhi thodi kamzor pad sakti hai. Keaton Jennings khud keh chuke hain ki unki team ko har match mein apna best dena hoga, warna yeh T20 format hai, jahan ek chhota sa over bhi game badal sakta hai.
Toh yeh tha Lancashire aur Worcestershire ka yeh naya kissa. Anderson ka jadoo chala, Livingstone ne dhoom machayi, aur Worcestershire ke khiladi ek baar phir apne fans ko thodi si nirasha de gaye. Agli baar jab yeh dono teams milengi, shayad Worcestershire apna purana roop dikhaye. Tab tak, cricket ke is tamashe mein thodi si masti aur thodi si kami, dono hi chalti rahegi.
