Keaton Jennings, ek solid batsman aur Lancashire ka ex-red-ball captain, ne apne khel se sabko dikha diya ki woh ab bhi team ka bada pillar hai. 2025 County Championship season mein Lancashire ka haal bura raha, Division Two mein niche se pehli position aur ek bhi jeet nahi. Northamptonshire se buri haar aur chaar draw ke baad, team ke fans aur management dono pareshan the. Iske bawajood, Jennings ne apni batting se team ko sambhala, khas kar T20 Blast ke opening match mein Worcestershire Rapids ke khilaaf, jahan unhone 66 run thokkar team ko 176/8 tak pohchaya. Yeh jeet unki leadership aur talent ka saboot thi.
Steven Croft, jo Lancashire ka purana khiladi raha hai, ab interim head coach ban kar team ko nayi direction de raha hai. Dale Benkenstein ke jaane ke baad, Croft ne apni pehli match mein hi team ko T20 Blast mein jeet dilayi. Yeh win isliye bhi badi thi kyunki Lancashire ko “crisis club” kehkar chidha ja raha tha – ek season jahan na runs ban rahe the, na wickets mil rahe the. Croft, apne purane teammates Will Porterfield, Craig White aur Karl Krikken ke saath, team mein nayi jaan daal raha hai.
Yeh jeet, jo shayad T20 Blast mein May 29, 2025 ko Old Trafford mein hui, ek bada morale booster hai. Jennings ka 66 ka score aur Croft ka naya coaching andaaz dikhata hai ki team abhi bhi lad sakti hai. Championship mein abhi bhi problem hai – team last pe hai, bowlers struggle kar rahe hain, aur squad mein naye khiladiyon ki zarurat hai. Par yeh T20 win ek nayi shuruaat hai, jahan se Lancashire apni purani shaan wapas la sakta hai. Fans ko ab James Anderson ke wapas aane ka bhi intezaar hai, jo shayad team ko aur mazboot karega.
