Yeh Lancashire ka T20 mein ab tak ka sabse bada opening stand tha, aur isne team ko lagataar doosri jeet dilayi, ek shandaar seven-run win ke saath.
Yeh match Lancashire ke Pride Fixture ka hissa tha, aur Jennings-Wells ne Outlaws ke bowlers ko poora maidaan mein ghumaya. Jennings, jo Lancashire ka captain hai, ne 95 runs maare, 49 balls mein, bas century se thodi si kami reh gayi. Uska batting style ekdum mast tha, boundaries aur sixes ke saath poora ground hila diya. Wells bhi kisi se kam nahi, 50 balls mein 87 runs thoke, jismein paanch sixes the, aur ek over mein Hassan Ali ko teen seedhe sixes maar ke 27 runs bana diye. X pe fans ne is partnership ko “astounding” aur “brutal” kaha, aur yeh Lancashire ke purane record, jo Jennings aur Alex Davies ne 2020 mein Durham ke khilaaf 170 ka banaya tha, usko bhi tod diya.
Lancashire ne apni innings 216 for 3 pe khatam ki, aur Jennings-Wells ka yeh dhamakedaar start hi iska base tha. Outlaws ne chase mein poori koshish ki, Joe Clarke ke aggressive batting ke saath, lekin woh 209 pe ruk gaye, aur Lancashire ne yeh match jeb mein daal liya. Clarke ki team ne pehle match mein achha batting kiya tha, lekin Lancashire ke bowlers, jaise Chris Green aur Luke Wood, ne unko rok ke rakha. Wells ne bhi bowling mein kamaal kiya, 1 for 24 leke, aur apne all-round game ko dikha diya.
Yeh Lancashire ka T20 Blast mein ek shandaar shuruaat ka hissa tha, jab unhone apne pehle match mein Worcestershire Rapids ko bhi seven runs se haraaya tha, jismein Jennings (66 off 38) aur Wells (35 off 22) ne bhi bada role play kiya tha. County Championship mein thodi struggle ke baad, T20 format mein team ekdum alag hi dikh rahi thi, jaise X pe fans bol rahe the, ek winning vibe ke saath. Charlie Barnard jaise naye players bhi is team ka dum dikha rahe the.
Is record-tod partnership ne na sirf Jennings aur Wells ki form ko highlight kiya, balki Outlaws ke bowlers ki kamzori bhi dikha di, jo in dono ko rok hi nahi paye. Nottinghamshire, jo apne pehle match mein Birmingham Bears ke khilaaf bada score banake jeeta tha, is baar pressure mein thoda fisal gaya. Lancashire ka Old Trafford pe T20 Blast mein ghar ka record ab bhi zabardast hai, 2020 se 23 group matches mein bina haraaye (washouts alag).
Jennings, jisne May mein red-ball captaincy chhodi thi, T20 mein apna leadership aur batting ka jalwa dikha raha hai. Red-ball captaincy Marcus Harris ko dene ke baad, woh T20 pe focus kar raha hai, aur is 95 ne uski class dikha di. Wells, jo 2020 mein Sussex se Lancashire aaya, apne explosive batting, leg-spin aur teekhi fielding ke saath team ka hero ban gaya hai.
Yeh jeet ne Lancashire ko North Group ke table mein top pe rakha, aur quarter-final ke liye unka raasta mazboot kar diya. Jaise interim coach Steven Croft ne kaha, team ka yeh josh aur Jennings-Wells ka dhamaka is season mein bada kaam karega. Outlaws ke liye yeh haar ek wake-up call hai, ki apne bowlers ko thik karo, agle matches mein wapas aane ka mauka hai.
Yeh match, Jennings aur Wells ke record-breaking stand ke saath, Lancashire Lightning ka ek bada statement tha, ki 2025 Vitality T20 Blast mein yeh dono ekdum aag hain.
