Australian batter Marcus Harris ne Lancashire Cricket Club ke saath apna contract 2027 season ke end tak badha liya hai. Yeh khabar 29 May 2025 ko aayi, aur yeh club ke liye ek bada boost hai, jo 2025 County Championship season mein Division Two mein kaafi struggle kar raha hai. Team ke bura haal hone ke bawajood, Harris ne zabardast performance diya hai aur Division Two mein top run-scorer bana hua hai, 825 runs ke saath, average 63, jisme teen century aur teen half-century shamil hain, sirf 10 innings mein.
Team ke bura haal mein ek star performer
Harris, 32 saal ka left-hand opener, jiske paas Australia ke liye 14 Test caps hain, 2025 season ke liye Lancashire join kiya tha. Isse pehle woh Leicestershire (2021 aur 2024) aur Gloucestershire (2022 aur 2023) ke liye khel chuka hai. Lancashire ka plan tha ke woh Division One mein jaldi wapas aaye, lekin team abhi tak ek bhi match nahi jeeti—chaar draw aur ek haar (Northamptonshire ke khilaaf). Phir bhi, Harris ne apni batting se sabko impress kiya. Usne apne debut match mein Middlesex ke khilaaf Lord’s pe unbeaten 133 banaye, aur yeh Lancashire ke liye overseas player ka sixth debut century tha.
Harris ke 825 runs Division Two mein sabse zyada hain, aur woh 63 ke average ke saath khel raha hai. Woh ab 1,000 runs May ke end se pehle banane ke target ke kareeb hai—yeh ek aisa record hai jo aakhir baar Graeme Hick ne 1988 mein banaya tha. Harris ko bas 251 runs aur chahiye, aur agar char innings mil gaye, toh yeh historic moment ho sakta hai, kyunki usne apne last char innings mein 355 runs banaye hain.
Crisis mein leadership
Lancashire ka season kaafi kharab raha hai, aur is wajah se kaafi changes hue. 13 May 2025 ko, team ka captain Keaton Jennings ne four-day captaincy chhod di taaki woh apni batting pe focus kar sake. Harris ko interim captain banaya gaya, aur uske saath Josh Bohannon vice-captain aur James Anderson bhi team mein wapas aaye. Harris ne captaincy ko ek bada honor bataya, aur kaha, “Red Rose ko lead karna mere liye bada maan ki baat hai, aur main chahta hoon ke batting aur leadership dono mein acha contribution doon.”
Team ke struggle ka ek aur jhatka tab laga jab head coach Dale Benkenstein ne May 2025 ke week mein mutual consent se club chhod diya. Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton aur board member John Abrahams ne fans se maafi maangi aur promise kiya ke woh team ko behtar karne ke liye changes karenge. Harris ka contract extension is baat ka sign hai ke woh team ke rebuild ka ek bada hissa hain, aur shayad permanent captaincy ke liye bhi line mein hain.
Harris ka Lancashire ke liye commitment
Harris ne apne contract extension ke baare mein khushi jataayi aur kaha, “Mujhe Lancashire ke saath yeh start bohut pasand aaya, aur main Old Trafford pe do saal aur badhane ke liye excited hoon. Season ka start woh nahi raha jo hum chahte the, lekin hum June ke end mein jab wapas khelenge, tab County Championship mein sab theek karne ke liye determined hain.” Uska yeh commitment dikhata hai ke woh team ko Division One mein wapas lane ke liye serious hai.
Harris ke paas English county cricket ka kaafi experience hai—usne 30 matches mein 2,226 runs banaye hain, average 48, jisme 9 centuries hain. Uski English conditions ki samajh aur international experience ko Chilton ne praise kiya, aur kaha, “Marcus ek experienced player hai, jiske paas international pedigree hai aur domestic cricket mein top order mein runs banane ka solid record hai.”
Aage ka rasta
Lancashire ka agla Championship match Derbyshire ke khilaaf hai, aur Harris ka role—batting aur interim captaincy dono mein—bohut important hoga. Team ka batting unit consistent nahi raha, lekin Harris ki form ek strong base deta hai. Uska 1,000 runs ka target abhi bhi ek bada goal hai, aur agar weather ne saath diya, toh woh May ke end se pehle yeh kar sakta hai. Agar yeh hua, toh Harris Don Bradman ke 1938 ke record ko challenge kar sakta hai, shayad 26 May 2025 ko—ek din pehle Bradman se.
Lancashire ke squad mein aur bhi bade players hain jaise Keaton Jennings (jo T20 Blast ka captain hai), James Anderson, aur naye talent jaise 16 saal ka Rocky Flintoff. Harris ke contract ke saath, jo 2027 tak hai, Lancashire ke paas ek solid player hai jo unke promotion push ko lead kar sakta hai. Agle kuch hafte team ke liye make-or-break wale honge.
