Phil Salt (80 off 57) aur Jos Buttler (54 off 42) ke shandaar fifties ne 178 runs ke target ko chase karte hue Lancashire ko jeet dilayi. Saqib Mahmood ke historic hat-trick (4/49) ne Northamptonshire ko 177 par all-out kiya, jisme James Anderson ke 2 wickets bhi shamil the. Yeh jeet Lancashire ko North Group table ke top par le aayi, jabki Northamptonshire teesri seedhi haar ke saath doosre number par khisak gaya.
Key Performances
- Phil Salt: IPL 2025 ke baad wapas aaye Salt ne 80 runs (57 balls) banaye, jisme umpires ke bat inspection ke bawajood unhone apna flow nahi toota. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2019 Blast mein Alex Hales ke explosive 83 runs ka.
- Jos Buttler: Do saal baad Blast mein wapsi karte hue Buttler ne 54 runs (42 balls) banaye, do chhakkon ke saath, aur Salt ke saath 123 runs ki opening partnership banayi.
- Saqib Mahmood: Mahmood ne Lancashire ke doosre Blast hat-trick liya, Ben Sanderson, Lloyd Pope, aur George Scrimshaw ko out karke. Unka 4/49 spell match ka turning point tha, jaise Stuart Broad ka 2009 Ashes hat-trick tha.
Player Stats Table
| Player | Performance | Key Moment |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 80 runs (57 balls) | Overcame bat inspection to dominate |
| Jos Buttler | 54 runs (42 balls) | Two sixes in powerplay |
| Saqib Mahmood | 4 wickets (hat-trick) | Last three wickets in three balls |
Positives
- Lancashire’s Star Power: Salt aur Buttler ke international experience ne chase ko aasaan banaya, aur Mahmood ka hat-trick unke bowling depth ko dikhata hai.
- Late Heroics: Liam Livingstone (19 off 9) aur Luke Wells ke do chhakke ne last over mein 11 runs ke pressure ko handle kiya, jaise 2005 Ashes ke final moments mein England ne thrill dikhaya tha.
Negatives
- Northamptonshire’s Collapse: Steelbacks ka batting 177 par simat gaya, khaas kar Saif Zaib ke run-out ke baad last four wickets four balls mein gir gaye.
- Middle-Order Wobble: Lancashire 123/0 se 166/5 tak giri, jab Buttler aur Salt out hue, jo unki depth ke liye chinta ka vishay hai.
Betting Insights
Vitality Blast abhi bhi open hai, aur Northamptonshire ke pass table mein wapas aane ka mauka hai. David Willey ya Saif Zaib par top run-scorer bet laga sakta hai, kyunki dono ne is season mein consistent runs banaye hain (Willey: 150+ runs). Bowling mein, Ben Sanderson par top wicket-taker bet safe hai, kyunki unhone pehle bhi pressure overs mein wickets liye hain. Match result bets se bachna behtar hai, kyunki 60-70% rain ka chance agle matches mein hai. Individual bets ke success chance: 65%.
Ek Chhota Sa Cheer
Lancashire ke superstars ne game ko ek tarfa banaya, lekin Northamptonshire ke fighters jaise Willey aur Zaib abhi bhi ummeed dete hain. Yaad hai 2016 Blast mein Northants ka comeback? Aisa kuch dobara ho sakta hai, Steelbacks! Keep fighting.
