Liam Livingstone sizzled on the opening day of the 2021 T20 Blast to help Lancashire get off to a winning start. Chasing 169 for the win, Livingstone got off to a flying start in the chase, reaching two limits in the opening. Exciting New Zealand opener Finn Allen took it a step further, adding a six and a four in the second round to immediately put pressure on Derbyshire. Both batsmen filled the power play, scoring 48 points in the first four overs, but a few breakthroughs in the same over helped the visitors turn things around.
Jos Buttler, returning to competitive cricket for the first time in his century last month during the postponed IPL, played second fiddle behind Livingstone. Ultimately, a reverse sweep turned out to be his downfall after a half-century partnership as the hosts remained in control of the chase. Livingstone went on a rampage after reaching his half-century and Lancashire finally got the job done with three balls to spare as the opener went undefeated for six years.
Livingstone got the tournament off to a good start with the ball earlier in the day as well when he beat opposition Billy Godleman in the first round. Luis Reece dazzled on the other end of Derbyshire, but Leus du Plooy's 37-ball 34 hurt the visitors' scoring rate. Alex Hughes came in with a vital cameo at the end after Reece's fifty, but losing four wickets in the last three overs meant Derbyshire had failed to post an imposing total.
Short scores: Derbyshire 168/7 in 20 overs (Luis Reece 59; Matthew Parkinson 3-28) lost to Lancashire 171/4 in 19.3 overs (Liam Livingstone 94 *; Fynn Hudson-Prentice 2-9) by six wickets
Worcestershire vs. Nottinghamshire
Worcestershire pulled off a thrilling tie to divide the points in their opening campaign game against Nottinghamshire despite falling below 152/6. Batted first, Worcestershire was 26 for 3 at the end of the fourth, before Jake Libby (52 not eliminated) offered some resistance. He forged two vital partnerships, including a 78-point stand for the fifth wicket with Ross Whitley (42), who put the team on track for a score of 150 and gave their total some respectability. Luke Fletcher's double strikes in the final, including denying Whitley a possible fifty, meant Worcestershire were limited to a modest score.
Nottinghamshire's pursuit also started on an upbeat note as Joe Clarke (45 of 21) and Alex Hales (31 of 18) forged a 76-point partnership in the power play itself before the latter released the last balloon. However, on a stunning comeback, on a slow surface, Worcestershire reduced the equation to five from the last one. With Peter Trego well set on 33 of 35, it was still Notts' game to lose. But a few breakaways in the final ensured a tie on the last ball, the two teams sharing the points offered.
Short scores: Worcestershire 152/6 in 20 overs (Jake Libby 52 *, Ross Whitley 42; Matthew Cartner 2-22) tied with Nottinghamshire 152/8 in 20 overs (joe Clarke 45, Peter Trego 35; Moeen Ali 2-15 , Charlie Morris 2-23)
Somerset vs. Essex
Jimmy Neesham took to the bat, scoring a dazzling 53 on just 25 balls, to script Essex's three-wicket victory over Somerset in a high-scoring contest at Taunton. After choosing to chase and chase 186, Essex was in deep trouble at 47 for 3 on the power play with Josh Davey winning two of the top three. However, Paul Walker (45 of 30) and Ryan ten Doeschate (26 of 21) saved the day with a 55-point stand for the fourth wicket, setting up the platform for Neesham to explode. And the New Zealand import launched a flurry of limits - up to seven of them - and hit some six in its thunderclap that put Essex in the driver's seat. He became one of three late casualties for Marchant de Lange, falling off the last ball of the 18th, but the job was almost done as Essex only needed five more balls to score the points with a three-wicket victory .
Earlier today, Somerset was able to post a competitive score despite a mini mid-order swing largely thanks to the base set by opener James Hildreth, 18-ball 39, which included a half-dozen hits and two more six. Edward Byrom (28 of 26) and Lewis Gregory (24 of 25) made vital contributions, but it was Ben Green who scored the best with a quick undefeated 43 on just 30 balls.
Short scores: Somerset 185/7 in 20 overs (Ben Green 43 *, James Hildreth 39; Samuel Cook 3-14) lost to Essex 187/7 in 18.5 overs (James Neesham 53, Paul Walter 45; Marchant de Lange 3 -35, Josh Davey 3-39) by 3 wickets
Kent vs. Hampshire
A stingy 4-0-22-2 spell from Darren Stevens pushed Hampshire over the back foot, triggering a dramatic collapse where Fred Klaassen collected 4 for 32 on his four overs to help Kent secure a comfortable 38 point victory. Kent had the luxury of a competitive total on the board, thanks to the top three. Forerunners Joe Denly (44) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (42) each took 23 identical balls, while wicket keeper Oliver Robinson (48) scored third to set his winning score of 176/6 . They all missed their 50s but made sure Kent had just enough on the board to let the pressure of the scoreboard do its job after a tight spell of Stevens' comeback.
The Hampshire openers had given them a 51-point power-play partnership to prepare them well, before Stevens sucked in their pursuit's momentum by conceding no limit to his 24-ball spell in the middle. To top it off, he also fired D'Arcy Short (29 of 19) and James Vince (34 of 30).
As the demand rate increased, the Hampshire stick crumbled. They lost their last nine wickets for just 87 races, failing to chase by a good margin as none of the remaining batsmen except Joe Weatherley could handle a double-digit score.
Short scores: Kent 176/6 in 20 overs (Oliver Robinson 48, Joe Denly 44, Daniel Bell-Drummond 42; Mason Crane 2-23) beats Hampshire 138/9 in 20 overs (Joe Weatherley 37, James Vince 34; Fred Klaassen 4-32, Darren Stevens 2-22) by 38 points
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