Lancashire need to negotiate England absences to land blow in Bob Willis Trophy

BOB WILLIS TROPHY PREVIEW: Several key players are likely to miss at least part of the mini season to be part of national squads, but the Red Rose should have enough quality cover to cope

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Ins: Luke Wood (Nottinghamshire), Owais Shah, Ed Moulton (youth)

Outs: Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire)

Fixtures: August 1 - Leicestershire (a), August 8 - Durham (a), August 15 - Nottinghamshire (h), August 22 - Yorkshire (a), September 6 - Derbyshire (h)

Remind me what happened last year?

Redemption. After a dreadful 2018, during which Lancashire contrived to get themselves relegated from Division One, the Red Rose romped to promotion from Division Two last year without losing a match.

Eight victories and six draws ensured they finished fully 45 points above their nearest challengers, Northamptonshire. While the batting centred around a sensational campaign from captain Dane Vilas (1,036 runs at nearly 80), wickets were shared around evenly - 30 for Jimmy Anderson (in just six matches), 45 for Graham Onions, 20 for Matt Parkinson, 47 for  Richard Gleeson, 37 for Tom Bailey, 21 for Saqib Mahmood, with Glenn Maxwell and Liam Livingstone added 24 between them.

What’s happened over the winter?

Prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, Lancashire announced huge financial success for 2019.

Thanks to the World Cup and an Ashes Test taking place at Emirates Old Trafford, the redeveloped facilities around the venue generated a record £34million in turnover and a profit of £5million. 

“To generate in excess of £30 million of non-broadcast revenues is truly remarkable and, to put it in perspective, better than some Premier League clubs,” chief executive Daniel Gidney said at the time.

It was these facilities which allowed Old Trafford to win the rights to stage half of the rearranged men’s summer schedule in 2020, while Lancashire were one of just two counties not to take advantage of the government’s Job Retention Scheme: their players trained with the club staff throughout lockdown.

In much sadder news, chairman David Hodgkiss passed away at the age of 71 after contracting Covid-19. A vastly respected figure across the game, Hodgkiss had worked for Lancashire for more than 20 years. England’s players wore black armbands during the second Test against West Indies in his memory.

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Who’s arrived and who’s left?

As with may of the counties, movement has been limited. Luke Wood arrives from Nottinghamshire and will offer useful left-arm medium pace and an option in the lower middle order. Patience with Haseeb Hameed finally ran out and the batsman, not that long ago England’s next bright hope, moved on to Trent Bridge.

Lancashire fans will have to wait to see New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling turn out for their team. His overseas deal was cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Who will be the key men in 2020?

Lancashire may be affected quite significantly by England selection. Anderson certainly won’t play any Bob Willis Trophy cricket, while Saqib Mahmood, Liam Livingstone and Richard Gleeson will all miss at least one match owing to involvement with the national white-ball squad.

Keaton Jennings should see this mini-season as a real opportunity to stake a claim ahead of a possible seven Tests on the subcontinent in the new year - with more spin bowling being encouraged in the Bob Willis Trophy, he may flourish. Vilas cannot expect to have quite as sensational campaign as 2019, but his presence in the middle order will certainly shore the side up.

Even without Mahmood, Anderson and Gleeson, the fact Lancashire can call on Onions, Bailey and Parkinson, in addition to Wood, means they should be able to fill the gaps.

Teenager George Balderson - England’s Under 19 captain (a right-arm seamer and decent bat) - may well get a chance to impress, and will be worth keeping an eye on.

What can we expect from this team this season?

Only two sides have enjoyed a full build-up to the new season, and Lancashire are one of them. While there are concerns over the fitness of some players at other counties owing to the short lead-in time to the Bob Willis Trophy - due to furloughing - the Red Rose have been training together since before Christmas.

That alone should give them a huge advantage. Wickets shouldn’t be a problem. Can they get the runs?

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