Who are the players to watch? Who’s in the squad? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What is the fixture list? Your questions answered
Coach: Glen Chapple
Captain: Dane Vilas
Ins: Jackson Bird (Australia, overseas), Jack Blatherwick (Northamptonshire), Luke Wells (Sussex)
Outs: Brooke Guest (Derbyshire), Toby Lester (released), Stephen Parry (released)
Fixture list: April 8 – Sussex (h), April 15 – Northamptonshire (h), April 22 – Kent (a), April 29 – Sussex (a), May 6 – Glamorgan (h), May 20 – Northamptonshire (a), May 27 – Yorkshire (h), June 3 – Glamorgan (a), July 4 – Kent (h), July 11 – Yorkshire (a)
Remind me what happened last year?
After the highs of 2019, last season was a bit of a damp squib – and we’re not just referring to Lancashire’s two rain-affected draws against Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.
Thumped for 409/8d by Leicestershire in their first match of the truncated Bob Willis Trophy campaign, Ben Slater brought the reigning Division Two champions back down to earth with a boundary-laden bump.
Lancashire, unsurprisingly, lost that fixture but recovered to thrash Durham and Derbyshire either side of the aforementioned draws to finish third in the North Group – comfortably clear of the wooden spoon but never in contention for the final.
Bowling both Durham and Derbyshire out for sub-205 scores in all four innings, Lancashire’s victories were a decisive demonstration of their threat with ball in hand. However, after being 173 all out in reply to Nottinghamshire’s 472 and being forced to follow on, Glen Chapple’s side had a washed out day two to thank for escaping Trent Bridge with a draw.
But, while results were a mixed bag, there were reasons to be cheerful at Old Trafford as debuts were handed to six youngsters. George Lavelle, Tom Morley, George Burrows, Ed Moulton, George Balderson and Tom Hartley all made their first-class bows, with the latter pair in particular suggesting the future is bright at Lancashire.
Opening batsman Keaton Jennings
What’s happened over the winter?
Off the pitch, 2020 was a difficult year for Lancashire, beginning with the death of chairman, David Hodgkiss, just over 12 months ago, and ending with the redundancies of many hospitality staff after the club’s expected conferencing and events revenue was obliterated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Finances will, therefore, be high on the agenda for new chairman, Andy Anson, who replaced caretaker chairman, Les Platt, in November. Other backroom changes include Chris Benbow becoming head of talent pathway, Karl Krikken replacing Benbow as second XI coach, and retired bowler, Graham Onions, joining Chapple’s coaching staff.
Who’s arrived and who’s left?
Lancashire said goodbye to two legends this summer – 37-year old seam bowler Onions retired in September on medical advice while spinner Stephen Parry was released after 16 years at Old Trafford.
Toby Lester was also released while 23-year old wicketkeeper, Brooke Guest, joined Derbyshire midway through the 2020 season.
Arriving at Lancashire are batsman Luke Wells and former England U19s international, Jack Blatherwick, signed on two-year deals from Sussex and Nottinghamshire, respectively. Wells has scored nearly 8,000 first-class runs (18 centuries, 33 fifties) and will bolster the top-order while 22-year old Blatherwick will join the squad’s swelling ranks of seam talent.
However, the most exciting signing is Jackson Bird. The Australia international is available for six matches, starting with Lancashire’s third match of the season away at Kent, and is in imperious form after taking (to date) 30 wickets at 22.1 for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield.
Who will be the key men in 2021?
Wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Davies is key to Lancashire’s County Championship title tilt. The 26-year old scored a team-leading 337 runs in in five appearances last season, including four half-centuries, at an average of 48.14. If he can begin converting more of his 50+ knocks into triple-digit scores, he’ll be the complete package at the top of the order.
Lancashire will also be backing reliable seamer Tom Bailey (13 wickets at 21.69) to lead the bowling attack again in 2021, while if he can bat like he did on his way to 50 not out against Derbyshire and replicate his 2020 form with the ball, allrounder Danny Lamb will also be crucial cog in the Red Rose machine.
One to watch
Here are two: George Balderson and Tom Hartley. 20-year old Balderson was ever-present in his debut season and is a future star allrounder for Lancashire. He demonstrated his batting potential with a 61 not out at Aigburth against Derbyshire and took nine wickets at an average of 32.88 with his medium pace bowling. Hartley, meanwhile, bowled 111 overs in four matches – a total bettered only by Bailey – and took six wickets with his left-arm spin.
There’s stiff competition for a spot in Lancashire’s bowling attack but, given the opportunity, these two youngsters will shine.
What can we expect from this team this season?
Dream big. In a group with Yorkshire, Kent, Sussex, Glamorgan and Northants, Lancashire should feel confident of progressing to Division One and competing for the Lord Taverner’s trophy.
Chapple’s squad is overloaded with bowling talent (Bird, Bailey, Gleeson, Lamb, Balderson, Hartley…), has an abundance of run-scoring options – Jennings, Davies, Wells, Bohannon, Vilas – and a healthy arsenal of promising young talent in Lavelle, Moulton and co. And that’s without mentioning current England internationals Jimmy Anderson, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Saqib Mahmood.
It’s safe to say Lancashire are emerging from the transitional phase which has seen the club relegated four times since their last County Championship title in 2011 and with promotion and demotion out of the picture in 2021, they can throw caution to the wind and be an outside bet for the title.
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