Horton added to t20 squad

Horton added to t20 squad Lancashire have added Paul Horton to their squad for tonight's final Friends Life t20 group match against Northants Steelbacks at Old Trafford (7.10pm)

Squad:: Glen Chapple (capt), Karl Brown, Jordan Clark, Steven Croft, Gareth Cross (wkt), Paul Horton, Junaid Khan, Gary Keedy, Farveez Maharoof, Sajid Mahmood, Stephen Moore, Stephen Parry, Luke Procter, Tom Smith

Sajid Mahmood has revealed how belief is surging through the Lancashire dressing room after marching into the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 competition thanks to five wins on the spin.

The Lightning have secured third place in the North Division ahead of tonight’s final group game against Northamptonshire Steelbacks under lights at Old Trafford.

With their qualification hopes hanging in the balance prior to the home clash with Durham a fortnight ago, Mahmood and company have made the English cricket fraternity sit up and take notice with some eye-catching displays since.

But, despite impressive wins over Durham, Derbyshire and North Division winners Nottinghamshire, it has been their last two performances that have stood out by a country mile.

Northants will arrive at Old Trafford still smarting from failing to score just 111 at Wantage Road on Tuesday and Warwickshire, chasing 140, were sent packing on Wednesday having needed only 37 off five overs with nine wickets in hand.

The Lightning’s batsmen, Stephen Moore apart after his 76 against the Bears, will no doubt hold their hands up and agree that all the plaudits should go to Mahmood and his fellow bowlers.

Mahmood, Junaid Khan and Farveez Maharoof have all bowled expertly at the death, while spinners Gary Keedy and Stephen Parry have also played their part.

And Mahmood said: “It’s unbelievable how much belief we’ve got.

“In the past, I’ve got to admit, we’ve probably just gone through the motions when we’ve got 110 or whatever it is and then we’ve got to defend it. In the past, we’d have probably just let it (the game) go. But we’re a different side now.”

Lancashire have fielded the same eleven for the last five matches, also not veering away from the tried and trusted bowling attack of Mahmood, Junaid, Maharoof, Parry and Keedy.

It is a bowling attack with plenty of variety, and it has meant that bowlers such as Tom Smith, Luke Procter and even Croft himself have not been called upon.

Mahmood continued: “It’s good to have that many options. Khany can bowl the last over, I can bowl the last over and Roofy can do it.

“We’ve got our own ways of containing the batsmen, and everybody’s pretty successful at it.”

Lancashire will consider testing Glen Chapple’s fitness after missing six weeks’ worth of matches with a hip injury.

With the LV= County Championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley coming up on Wednesday, Chapple could use tonight and Monday’s return to Clydesdale Bank 40 action against Somerset at home to get some overs under his belt.

As for any other changes, Mahmood could only joke: “I think Mike Watkinson fancies a game, but I’m not sure who else is going to play.”

In terms of the Steelbacks clash, he added: “It’ll be a good game for us. It’s a game where we can keep honing our skills in pressure situations.”

Having finished third in the North Division, Lancashire will travel to face the team that finishes second in the South. Somerset, Sussex, Kent and Surrey are all still vying to claim a home tie.

Sajid Mahmood was talking to Graham Hardcastle
Photi (c) Simon Pendrigh
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