Australian clubs four sixes but Lancashire suffer their first loss of the season as Chris Green impresses for Birmingham
Vintage Maxwell knock not enough for Lancashire
Australian Glenn Maxwell clubbed 79 from just 39 deliveries but it wasn't enough as his Lancashire side suffered their first loss in England's domestic T20 competition on Sunday.
Needing 180 to beat Birmingham at Edgbaston, Lancashire slumped to 3-28 early in their run chase before Maxwell came to the crease and dominated a century stand with former England Test opener, Keaton Jennings.
7️⃣9️⃣ off just 3️⃣9️⃣ balls@Gmaxi_32 was on 🔥🔥🔥 again today⚡ #LightningStrikes pic.twitter.com/nytMkSHZ6a— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) August 11, 2019
Maxwell scored 79 of the pair's 107-run union, the Victorian clubbing eight fours and four sixes to put his side on course for victory.
Having managed 14 from his first 12 deliveries, Maxwell got moving with 16 runs off one Oliver Hannon-Dalby over and having posted his fifty from just 28 balls, he clubbed another 22 from Hannon-Dalby's third over to reduce the equation to 48 runs required with five overs remaining.
But the right-hander played around a Will Rhodes yorker in the following over to be bowled and as the wickets continued to tumble, Birmingham turned the screws to secure victory by 15 runs.
Hannon-Dalby finished with 0-43 from his three overs while Australian Chris Green impressed in just his second match for Birmingham, returning figures of 1-19 from four overs.
Image Id: 6B3C0795A25240A6AAD609EC6664A489 Image Caption: Aussie spinner Chris Green impressed for Birmingham // GettyEarlier, Maxwell (0-22 from two overs) and James Faulkner (0-39 from four) were unable to control Birmingham's Adam Hose, who blasted seven sixes in his 34-ball innings of 65 that steered the Bears to 6-179.
Elsewhere, Australian Shaun Marsh played his first match since suffering a broken arm in Australia's World Cup campaign last month, the left-hander dismissed for a three-ball duck in Glamorgan's loss to Surrey in Cardiff.
It was a night to forget for the Australians at Sophia Gardens as Marsh's countryman Aaron Finch also failed to score for Surrey, who secured a comfortable victory thanks to 53 from former England Test opener, Mark Stoneman.
Lancashire remain top of the nine-team North Group in the 18-team competition, with five wins and a loss so far this season leaving them four points clear at the top of the standings.
Sussex, coached by Jason Gillespie and featuring Aussie keeper-batsman Alex Carey, are on top of the South Group.