Dazzling Maxwell stars in county T20 rescue act

A trio of Australians starred in England's domestic T20 competition on Saturday, but it was Glenn Maxwell who shone brightest to help table-toppers Lancashire win a thriller at Old Trafford.

After Nottinghamshire reduced the hosts to 4-35 inside nine overs, Maxwell smashed 73 off just 46 deliveries including two sixes and a couple of audacious switch hits to fire his side to 6-151.

Former Australia allrounder Dan Christian looked to have Notts on track for an unlikely comeback victory after they too stumbled with the bat, remarkably sweeping paceman Saqib Mahmood for three sixes in a row behind square leg in the penultimate over of the game.

But, with the visitors eight wickets down and Christian needing 12 off the final over, former ODI 'finisher' James Faulkner held his nerve for Lancashire, taking a pair of wickets to seal a three-run victory.

Maxwell also took four catches, a Lancashire record for a T20 match.

The 30-year-old praised former South Africa batsman Dane Vilas (46 off 36) after the pair's 107-run fifth-wicket stand rescued Lancashire from what appeared an unwinnable position.

"Things weren't looking peachy, but it was nice to be able to have two experienced players out there to be able to talk the game through," said Maxwell.

"At 4-30-odd, that's probably a game you think you shouldn't win.

"But for us to keep believing, scratch our way to a score that we thought we can defend … for us to play that way gives our bowlers a lot of confidence."

It was Maxwell's second half-century in four T20 innings for the Manchester county, having struck a rapid 58 against Durham last month.

Lancashire are undefeated at the top of the north group standings after seven games, with Nottinghamshire now sitting third.

Maxwell missed selection in Australia's extended pre-Ashes squad to play in an intra-squad game in Southampton late last month, effectively ending his immediate hopes of a Test recall.

The 30-year-old had a middling World Cup campaign, scoring 177 runs at 22.12 in 10 innings, though he did have his moments with the ball (despite going wicketless) and in the field, as Australia were defeated by eventual champions England in the semi-final.

Speaking about Maxwell and fellow allrounder Marcus Stoinis after the tournament, coach Justin Langer said: "They would both be really disappointed with the whole World Cup.

"They were working really hard, they were giving it their best shot, sometimes when your confidence is down a bit, and it's not something that you can flick a switch.

"We picked a team that we thought was the best team for the World Cup. They have helped us get to this point.

"They still contributed, I think they were three and four in the fielding rankings, they have little moments where they have had an impact, so they will be disappointed.

"There will be a few guys who will be a little disappointed but there a lot more positives than negatives."