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Lancs claim final ball thriller

Steven Croft smashed a six off the last ball to give Lancashire Lightening a dramatic five-wicket victory in a thrilling Twenty20 Cup clash with Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road.

With three runs needed off the final delivery from Foxes captain Jeremy Snape, 21-year-old Croft struck the ball over the extra cover boundary to finish with an unbeaten 28 off just 11 balls.

Stuart Law and Nathan Astle provided the platform for the victory with a second-wicket stand of 59 in eight overs.

Law hit 58 off 40 balls, the top score of the game but it was the spectacular hitting of young Croft in only his second Twenty20 game that deservedly won him the man-of-the-match award.

The Foxes posted a competitive total of 160 for six but should have had 20 runs more after losing their way in the middle of the innings.

Darren Robinson and Darren Maddy gave the home side an excellent start with a stand of 56 in six overs before Maddy holed out to mid on.

Robinson followed after making 41 off 29 balls and although the Foxes were well placed at the halfway point at 86 for two they lost momentum against some tidy bowling from the Lancashire attack.

Seamers Tom Smith and Oliver Newby and spinner Simon Marshall claimed two wickets each and it needed some lusty blows from John Sadler in the last few overs to boost the Foxes total.

Sadler struck two sixes in an over off Newby but finally skied a catch to midwicket off Smith having hit 24 off 14 balls.

The target always looked within Lancashire's reach until they lost two wickets in the space of two overs, both of them claimed by Snape who had Gareth Cross and Mark Chilton caught in the deep.

And when Astle was then bowled by a slower ball from David Masters the Foxes were back in the hunt again with Lancashire needing 28 off the last two overs.

But Croft proved the man for the occasion with his last ball six providing the dramatic finish.

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