Danny Lamb’s stunning career best 86 not out from 69 balls helped Lancashire secure a thrilling win from behind in the Royal London Cup.
They claimed victory by two wickets over an inexperienced Sussex side at picturesque Sedbergh School.
Lancashire, fielding only two List A debutants to Sussex’s nine in this Group A opener, slipped to 115 for seven chasing 271 before all-rounder Lamb and seamer Tom Bailey shared a record breaking 112 in 18 overs for the eighth wicket to turn the game on its head.
Bailey made 45 off 53 before falling as one of four wickets to leg-spinner Archie Lenham, 17 today, as the score slipped to 227 for eight in the 46th over.
But 25-year-old Lamb, playing only his third career one-day game and recording the highest individual score by a Lancashire number eight in List A cricket, hit the bulk of 16 off Henry Crocombe in the 48th over and sealed the win with six balls remaining.
While Lancashire will breathe a huge sigh of relief as they head home from the Cumbrian countryside, Sussex contributed a huge amount to this fixture.
Australian Travis Head and wicketkeeper Oli Carter made 56 and 55 in their 270 for nine, while Danial Ibrahim made a similarly measured 46 not out and Will Beer a brisk 40.
Sussex didn’t look like getting to 270 at a couple of junctures. They were 13 for two after four overs and 193 for six in the 41st.
But Head and captain Tom Haines, who elected to bat and made 38, shared 74 for the third wicket and Ibrahim and Beer shared 72 for the seventh.
Lamb also struck twice with his bustling seamers to add to Liam Hurt’s career best three for 55.
Lancashire then fell to 19 for three inside six overs of the chase on a true surface.
Joe Sarro struck twice with the new ball, including getting Josh Bohannon caught behind with a beauty that nipped away, while Henry Crocombe had former Sussex left-hander Luke Wells caught at slip.
Lancashire fell further, to 115 for seven in the 28th over, as birthday boy Lenham excelled.
He had Steven Croft caught at slip and struck twice in the 28th over, his fifth, when he had George Lavelle stumped and Rob Jones lbw for 35.
From there, Lancashire’s task was not quite as tall as the surrounding Howgill Fells, though not far off.
However, all-rounder Lamb and seamer Bailey set about a brilliant escape act.
Bailey hit two sixes before he was stumped off Lenham – 227 for eight in the 46th over – and Lamb finished with seven fours and four sixes.
Hurt hit the winning boundary off Sarro to send the majority of the 950 crowd home happy.
The Lamb and Bailey partnership was a Lancashire record for the eighth wicket, beating 105 between Ian Austin and Warren Hegg against Middlesex in 1991.
Austin also held the previous high score by a Red Rose number eight, 80 against Worcestershire in 1987.
Sussex captain Tom Haines said: “That’s a tough one to take from the position we were in. We expected to win that game.
“We have to come back on Sunday (against Durham) and realise what we did well.
“There were little things we could have done better and been clearer with, but batters are allowed to bat well. Danny Lamb played out of his skin.
“We can’t be too harsh on what was a young bowling attack.”
