Posted by When Lancashire were relegated last season, it elicited the usual silver lining consolatory thought among supporters that at least they might win a few more games in Division 2. Dear reader, Lancashire have not yet won a single game in Division 2.
Lancashire are bottom. Of the second division. A division so weak, we try to avoid paying attention to it.
How bad is this?
When Lancs followed-on to Northants at Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago, Mike Atherton observed: “My God. If that had happened about 30 years ago we’d have all got the sack.”
They actually drew that game. Since then, they’ve played the return fixture and despite reducing Northants to 67-6 on the first morning, they lost. Atherton’s view on this one can perhaps be auto-completed.
Calvin Harrison, in particular, has been enjoying himself. The 27-year-old began the season with just 40 first-class wickets to his name, but has since added another 15 – all of them against Lancashire.
Someone at Old Trafford has since decided that Something Must Be Done.
But what? What must be done?
Actions taken, floated and vaguely alluded to
Well, for a start, Keaton Jennings has ‘stood down’ as captain. Australian batter Marcus Harris (who has pretty much carried the side the negligible distance it has so far covered via three fifties and three hundreds) will take over.
But the club doesn’t seem to think that’s enough. John Abrahams, who chairs the Cricket Development Committee (the what now?), said: “We continually look at different ways we can improve the squad, whether that be loan or permanent additions to the squad.”
So basically they’re looking to hire players other than the ones they’ve spent all these years developing.
Abrahams also had some comments to make about pitches, adding: “We are also working closely with the Grounds Team to look at how we can perform better at Emirates Old Trafford, having experienced the challenging conditions to bowl teams out twice.”
Challenging conditions, you say? As already mentioned, Lancashire followed-on against Northants, which – if we’re not mistaken – tends to mean you’ve been bowled out rather easily yourself as well as having struggled to bowl out your opponents.
So challenging conditions for whom, exactly?
Not for mighty Leicestershire, certainly. Last month they bowled Lancs out for 263 and reduced them to 90-3 either side of making 491-8 themselves. (Harris contributed 77 and 34 not out in those innings, which is a pretty good way of also conveying everyone else’s contributions.)
Conditions weren’t too challenging for Harrison and his leg-spin either. We wonder whether Lancs could borrow someone similar – Kent’s top wicket-taker last season, for example.
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I can’t help feeling that “the Second Division doesn’t count” seems to have acquired an exception recently. Pity the poor Derbyshire fans whose side doesn’t get this treatment. (Both of them.)
Precisely why it’s such a great measure for how awful a team has become.
Having watched a bit of all their games on YouTube this season, the bowling seems more of an issue than the batting but largely because one particular batter is clearly too good for Division 2.
I’m planning to be at Old Trafford on Saturday and will be working with the players, ground staff, officials, other spectators, and in particular the bar staff to look at how I can perform better at spectating in these challenging conditions of Lancashire being pants. With two Tests to attend this year I really need to raise my game.