LANCASHIRE head coach Peter Moores paid tribute to the Red Rose county’s “new breed of player” after Monday’s season-opening demolition of Sussex at Aigburth.
And amongst the players picked out by Moores was a man playing on home turf, Liverpool-born Tom Smith.
The middle-order bat provied an invaluable platform for Lancashire’s match-winning second innings total of 472.
And while bowlers Glen Chapple and Gary Keedy picked up the headlines for the way they waltzed through Sussex’s second innings, Moores was keen to spread the praise throughout his side.
“It was a really good win which was set up really by how well we batted in the first innings,” he said.
“What was nice is that this was a proper team’s performance, from someone like Karl Brown coming in and getting his 100 backed up with a senior man in Mark Chilton.
“But you see that new breed of player, Steven Croft, Tom Smith and Gareth Cross from the middle order coming in and playing really well.
“Gareth Cross came in and showed how he can accelerate and put pressure on people, so it was an all round team performance.”
Reflecting on the four days as a whole, the Lancashire Head Coach has highlighted the contributions made in the second session of day one which ultimately set up the win.
“I go back to the start, they started well with something like 108-1 after the first session,” Moores added.
“The second session we got back in and they had a poor session, and I think that a sign of a good team is one that doesn’t let the other side get back in.
“We held the dominant end throughout the game and came out on top, so I am really pleased with the way that we played.”
Lancashire’s next fixture is a four-day game against Somerset at Liverpool a week today, when the on-tour home county will be hoping for similar fortunes.
A devastating spell of bowling from Chapple and Keedy ultimately helped Lancashire to an innings-and-55-run victory.
The majority of the final morning’s play was wiped out due to wet weather – giving the visitors plenty of hope in their bid to save the game.
When played resumed at 1.10pm a total of 24 overs had been lost and Sussex were 151 for 3 after 47 overs, still facing a deficit of 78 runs.
But Murray Goodwin's men slipped to 174 all out in double quick time thanks to four wickets for Chapple and three for left-arm spinner Keedy.
At their worst, Sussex lost six wickets for 12 runs in 35 balls to fall from 152 for 3 to 164 for 9.
In victory, Lancashire collected 22 points from the game. Keedy finished with innings figures of 5 for 41 from 26 overs and Chapple 4 for 49 from 19.5.
The rain may have provided the Lancashire duo with a little more assistance from the pitch but Sussex’s batsmen did not do themselves any favours at all with their kamikaze approach.
The match was concluded when Chapple trapped Monty Panesar lbw for 4 with the last ball of the 63rd over.
Sussex closed with little cheer and just three points from the fixture, while Lancashire were ecstatic.
