Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

declarations, from the first ball of the final over. These three wins had been partly offset by two defeats, but a decent haul of bonus points had helped to keep the leaders within sight. Against Nottinghamshire, at Old Trafford, a Garry Sobers declaration allowed Clive Lloyd to lead the way to another six-wicket success. An eight-wicket loss to Kent at Southport was a setback, but then Lancashire returned to the winning trail, completing the double over Northants at Old Trafford. Jack had been having a quiet time with the bat, but he now took the chance to score his only fifty of the summer as he and Hughes set up a target for the visitors to chase. Northants’ goal was 302, but once Lever and Shuttleworth had reduced them to 5 for six, victory became a formality. Lancashire were now back in the championship race. On 17 July they shared the lead with Warwickshire, though with two more matches played. Played Won Lost Drawn Points Warwickshire 13 5 4 4 144 Lancashire 15 5 3 7 144 Middlesex 14 5 2 7 138 Surrey 14 6 1 7 133 Kent 13 5 2 6 133 While the championship challenge had taken time to gather momentum, the John Player League had also been asking more questions of Lancashire. There were three defeats in the first six matches before the tide turned, the only loss in the next eight games coming in the tightest of finishes when Lancashire ended on 199 for seven in pursuit of 202 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Needing to hit the final ball for six to win the match, Hughes managed only three, while Jack, on one of the few Sundays when he was required to play an innings of any substance, ended undefeated on 24. The winning habit was once again filling the grounds wherever Lancashire went. At Headingley, in front of Yorkshire’s biggest home crowd, Clive Lloyd, with 97 not out, led Lancashire to 239 for four and victory by 48 runs. This win brought a share of third place with Leicestershire, four points behind Worcestershire and five adrift of Somerset. With the challenge ignited in the Championship and Sunday league, the Lancashire team were fighting on three fronts, their place in the semi-final of the Gillette Cup already assured. 98 ‘A great catch to end a great innings’