On 15th September, 2011 Lancashire won the English County Championship among dramatic circumstances. The County Championship came their way after a long weight of 77 years. They were a successful limited over the team during the 70s and won the One Day Championship four times between 1970 and 1975 but the four-day honours eluded them as they were runners five times in those 77 years. There were players like Clive Lloyd, Wasim Akram, Brian Statham, Murali, Stuart Law, Mike Atherton, and David Lloyd who despite their best effort failed to bring the trophy at the Old Trafford.
But players like Paul Horton, Stephen Moore, Gary Keedy, and captain Glen Chapple became Lancashire heroes in a season where things were not going for them. Their home games were not played at Old Trafford as the ground was going through a massive structural change which had its share of controversy. The squad did not have overseas stars or top players from other countries and it was mostly made of the Lancashire homegrown players. They started with six unbeaten games and lost only four fixtures.
The championship was tight and even when the last day of their last round match against Somerset started it was still a fight between Lancashire and Warwickshire. Somerset were batting in their second innings after conceding a 100-run lead in the first. Their first innings total was 380, built around James Hildrith’s massive 186. Lancashire responded with 480 and typical to their performance that year all the eleven players contributed. Opener Moore top-scored with 68, there were four fifties, a couple of forties and all eleven played reached double-figure. When Somerset finished day three on 105/5 it looked like finally, this could be Lancashire’s year but as the final day progressed things started to change as the veteran Peter Trego launched a comeback. He reached a patient hundred and 75 runs with Alfonso Thomas and 95 runs with Murali Kartik. They were finally all out for 310 giving Lancashire a target of 211 in minimum 28 overs.
On the other side, Warwickshire were not in a good situation against Hampshire and that charged up the Lancashire players. The openers Paul Horton and Moore came all guns blazing and added 131 runs in first 17 overs. Although the openers were gone soon that initial push was effective as Steven Croft and Karl Brown took them to their target and the entire squad was ecstatic. It was a great moment for Lancashire cricket. Their first County Championship since 1934 came through sheer hard work and great team spirit.
