Lancs T20 Quarter

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Lancs have just announced that because of the date clash of the quarter finals with the Ashes they will play their home tie at the local ground of The Riverside in Durham!

[Local cricketer]

Lunacy

[Longsidelenny]

That is a iss take if true up the colne

[Goalposts]

bloody stupid

[Local cricketer]

That is a iss take if true up the colne

Was The Horsefield not available?

[jrgbfc]

For everyone having a go what are the alternatives?

[Longsidelenny]

I was thinking down at padiham cricket club just imagine how many cheese pies they’d sell up the colne

[nighty]

why couldnt they go to sedbergh .............!!!!!! a lovely lancashire town eh flixton

[dandeclaret]

For everyone having a go what are the alternatives?

Change the date.... provisionally for Day 5 of the test match, or the night after otherwise - at Old Trafford.

[tybfc]

Change the date.... provisionally for Day 5 of the test match, or the night after otherwise - at Old Trafford.

This will roll on and be unpopular.

Statement from Lancs tonight is below

With the 4th Specsavers Ashes Test Match taking place from Wednesday 4 September at Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire Lightning has been working closely with the ECB to explore all available options for its Vitality Blast home quarter-final.

The Vitality Blast quarter-finals dates are scheduled for the evenings of Wednesday (4 Sept), Thursday (5 Sept), Friday (6 Sept) and Saturday (7 Sept), which clash with the ECB’s international schedule and the 4th Specsavers Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford.

Lancashire Lightning can now confirm that it’s home quarter-final will be played at Emirates Riverside, the home of Durham Cricket (date and opponents TBC).

The Club as a whole, including input from Head Coach Glen Chapple, Captain Dane Vilas and Director of Cricket Paul Allott, came to a collective decision as Lancashire aim to take their place in a record eighth Finals Day in 16 years.

By agreeing with Durham to hold the match at Emirates Riverside, Lancashire is able to work closely with Durham to assist with the pitch and ground preparations, and have the choice of three quality international pitches. Floodlights are a prerequisite condition and a necessity for Sky Sports TV coverage, and Durham have confirmed that Emirates Old Trafford ground staff will assist in the preparation of the pitch.

Lancashire have had no option but to look at every possible venue, including out-grounds and playing at the away ground, but the Club was not willing to cede home advantage to our opponents for the quarter-final. The Lancashire players confirmed that they were more comfortable playing at Emirates Riverside than any other alternative venue, with the team having won its last seven Vitality Blast fixtures at Durham.

The ECB and Lancashire also explored the possibility of using Liverpool Cricket Club. However, due to the amount of First-Class, Second XI and Kia Super League matches played there this season, there was no quality pitch available and even so with the ECB event presentation and Sky Sports TV requirements also adding further complexities, which include the requirement for floodlights.

The Club and the ECB also looked at the option of a fixture on Monday 9 September but this proved impossible to attain due to subsequent fixture congestion in the Specsavers County Championship and was not acceptable to any of our prospective opponents because of the need for a reserve day and considerations around rest and travel logistics.

Lancashire Head Coach, Glen Chapple, said: “Once it became clear we could not host a quarter-final, the Club, with the input of myself, Dane and Paul, assessed our options and decided this would be the best venue in order for us to attempt to reach another Finals Day.

“With both Emirates Old Trafford and Liverpool Cricket Club unavailable, the next best option is to play at a neutral northern ground that can provide some element of cricketing home advantage. We feel Emirates Riverside is the best place for that and thank Durham for making their ground available to use.

“Our recent Vitality Blast record at Durham is very good but that does not mean the team will be taking anything for granted. We will prepare as we would always would, and as with any knock-out fixture, expect it to be a tough game, and would appreciate the Members’ and Lancashire fans’ support.”

Lancashire Lightning Captain, Dane Vilas, said: “The lads have worked extremely hard to get the team into the top two and though it is disappointing not to be at Emirates Old Trafford, we are determined to get to Finals Day again.

“We had a good win at Durham earlier in the competition and will go up there full of confidence, no matter who the opposition are.”

The Club will provide a free ticket and free coach travel to all Members (excluding Digital Members) for the fixture, as well as Vitality Blast season ticket holders.

Members will have full use of the Emirates Riverside pavilion and Members lounge. Red Rose Members will have their own designated area and lounge, which will be confirmed in due course.

General admission tickets for the match will be priced at £10 adults and £1 juniors and details on how Members can claim their free ticket and free coach travel will be announced shortly, along with information on when general admission tickets go on sale, Member facilities and official hospitality. We won’t have any further information to release until the date and opponents have been confirmed. As a result, there is no need to contact the Ticket Office.

Lancashire Cricket appreciates those Members that will be attending the Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford and will therefore miss the Vitality Blast quarter-final and whilst the Club regrets that, unfortunately there was no possibility of moving the match.

[Foulthrow]

There's not a great deal that Lancashire could have done here. The other alternative would probably have been to reverse the tie. Once Sky get involved we all know who calls the shots.

[steve1264b]

When will we know the date for the game?

[CleggHall]

As a regular spectator at The Riverside it will be nice to see the ground full for a change.
4 day matches normally attract "crowds" of 750 grumpy, old men. It's more like care in the community!
I hope some tickets will be left over for local north easterners so that they/we can watch some quality, exciting cricket.

[tybfc]

why couldnt they go to sedbergh .............!!!!!! a lovely lancashire town eh flixton

Paul - A gorgeous ground and they put on a great four day game against Durham.

But it only holds 1600 spectators.

It was never going to be big enough.

Unless the ECB agreed to the Monday following the Ashes then Durham was going to be the only logical choice given Lancs success there recently.

The ECB need a rocket up their backside and a bloody fortune in compensation to Lancs.

[Quickenthetempo]

There's a cracking spoons accross from the ground.

[tybfc]

There's a cracking spoons accross from the ground.

I'm sure accyclarets will be offering transport

[Local cricketer]

I'm sure accyclarets will be offering transport

Setting off before the test match starts?

[Flixton Claret]

why couldnt they go to sedbergh .............!!!!!! a lovely lancashire town eh flixton

Nighty \ I heard you had stopped drinking but reading your post you just be back on the sangria!

The ECB have put Lancs in an impossible position by refusing to be flexible as the Monday date was a possible although no reserve day as we are playing Derbyshire on Tuesday in The CC.

Sedbergh has no floodlights \ but you are phishing there!

Durham will provide a playing area that matches EOT and provide a spinners track under guidance from our groundstaff which gives us the best chance of progressing to finals day again although it clashes with the Norwich game but not for you as you'll not be going to either fixture!!

[tybfc]

Nighty \ I heard you had stopped drinking but reading your post you just be back on the sangria!

The ECB have put Lancs in an impossible position by refusing to be flexible as the Monday date was a possible although no reserve day as we are playing Derbyshire on Tuesday in The CC.

Sedbergh has no floodlights \ but you are phishing there!

Durham will provide a playing area that matches EOT and provide a spinners track under guidance from our groundstaff which gives us the best chance of progressing to finals day again although it clashes with the Norwich game but not for you as you'll not be going to either fixture!!

"Sedbergh has no floodlights"

No wonder I couldn't find nighty even after a two day search with Cumbria mountain rescue.

[CleggHall]

Lancs have "kept this under their hat" and must have known that a clash was a likely outcome, both dates were fixed well in advance. Did they secretly hope to not qualify? A Liverpool back-up wicket should have been maintained, shabby treatment of members and supporters.

[Bordeauxclaret]

They could have played it at Liverpool but it would have been an important toss to win.

Wouldn’t fancy the chances of the team batting second. Or the chances of the fans seeing what’s happening.

[Local cricketer]

Well I've just booked a week in Seaham so I can take the game in

[tybfc]

Lancs have "kept this under their hat" and must have known that a clash was a likely outcome, both dates were fixed well in advance. Did they secretly hope to not qualify? A Liverpool back-up wicket should have been maintained, shabby treatment of members and supporters.

If they secretly hoped not to qualify they would have chucked games early in the season but have been at the top for most of it so the clash of fixtures was always going to happen and Lancs can hardly be accused of keeping it under their hat. The ECB are to blame for the cock up and nobody else.

Sky are going to cover this game so I assume it will be a 19:00 hrs start whether it be on the Wednesday or the Friday as the test match will still be scheduled to be in progress.

Lancs are kindly offering free transport but presuming that coaches won't arrive back at Old Trafford until well past midnight there will be no public transport home for us lowly East Lancs folk. But a place in finals day will be worth the hassle.

[northeastclaret]

Nice bonus for the many Burnley and Lancs fans that live in the North East

[tybfc]

When will we know the date for the game?

It will be a 7pm start on Wednesday 4th September and a reserve date of Thursday 5th.