Chapple whirlwind tears into Buckinghamshire

There had been reports from local met offices of a mini-tornado in Lancashire on Monday - yesterday it looked as if the weather had travelled down south with the county in the guise of Glen Chapple.

The expectation had been of a whirlwind innings from the England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, but it was the 31-year-old Chapple who blew Buckinghamshire away. He smashed the fastest half-century in C&G Trophy history, finishing unbeaten on 55 off just 16 balls, an innings which eclipsed a maiden hundred in any form of cricket by his team-mate Andrew Crook.

Chapple's furious onslaught, which included half a dozen sixes and three fours, took Lancashire's total to within 11 runs of their all-time record of 381 scored against Essex in 1999, and into the stratosphere as far as Buckinghamshire are concerned, especially after they had lost two quick wickets in three balls to James Anderson.

But even before Chapple's arrival at this cricketing idyll, the game was well out of reach of the Minor County thanks to a relentless and chanceless unbeaten 162 from Crook. The Australia-born batsman, who has an English passport, became the first Lancashire player to pass 150 in one-day cricket - surpassing Flintoff's 143 in that match against Essex six years ago.

Crook's appearance alongside his fellow Australian Stuart Law raised a quiet smile. As the two batsmen made their way out when play finally got under way two and a quarter hours late because of rain, the names on the back of their shirts read "Law, A Crook".

But this was one Crook who is going straight. He drove through the V in exemplary fashion, clipped, cut and pulled at will. He and Law had just begun to accelerate when the latter was well taken by David Barr to give the fast bowler Tolly Thomas a wicket.

Crook was joined by Mal Loye and the pair piled on the misery for Buckinghamshire, thumping 143 runs off 22 overs for the second wicket.

That stand was ended by Bobby Sher when Loye went too far down the track to the spinner and was stumped by Graeme Paskins. Crook, however, duly reached his century in the next over.

Unfortunately, Flintoff, his new partner, only survived for 10 minutes. Again it was Sher who did the damage, finding an outside edge as the England man came out of his crease looking for a big hit. The ball lobbed rather tamely to Jason Harrison at backward point and for a few frozen moments even home fans regarded the fielder with a degree of resentment.

Thankfully, Crook and Chapple restored spirits as they took their stand to a sizzling 71 by the close.