Lancashire's Croft backs batters to find form
Marcus Harris has scored two of Lancashire's three centuries from their opening five matches
- Published
Lancashire Cricket head coach Steven Croft says all their batters have the club's full backing after a mixed start to the new County Championship season.
The Reds Roses are sitting fourth in the table after their opening five matches, recording two wins, two defeats and one draw.
The County has yet to pass 400 in any of their 10 innings so far, only passing 300 on three occasions.
Croft told BBC Radio Lancashire "They just have to go and believe and trust in the process, and fully back it. Whoever goes out there has got the full support of their team-mates, the coaching staff and the whole club.
"You're out there for a reason and we have to back ourselves when those lads step over the line. They are good enough, they just have to bring their practice form into game senarios."
Relegated in 2024, Lancashire began this season as one of the favourites for promotion. Keaton Jennings scored 1,054 runs in 2025 but missed their opening two matches with a calf injury.
The returning Aussie batter Marcus Harris has scored two of the county's three individual centuries so far, with Paul Coughlin making 100 not out in their defeat at leaders Durham.
Croft says the general lack of runs isn't for want of trying, adding: "I think it's a mixture of a few things really. You watch the lads train and they're putting their hours in so I don't think its anything to do with that.
"I think it's just transferring that out into the middle. I know as a batter myself, a few games without a score, you start to get a bit itchy."
"Obviously promotion is a real priority and we need to get back on track for that."
Lancashire lost earlier this week, beaten at home by Middlesex by six wickets.
The table would look a lot healthier ahead of the forthcoming break for the T20 Blast with a home win over Worcestershire at Southport from Friday.
Croft said: "To get three wins out of six would be ideal and hopefully just the two losses at that point.
"With that positive result at Northants [in a drawn opening match] as well, just one wicket away from a victory in that game, it would be positive overall.
"It'll be a long, hard-fought four days. Worcestershire are a really good side. We'll want a response. Southport is usually a good cricket wicket. It has a bit on offer for spin, seam, and if you spend some time at the crease it can be fast-scoring.
"We'll be going into that game fully confident in our own ability and I want to climb back up that table. We want a response from the boys."
Hear full ball-by-ball commentary on every County Championship game via BBC Sounds.
