George Balderson: Decision to retire batsman during innings “poor”

Lancashire’s decision to retire George Balderson after facing just six balls in their T20 Blast semi-final defeat by Somerset was “really poor” according to the club’s former batsman Stephen Moore.

Balderson had scored seven off six balls during a seven-minute stint at the crease when Lightning made the rare call of replacing him with Tom Hartley, who was then dismissed for a first-ball duck.

Chasing a target of 183 at Edgbaston on Saturday, the Red Rose fell 23 runs short as they were bowled all out for 159.

“I think that’s really poor decision making,” Moore told BBC Radio Lancashire.

“Once you’ve made the decision to send someone up – to then sub him off on Finals Day, that shows a lack of clear management.

“They should own their decision – if they don’t get there [to the target], they don’t get there.

“They’ve made the decision to send Balderson out, the game hadn’t fundamentally changed – own the decision and give the guy a pat on the back and say ‘well tried’ if he doesn’t get there.

“I definitely wouldn’t have subbed him off, having made that decision [to send him out to bat] already.”