DAVID BYAS' dream of winning a Lord's final with Lancashire is hanging in the balance today.
Byas, who lost his only final appearance in 16 years with Yorkshire, guided his new county to the Benson and Hedges Cup semis with a brilliant innings at Leicester on Wednesday.
But now he is out of the semi final at home to Warwickshire on Friday week after suffering a broken knuckle on a fast, bouncy Old Trafford pitch as Lancashire swept to a 10-wicket victory over Derbyshire in the C&G Trophy yesterday.
And with the final following only two weeks later on June 22, he is likely to be ruled out of that as well.
"It's a real shame - it's put a bit of a dampener on the day," said chief executive Jim Cumbes as the news filtered through from Byas in hospital.
Lancashire produced another impressive performance to clinch their third one-day win of the week.
They reduced Derbyshire to 39 for six after Warren Hegg had won the toss and put them in, with Andy Flintoff in particular a fearsome prospect on the fast pitch with a gale at his back from the Stretford End.
Flintoff sent two Derbyshire batsmen to hospital - Steve Selwood, who also suffered a broken knuckle which will cause him extra problems as he has his politics finals at Loughborough University next week, and Dominic Hewson.
Hewson battled on to a brave 63 despite suffering a broken finger as Derbyshire recovered to 167 all out.
But that was nothing like enough as Lancashire made short work of the target despite the injury blow to Byas.
That was thanks to Mark Chilton and Glen Chapple who both played brilliantly in an unbroken stand of 141.
Chapple raced to 81 from only 69 balls, his second half century of the season and his best-ever one-day score including 11 boundaries.
But if anything Chilton was even more impressive with some classic boundaries as he ended unbeaten on 76, taking his second man of the match award of the season after making 102 in a B&H group game against Notts.
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