A record-breaking 161 runs off 73 balls were scored by the Yorkshire batsman Adam Lyth in a NatWest T20 Blast game against Northamptonshire on August 17. Lyth hammered Northamptonshire bowlers hitting 20 boundaries and 7 sixes in his innings. His 161 is also the highest individual score in NatWest T20 series. He scored at a rampant strike rate of 220.55. Lyth’s innings helped his side to post a gigantic and fourth-highest innings total in T20s and the highest in the history of NatWest T20 tournaments.
Lyth came too close yet too far to breaking Hamilton Masakadza’s record of an unbeaten 162 he scored in February 2016. Lyth got out on the fourth ball of the final over of Yorkshire’s innings. Otherwise West Indies’ the ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle’s record would have been in danger considering a few big blows from Lyth in the final over.
With this innings, Lyth also broke the record of hitting the most number of fours in a single innings in a T20 match. The 29-year-old’s innings took Yorkshire to the fourth-highest innings total in a T20 inning, they were able to put a total of 260 for 4 on the scoreboard.
The Yorkshire opener got support from Tom Kohler-Cadmore and David Willey who scored 41 and 40 respectively.
EXCEPTIONAL BATTING@lythy09 hits his maiden T20 & it’s been a joy to watch #Blast17 pic.twitter.com/NKanJ25Zbu
— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) August 17, 2017
Meanwhile, Northamptonshire bowler Ben Sanderson also bowled the second-most expensive spell in T20 cricket leaking 77 runs in 4 overs at an economy rate of 19.25.
ICYMI: @lythy09 had a record breaking day!
Check out the best of yesterday’s #Blast17 action https://t.co/POl5K9su14 pic.twitter.com/p9Ouznu3Lj
— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) August 18, 2017
Northamptonshire had no answer to Yorkshire’s first inning total as they failed to put up a decent fight after being massacred by Lyth. They could only score 136 allout in 14.5 overs losing the match by 124 runs. Only two batsmen Richard Levi and Adam Rossington could do well up the order scoring 65 and 25 respectively.
The innings everyone’s talking about: @lythy09‘s record-breaking 161
WATCH the @YorkshireCCC make history: https://t.co/fGz7HBMEn5 pic.twitter.com/JNlznixi4c
— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) August 18, 2017
Absolutely buzzing after that thanks very much for the kind messages well bowled @AzeemRafiq30 fingers crossed for tomorrow now #161
— Adam lyth (@lythy09) August 17, 2017
Barring the openers, none of the batsmen could score well as eight batsmen failed to make it past the single-digit figures. Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq haunted the Northamptonshire batsmen as he took 5 wickets for 19 runs.
