Croft wants response from Lancashire to halt slide
Steven Croft was named Lancashire's permanent head coach for the 2026 season
- Published
Head coach Steven Croft has called on Lancashire's players to "front up" to halt an alarming slide in the County Championship.
Their comprehensive 140-run loss to Kent inside three days in Blackpool was the team's third in four games.
They have fallen from first to fourth - as things stand - in Division Two and at least 18 points adrift of the promotion places.
Lancashire are back in action against Derbyshire in Chesterfield on Friday and Croft said the Red Rose needed to respond.
"In the past, we were proud of our record where if we don't win, we don't get beat," he told BBC Radio Lancashire, external.
"But we need to front up and start putting some points on the board."
Lancashire were bowled out for just 87 in their first innings against Kent, undermining the work of dismissing their visitors for 178 on day one.
It was the second time in three matches that Lancashire had been dismissed so cheaply, falling for only 84 in a second innings collapse against Middlesex at Emirates Old Trafford last month on their way to a six-wicket loss.
They have only collected 10 batting points from their seven matches at the halfway point of the season, but Croft is demanding improvement with both bat and ball as they try to lift morale.
"Losing that amount of games isn't good for anyone's confidence," he said. "There's still a lot of quality in that changing room and people who have put runs and wickets on the board and been match-winners.
"It can just be one shot from a batter that gets you going or a spell from a bowler that gets you back into form.
"We're trying everything we can to help those lads. Sometimes you're a session away from clicking and hopefully that happens on Friday."
