The Analysis: Adam Lyth and making batting look easy

NICK HOWSON: On a pitch that was tough to score on, the Yorkshireman made building an innings look a simple task to keep Northern Superchargers' faint top-three hopes alive

After 358 runs were scored off the first 300 balls in Cardiff, there was no disguising the difficulty of prevailing on a low, slow, skiddy wicket at Sophia Gardens.

The preceding women's game had highlighted how building scoreboard pressure, bowling dots and keeping fielding tight can spark mistakes from the chasing team.

Cricket's finest cliche is the quality of a pitch can only be established once both sides have batted. Maybe that should be altered to read, once Adam Lyth has batted.

Lyth made the testing surface, albeit with dew around, look true and even. Central to that is his ability to score on both sides of the wicket quite easily, without losing shape or taking undue risks. It has been one of the hallmarks of his senior career.

^{It was a vintage Lyth display in Cardiff (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

A look at his tournament wagon wheel, not least his one from the Welsh capital, shows the ball flying to all parts. There are very few strikers of a cricket ball who deposit the ball over the rope with such effortlessness.

And that is down to timing. Lyth has a quick pick-up, fast feet that allows him to open up both sides of the wicket and an ability to pick gaps. The first 31 balls of the reply - bar the edge that Joe Clarke spilt - was an exhibition of what it takes to build an innings in tricky conditions and make it look very easy.

The only time he started blocking was during the post-match interview with Lydia Greenway upon being named the player of the match. Again, very much on brand.

Faf du Plessis, the Superchargers captain, said: "He's really clear with what he wants to do. When you're batting well and you're not thinking too much and you're just reacting he is in that space. 

Adam Lyth: English summer runs across the formats since 2016

2016: 1,884

2017: 1,588

2018: 1,490

2019: 1,396

2020: 528

2021: 1,091

2022: 1,412

"He sets himself in that strong position and he has enough options to take it leg-side or the offside. It is hard to bowl to the way he sets up."

Lyth sucked all the drama and intrigue out of a contest that could have provided a thrilling conclusion, hitting the second-highest score of the entire day - a 34-ball 47. Only Dawid Malan has more runs in the men's Hundred, but Lyth's have come for a struggling side at a strike rate of 186.

The problems posed by Ish Sodhi and Matt Critchley towards the end proved that had it not been for Lyth's onslaught, Welsh Fire could have made it back-to-back wins, increasing the value of the innings.

It was no coincidence that once Sodhi got into the match - being held back to the sixth set was a maddening decision from Josh Cobb - that trouble brewed. Ten balls from the New Zealander to Lyth saw seven dots, two singles and a wicket.

^{Ish Sodhi came on after the powerplay but it was too little, too late for Welsh Fire (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

The 34-year-old is enjoying another vintage season across the formats. Fully outside of the England picture, there are few better in domestic cricket against balls red and white.

With another Hundred match to go and then four LV= Insurance County Championship games for Yorkshire in September, there is every chance Lyth could go on and enjoy his most prolific season since losing his England place.

The watermark of 1,884 runs across the formats in 2016 remains his best since the end of his international career. Currently, on 1,412 for the campaign, there might be as many as nine more opportunities to eclipse it.

Not, you fancy, that'll he care.

Related Topics

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• Welsh Fire women off the mark as Northern Superchargers' last three hopes are dealt a major blow