Lancashire flushed by royal success

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Paul Horton and Steven Croft are still struggling to come to terms with Lancashire’s historic LV= County Championship triumph – so a trip to Buckingham Palace hardly helped.

Horton flew back from Zimbabwe to join his team-mates this week as they collected their championship medals from the Duke of Edinburgh, an honour traditionally afforded the County Champions.

Both admitted it was “surreal” to visit the palace, the latest instalment in what Horton claims has felt like a month-long victory parade since the title was clinched in such thrilling fashion at Taunton.

“It has been a whirlwind of celebration,” Horton told ecb.co.uk. “It’s phenomenal walking in them front gates.

“It has been quite special this season and this is the icing on the cake. It’s wonderful.”

Croft, who recalled visiting the palace as a “six- or seven-year-old and standing outside the gates”, was in awe once inside.

“You didn’t want to touch anything,” he confessed to ecb.co.uk. “But we had a good look around and met Prince Philip.

Steven Croft completes victory over Somerset at Taunton, setting in motion what has been a month-long victory parade for Lancashire

“We’ve had a lot of awards and dinners in the last few weeks, but there’s not much of window during the season, so we deserve a few drinks.”

Horton’s diversion to England – en route to a wedding in Australia – may have added a few thousand miles to his trip, but it was a price well worth paying.

“Not many people get to go to Buckingham Palace, especially to receive an award, so to miss this would have been quite silly,” he added.

“I fly out this weekend to do my duties as best man in Australia, but this has been fun. It’s been a phenomenal experience.”

For Croft, collecting his medal represented a realisation of “all the hard work this season”, while Horton admitted the champagne tasted all the sweeter given that Lancashire were tipped by many to struggle this summer.

“We were written off as a group of individuals and a bunch of players at the start of the year,” said Horton.

“We’re a side that has no stars, apparently – but we’ve won the championship and we’re quite happy about that.

“When you’re written off in anything, to be told you’re not good enough and you’re going to get relegated, it’s nice to finish the season winning something.

“After 77 years it’s probably the squad of players that were least expected to win the championship , so to have done it, that’s a nice taste.”

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