Moore Reflects on Personal Success and Lancashire's Historic Title Victory

It has been a remarkable year for Lancashire’s opening batsman Stephen Moore who helped deliver the first County Championship title in 77 years and once again amassed more than 1000 runs over the season.

At the start of the county campaign, Moore was uncertain as to whether he would even be able to play after more than nine months on the sidelines. The same shoulder injury was still causing some distress, but with virtually no pre-season training he was soon opening the batting for Lancashire.

“This season was very different for me as I had that massive injury last year and I had nine months on the sidelines so I wasn’t even sure if I would be selected again because of my shoulder,” admits the 30-year-old.

“I was just simply trying to get onto the park and play cricket. From where that went I had no idea so to have scored the runs I have in T20, one day and county cricket is fantastic.”

It is not just the amount of runs that Moore has scored that had fans of the four-day game purring. His ability to score crucial runs under the most extreme pressure was a key reason Lancashire headed into the final day of the season with a chance of claiming the title.

In the penultimate game of the season, his 169 not out helped Lancashire gain another vital win, while on the final day of the campaign his 71 from 55 against Somerset at Taunton meant that the holy grail had been achieved and the County Championship was on it’s way to Old Trafford.

Just weeks after that emotional day in the south west, Moore has finally had time to reflect on a rollercoaster final few days of the season.

“It’s been pretty amazing to be honest,” he adds. “The reception we got when we got back to Old Trafford definitely made it very real for the guys.

“I think it was summed up when we were stood on the field at Taunton after winning and there was a fan in his sixties or seventies who came up to us and said he was so happy because he had been waiting his whole life for this moment.

“That really touched the guys. It was such a big thing for the supporters and after putting in all that hard work it meant a lot to us as well.”

It was a huge moment for the county and for the career of Moore. The South African-born batsman had batted beautifully for the England Lions on the tour of New Zealand and impressed against the Australians as he cracked a superb century at New Road.

The former Worcestershire opener had appeared on the verge of earning a call-up to the full England side, but injuries put a cruel halt to his international career. However, Moore now ruefully reflects on his missed opportunity as he was forced to watch the likes of Jonathon Trott and Ian Bell firmly cement their places in the starting XI.

“I think as a player I am good enough to make my mark on the international stage.  At the moment the England side is the best in the world and if you look through the performances of the batsmen they are absolutely world class,” explains Moore.

“There is a huge amount of depth and I think English cricket is in a very healthy state as there are plenty of young players hoping to push them on to greater things and most probably keep me out of the side.”

The recent success of the England team has certainly not come as a shock to Moore, who believes the set-up of the Lions has helped to provide the full side with a strength in depth that could help them stay at the top of the Test rankings for years to come.

“When I was at the England academy, the coaches weren’t looking at short-term success they were trying to build something, an ethos that will produce many years of top quality cricketers.

“England are in a fantastic position as there are young guys instantly performing very well and that sends shockwaves around the world when you see them playing like seasoned professionals. There is enough talent to keep them at the top for many years to come.”

While Moore concedes that his chances of playing for England may have been diminished, he is still determined to improve. This was the third time he amassed over 1000 runs in a season and despite the rise of Twenty20 cricket, he firmly believes that the true test of a player remains in the longer format of the game.

Moore helped Lancashire make the semi-finals of the Friends Life T20 tournament, in which they lost in a one-over eliminator to Leicestershire, but the opener admits that he still prefers the tests that come with playing first-class cricket.

“It’s good fun and I view it as an opportunity to not have the same sort of pressure that the four day game has,” says Moore. “I have three hours to go out there and show off my skills and I certainly enjoy myself out there.

“However, as far as I am concerned, my first-class career is how I will judge myself as a cricketer and that is because of the history. When I look at the statistics I am comparing myself with all of the best cricketers that have ever lived.

“I am playing on grounds that have featured some of the all-time greats and I want to be able to compare myself to those legends.”

While Moore may not be able to emulate his cricketing heroes playing on the international stage, he will hope to steer Lancashire to more success. The young side is full of home grown talent and with the experience of Moore at the top of the order, we can clearly expect big things from the Old Trafford outfit.

Stephen Moore is exclusively represented by Total Sport Promotions.

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