DANE Vilas believes Alex Davies is only going to get better after guiding Lancashire Lightning to a four-run win over Derbyshire Falcons.

The Darwen-born star scored an impressive 82 at Headingley to give the Emirates Old Trafford side their second win in three North Group games.

Lancashire posted 178-5 with the Falcons falling just short as they managed 174-7 in reply.

“The way Al Davies was going - he batted incredibly well again - we were thinking 200. But I was happy with 180. I thought that was a good score,” said Vilas.

“Alex has been in incredible form, and hopefully he continues. He’s only going to get better and better. He’s got a lot of talent, as everyone has seen before.

“We always seem to have tight games here at Headingley no matter who we play!”

Having chosen to bat first, Vilas, saw his decision abundantly justified as Keaton Jennings and Alex Davies rattled up 54 runs in the Powerplay overs with Davies hitting three straight sixes,.

Jennings went for 29 in the seventh over to end the 63-run opening stand. However, Davies powered on, reaching his second 50 in as many T20 innings off 31 balls with three fours off successive deliveries from Alex Hughes.

His second-wicket partner, Steven Croft soon picked up the tempo and hit three sixes of his own. The second of these made Croft the first Lancashire batsman to hit a hundred sixes in T20 cricket. The Lancashire veteran went for 38 soon afterwards, ending his 74-run stand with Davies, those runs having been scored off just 50 balls.

Vilas managed only eight before holing out to Luis Reece at long off and in the next over Davies also perished on the boundary, caught by Leus du Plooy off Conners for a 56-ball 82 that included five fours and a quartet of sixes.

In reply, a late onslaught by Matt Critchley, who was run out off the penultimate ball of the innings for 32, kept the outcome in doubt until the final delivery of the 20th over.

“Nineteen off the last over is a good position to be in, but it doesn’t help when the first ball goes out the park for six,” added Vilas.

“But credit to Tom (Bailey), he held his nerve and got us over the line, which is the most important thing.”