LANCASHIRE’S Glen Chapple heaped praise on Darwen's Alex Davies and his Red Rose opening partner Keaton Jennings after the pair continued their strong start to the one-day cup campaign.

Davies and Jennings both passed 50 against Northamptonshire on Wednesday but it wasn't enough to hand Lancashire victory as the hosts got home by two wickets with a ball to spare.

Davies hit 59 to go with his incredible 147 against Durham on Sunday while Jennings has made 278 runs across three innings.

Despite the strong opening partnership, Lancashire have won one lost two heading into the fourth match of the group stage against Warwickshire at Blackpool today (11am).

But Chapple was pleased with his top order once again against Northants.

He said: “We got a really good opening partnership. Alex and Keaton played exceptionally well again and then lost a few wickets in the middle probably trying to play too square on a low pitch that was a bit too paced and it was better trying to play down the ground.

“But we recovered again and got to a good score - over par by 10 or 15 maybe.

“We were happy with that but then in the Northants’ powerplay we had clear plans to make them play square and we didn’t manage to do that.

“We showed get fight we get back into this and it looked like we’d turned it round and then Matt Parkinson nearly won us the game right at the end.”

It was a Lancashire old boy who delivered victory for Northamptonshire.

It was an incredible game with both innings swinging back and forth. Northants, set 280, were 194-2 in the 34th over but lost three for five in four overs. The equation was finally reduced to two needed from two deliveries and Procter flicked Parkinson’s leg-spin wide of midwicket for a boundary to win the game.

But until Procter, who finished 43 not out from 38 balls, and Adam Rossington, 34 from 44, came together, Lancashire looked likely to steal the match from the jaws of defeat.

Lancashire were given a solid foundation by Davies and Jennings but after they slipped to 185-5 in the 37th over, it needed a perfectly-paced unbeaten 83 from 68 balls from Dane Vilas to ensure a competitive total.