Lancashire Cricket head coach Steven Croft has thrown his full support behind the team's batters, urging them to trust their process after a mixed start to the new County Championship season. The Red Roses currently sit fourth in the table with two wins, two defeats, and one draw from their opening five matches—a record that has left room for improvement.

Despite the promising position, Lancashire have yet to surpass 400 runs in any of their 10 innings so far, crossing the 300-mark only three times. For a side relegated in 2024 and tipped as promotion favorites this season, the inconsistency at the crease has been a talking point. "They just have to go and believe and trust in the process, and fully back it," Croft told BBC Radio Lancashire. "Whoever goes out there has got the full support of their team-mates, the coaching staff, and the whole club. You're out there for a reason, and we have to back ourselves when those lads step over the line. They are good enough; they just have to bring their practice form into game scenarios."

The absence of star batter Keaton Jennings, who scored 1,054 runs in 2025 but missed the first two matches with a calf injury, has certainly been felt. However, returning Australian Marcus Harris has provided a bright spot, scoring two of the county's three individual centuries so far. Paul Coughlin also contributed a fighting 100 not out in their defeat at leaders Durham. Still, the overall lack of runs is puzzling for a team that trains hard. "I think it's a mixture of a few things," Croft explained. "You watch the lads train, and they're putting their hours in, so I don't think it's anything to do with that. It's just transferring that out into the middle. I know as a batter myself, a few games without a score, you start to get a bit itchy."

Lancashire's recent 6-wicket home loss to Middlesex only underscored the urgency. With the T20 Blast break approaching, Croft is eyeing a strong finish to this Championship block. "To get three wins out of six would be ideal, and hopefully just the two losses at that point," he said. A home win over Worcestershire at Southport from Friday could be the turning point. "Obviously promotion is a real priority, and we need to get back on track for that," Croft added. "With that positive result at Northants [a drawn opening match] as well, just one wicket away from a victory, we know we're close."