EGERTON leg-spinner Matthew Parkinson’s stock is rising rapidly through his performances for Lancashire in this summer’s NatWest Blast competition.

He may not have been able to put the Lightning on track for the quarter-finals, although they can still qualify.

But the former Cannon Slade pupil has got tongues wagging with a haul of 12 wickets from his first seven career matches.

He is the county’s leading wicket-taker and also has an economy rate up there with the best in the country.

Of the bowlers who have bowled more than four overs in the Blast, the 20-year-old twin brother of Leicestershire’s Callum is second in the country behind only Gloucestershire’s Benny Howell with Parkinson only conceding 6.16 runs per over.

His standout display came in Friday’s sold-out Roses match at Headingley when, in front of a crowd of 15,750 and with the Sky Sports cameras focusing on him, the Bolton man took 4-23 from four overs.

Unfortunately, Lancashire still lost, but Parkinson admitted: “The games on telly, there are lots of people watching, the pundits there – it’s no bad thing to put in good performances.

“But it’s about repeating it. There’s no point doing well in front of a big crowd on TV if you can’t back that up in games where the atmosphere isn't quite there.”

Ironically, Lancashire’s penultimate group game today is also on TV, against Worcestershire at Emirates Old Trafford.

They must win that and beat Birmingham, also at home on Friday, to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

“I didn’t play in the 2015-winning campaign,” said Parkinson. “But, by the sounds of it, the lads scraped through that group and went on to win it.

“It’s about timing. If we can peak at the right time and get into the quarter-finals, we’re one game away from Edgbaston.”

It has been a season of two halves for Parkinson. Injured at the start with a stress fracture in his back, he has started to enjoy success in the last month.

And the example of Hampshire leg-spinner Crane getting into England’s Test squad for the West Indies clash at Edgbaston this week on the back of his Twenty20 performances has not been lost on Parkinson.

“Just look at Mason Crane," he said. "He’s got into the Test squad on the back of a very good T20 Blast season."

Parkinson has taken only three fewer wickets in four fewer games than Crane.

He played against Crane at Southampton last week in his first Championship appearance of the year, taking two wickets.

“I want to play all three forms for Lancashire,” Parkinson added.

“We’ve got a big squad and a lot of names who are trying to break into that Championship team.

“Being injured at the start, meaning I missed a large chunk of the one-day cup, I made a target to play a few of these T20s and use it as a stepping stone to get in that four-day team.

“Fingers crossed, I can get a few more games in.”