MATCH PREVIEW: Nottinghamshire Outlaws v Lancashire Lightning
Lancashire Lightning head to Trent Bridge top of the North Group following consecutive home wins at Emirates Old Trafford
Nottinghamshire Outlaws v Lancashire Lightning
Vitality Blast, North Group
Sunday June 9, 2024, 2.30pm
Trent Bridge
Lancashire Lightning squad to face Notts Outlaws:
Keaton Jennings (c), Jack Blatherwick, George Bell, Tom Bailey, Josh Bohannon, Tom Bruce, Steven Croft, Chris Green, Matty Hurst, George Lavelle, Saqib Mahmood, Jack Morley, Luke Wells, Will Williams, Luke Wood
Nottinghamshire have made an unusually poor start to this season’s Blast.
Regularly there and thereabouts in this competition, be it champions in 2017 and 2020 or perennial challengers around that, the Outlaws have lost their opening four games and thus have a lot of work to do from here.
Lancashire, by contrast, have enjoyed an excellent start, winning three of their first four games to set the early pace in the North Group table.
Notts lost to Derbyshire at Derby last, bowled out for 102 in reply to 198-6.
Lancashire beat Birmingham at Emirates Old Trafford by eight runs, on the back of posting 176-8. Luke Wells starred with runs, wickets and catches.
This Trent Bridge clash is a meeting between the two most successful counties, wins wise, in English T20 history. More of that a little bit later on.
Opposition
Given their history alone - two-time champions, six Finals Day appearances and qualification for the quarter-finals in seven out of the last eight seasons - you would have had plenty of folk tipping Nottinghamshire for success in this summer’s Blast.
But things have changed in recent times at Trent Bridge, where they have lost some significant experience. Over the last couple of years, Jake Ball, Matt Carter, Dan Christian and Samit Patel have all departed, while Steven Mullaney is transitioning into a coaching role and captains the seconds.
It likely goes some way to explaining their struggles at the start of the Blast.
But, make no mistake, quality remains within an outfit coached by Peter Moores.
Opening batter Joe Clarke captains a side including Alex Hales, New Zealand internationals Will Young and Ben Lister and Olly Stone to name a few.
Notts also have at their disposal a number of exciting youngsters such as batter Jack Haynes, all-rounders Matt Montgomery and Lyndon James and bowlers Calvin Harrison and Dillon Pennington.
The latter, the ex-Worcestershire quick, has enjoyed an excellent start to his first campaign at Trent Bridge and has been mentioned by some pundits as a candidate for England’s Test team over the summer.
And that’s not forgetting wicketkeeper-batter Tom Moores, the former Lancashire loanee.
You would expect an upturn soon. Fingers crossed, though, they can wait a bit longer.
Opposition player to watch
For those Lancashire fans who watch the Hundred, they will already know plenty about Calvin Harrison, who has played for the Manchester Originals over the last two summers.
A tall leg-spinner born in Durban, Harrison hasn’t yet caught fire in this season’s Blast, but he has enjoyed an encouraging summer when you factor in Championship cricket as well.
He already has hauls of five wickets and four wickets to his name in that competition.
The 26-year-old, also a handy lower order batter, could post his 50th career T20 wicket in his 51st game tomorrow afternoon, a haul which includes a best of 5-11. He is two wickets away from that milestone.
At 6ft 4inches, Harrison’s height is a distinct advantage, and he gains extra bounce with it.
Not only was he born in Durban, he spent part of his childhood in New Zealand and was educated at King’s College in Taunton and at Oxford University.
Previous meeting
These two counties shared a victory apiece in last year’s Blast, Lancashire winning by 22 runs at Emirates Old Trafford in late May before Nottinghamshire won by five wickets at Trent Bridge a week later, at the start of June.
The Lightning, having elected to bat, were bowled out for 145, slipping from a position of health at 41-1 in the fifth over.
Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled Jos Buttler for 23 to leave Lancashire two down, and captain Liam Livingstone ended as top-scorer with 34.
Off-spinner Matt Carter, who has since left Notts, claimed 3-26 for the hosts, who chased their target down with seven balls to spare. Opener Joe Clarke top-scored with 42 off 24 balls at the top of the order.
Livingstone struck twice with the ball for the Lightning, as did Jack Blatherwick against his former county.
What they said
Lancashire are on an early roll in the Blast, and Luke Wells couldn’t be happier after a challenging start to 2024 for the county in four-day cricket.
The Red Rose won only one of seven County Championship matches, but now they top the North Group table in the Blast with three wins from four and carry crucial momentum into their clash at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
Wells starred in Lancashire’s latest win, over Birmingham at Emirates Old Trafford last night, with 66, two wickets and two catches. But he hailed a real team effort through the opening stages of their Blast campaign.
He said: “That first game (against Durham) was massive for us, having not had a great four-day campaign so far.
“There’s been a lot of talk about a changing squad and changing coaching staff. Everyone’s desperate to perform and win, and we know there’s a lot of expectation at Lancashire Cricket.
“There’s been a lot of change, and everyone’s trying to find their feet. So for us to get that really good win first game was massive in settling everyone down.
“Also, we’re learning a lot game by game. Blatherwick is coming into his own and bowling good slower balls, his stock ball at high pace and fielding really well, Aspinwall has had a great start, Hurst has played some good games.
“Everyone is building.
“We spoke before the start of the T20 campaign that, in this format, it’s easier for an individual to make a difference. So far, somebody has stood up now and then to win a game.”
How’s Stat!
Lancashire are, wins wise, the most successful T20 domestic side in England, just ahead of Nottinghamshire.
Since 2003, the Red Rose have won 146 matches compared to Nottinghamshire’s 144.
How to follow:
The match will be broadcast by our hosts, with ball-by-ball radio commentary from Trent Bridge provided by BBC Radio Lancashire's Scott Read on the BBC Sport website and app.
For those unable to follow the action live, there will be regular updates on the Club's social media channels and Match Centre, with highlights also posted on LancsTV.