MATCH PREVIEW: Worcestershire Rapids v Lancashire Lightning
This is a clash of two former winners, Lancashire champions in 2015 and Worcestershire three years later.
Worcestershire Rapids v Lancashire Lightning
Vitality Blast, North Group
Friday May 31, 5.30pm
Visit Worcestershire New Road
Of course, Worcestershire’s chief executive Ashley Giles knows all about Lancashire’s Blast triumph nine years ago - he was the Lightning coach that season.
The counties got their campaigns off to contrasting starts last night.
The Rapids were hammered away at Yorkshire, by eight wickets as they failed to defend a target of just 102.
Lancashire, meanwhile, beat Durham by nine wickets chasing 76. Tom Aspinwall starred with 4-18 before opener Luke Wells top-scored with an unbeaten 49.
Both Lancashire and Worcestershire were beaten quarter-finalists last year.
This is only Worcestershire’s second fixture at New Road this season following issues with heavy rain and thus flooding. They played a Championship match against Nottinghamshire there last weekend, a draw which saw only 103.1 overs bowled.
They played their other two Championship home games at Kidderminster.
Opposition:
In 2018 and 2019, the Rapids were county cricket’s strongest force in the Blast.
They were champions the first year, beating Sussex in the final, and then runners-up the following year when they lost to Essex.
Unfortunately, for them, they have struggled since then to really make an impression on this competition. They suffered group stage exits in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and were beaten by Hampshire away in last season’s quarter-final.
Captain Brett D’Oliveira and coach Alan Richardson will clearly be hoping for better this season.
They have signed West Indian leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Junior as a specialist overseas player for this competition. New Zealander Nathan Smith, a seam bowling all-rounder, is with them for all competitions in 2024.
Worcestershire actually have three overseas players on their books. Over the winter, they recruited Indian-born seamer Yadvinder Singh out of the Birmingham League, also a product of the South Asian Cricket Academy. But Singh doesn’t qualify for a British passport until the start of next season.
Added to the signing of Jones, the Rapids have also recruited all-rounders Tom Taylor and Josh Cobb from Northamptonshire. The latter is a former Blast winner in 2016, with the Steelbacks.
Departing New Road, alongside Stanley, were the likes of Pat Brown, Ben Cox, Jack Haynes, Dillon Pennington and Josh Tongue.
Opposition player to watch:
Worcestershire have been forced into a late change to their overseas plans, signing West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Junior.
They had re-signed Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir, but he was refused a No Objection Certificate by the Pakistan Cricket Board because his contract only allows him to play in two additional overseas leagues in addition to the Pakistan Super League in a yearly cycle.
In the last year, he’s played in Australia and in the Hundred, the latter for Manchester Originals.
So Walsh, a duel international for USA and the West Indies, was signed on Wednesday and debuted against Yorkshire at Headingley last night.
Walsh, 32, was born in the US Virgin Islands, hence why he made his debut for America. He played nine of his 62 internationals to date for the Stars and Stripes before switching allegiances to the West Indies.
He played his most recent international on Sunday just gone, a T20 clash with South Africa whilst a number of key players were away at the IPL.
Walsh has a best of 5-19 in an 80-game T20 career which has yielded 72 wickets.
Short in stature, Walsh bowls with extra pace and has a good googly. This is his first taste of county cricket. He returned 0-23 from 2.4 overs on debut at Yorkshire last night.
Previous meeting:
These two counties traded wins in last year’s Blast, Lancashire winning by four wickets at Blackpool in early June before Worcestershire won at New Road a fortnight later.
Jos Buttler top-scored with 74 off 54 balls at the top of the order at New Road, underpinning the Lightning’s 164-8. Rob Jones, with 42, was the only other visiting batter to pass 20. Seamer Pat Brown claimed three wickets.
Jack Blatherwick struck early in the defence, but Lancashire were hurt by an 81-run stand for the second wicket between opener Jack Haynes, who made 63 off 43, and New Zealander Mitch Santner with 49 off 27. They took the score from 15-1 in the third over to 96-2 in the 11th, Santner falling.
Haynes, however, steered his side to a seven-victory in the 18th over.
It gives you an indication of how different Worcestershire’s line-up will look in the 2024 Blast when you consider that non of their three best performers that night - Brown, Haynes and Santner - remain with the county.
What they said:
Mark Chilton believes success with the ball will be key to Lancashire’s chances of success in this season’s Vitality Blast.
The county’s director of cricket performance has been speaking about the Lightning’s prospects in the T20 Blast, which kicked off under the Emirates Old Trafford lights in sparkling fashion last night.
He has backed overseas duo Chris Green, the Australian spin-bowling all-rounder, and New Zealand batter Tom Bruce to shine, saying: “Bringing Chris in, he’s a real buoyant character, and I think he will bring a lot to the group.
“In the last couple of (Championship) games, you’ve seen what Tom is capable of.
“Tom can really add some boundary-hitting value to that team.”
Off-spinner Green will form part of an exciting bowling group at Emirates Old Trafford, one which gave a glimpse of his talents last night by wrecking Durham’s hopes when they bowled them out for just 75.
Fast bowlers Tom Aspinwall and Jack Blatherwick shared seven wickets. Green struck once.
Chilton continued: “Through a 14-game competition, bowling needs to be your strength.
“You always start every competition with the intention that you want to go as far as you can in it.
“And I think, with everybody fit, we can put a real decent attack on the field. If you can get a good bowling attack in T20, you are going to stay in competitions.
“We’ve lost our big guns for the time being, but that just creates opportunity for others to make a mark and push their case in that format. It’s quite exciting.”
How’s Stat!
Lancashire’s best ever T20 bowling figures came against Worcestershire.
Left-arm spinner Stephen Parry claimed 5-13 from four overs in a 96-run win over the Rapids at Emirates Old Trafford in June 2016, a game which saw the visitors bowled out for 53 chasing 150.
That, in fact, also remains the lowest team total ever posted against Lancashire in the history of this competition.
Four Red Rose bowlers have taken five-wicket hauls in T20 cricket; Tom Bailey, Mitchell McClenaghan and Richard Gleeson added to Parry. Gleeson’s (5-33) also came against Worcestershire - at Emirates Old Trafford in 2022.
How to follow:
The match will be broadcast live by our hosts, with ball-by-ball radio commentary from New Road 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 following each day's play.