Match Preview: Durham vs Lancashire Lightning, Vitality Blast Men
Durham v Lancashire Lightning
Vitality Blast, North Group
Sunday June 1, 2025, 5pm
Banks Homes Riverside
Following an unbeaten start to the Men's Vitality Blast, Lancashire head to the North East in search of their third straight win in the Vitality Blast.
The outlook is much brighter after home wins against Worcestershire Rapids and Nottinghamshire Outlaws on Thursday and yesterday, in which captain Keaton Jennings has posted brilliant scores of 66 and 95.
The Red Rose beat Notts at Emirates Old Trafford yesterday by 47 runs on the back of a 216-3 total, which included an opening stand of 177 between Jennings and Luke Wells - the highest ever partnership for any wicket in the North Group of this competition.
Durham, however, are also feeling buoyant.
They won their Blast opener yesterday against the Bears at Edgbaston, bowling their hosts out for 143 and chasing the target to win by three wickets.
Jennings, Michael Jones and Ashton Turner all line up against their former county at the Banks Homes Riverside.
Opposition
Durham, along with Lancashire, were beaten quarter-finalists on the road last year. They lost out to Surrey at the Kia Oval.
Coach Ryan Campbell and company are one of only four counties never to have won this competition, alongside Derbyshire, Glamorgan and Yorkshire.
They have employed a quartet of overseas players for this competition, including batter David Bedingham, whose availability is limited because of South African Test duties.
Durham have another South African in all-rounder Codi Yusuf who, like Bedingham, has been playing some early-season County Championship matches.
Bedingham and Yusuf are likely to act more as back-up for the New Zealand all-round pair Zak Foulkes and Jimmy Neesham, who both debuted against the Bears at Edgbaston yesterday.
Both bowled seam, and Foulkes returned 1-18 from four overs and Neesham 3-34 from four overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Robinson top-scored in the chase yesterday with a middle order 45.
Durham are captained by opening batter Alex Lees.
Dynamic batter Graham Clark, the brother of former Red Rose all-rounder Jordan, was their leading run-scorer in last season’s Blast with 322 runs, while experienced seamer Ben Raine led the way with 22 wickets.
Opposing player to watch
Former Lancashire junior spinner Callum Parkinson may have struck twice in his opening over against the Bears at Edgbaston yesterday, reducing the hosts to 4-2, but his fellow spinner Nathan Sowter is the one we feature here.
Aussie-born Sowter, formerly of Middlesex, has been playing with Durham since 2022.
In that time, he has taken 59 wickets in 43 matches, including a best of 5-15. He struck twice against the Bears yesterday.
Durham coach Ryan Campbell believes the 32-year-old has the ability to still go on and play for England in white-ball cricket.
Sowter played his 150th T20 match yesterday, in which time he has taken an overall 162 wickets.
Highlights vs Notts Outlaws
Previous meeting
These two sides shared a win apiece last season. Lancashire won the competition opener at Emirates Old Trafford at the end of May, bowling their visitors out for only 75.
Michael Jones and Ashton Turner were in Durham’s middle order that night.
Then, up at the Riverside in mid-June, Durham gained revenge in a match which was completely the opposite.
On that occasion, Durham racked up 218-3 thanks largely to opener Graham Clark’s blistering 87 off 57 balls. David Bedingham also crashed 78 off 42. Both men hit four sixes.
In reply, Lancashire came back from the dead at 115-6 in the 13th over to run the hosts so, so close, finishing on 216-8 and just failing to get 17 off the last over.
Chris Green top-scored with 38 off 18 balls down the order, while George Balderson contributed 37 off 23. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t to be for the gallant Lightning.
What they said
Luke Wells says Lancashire’s players will continue to ride the wave after building some early momentum in the Vitality Blast.
Wells starred with a career best 87 off 50 balls in last night’s big win over Nottinghamshire at Emirates Old Trafford, and now the bandwagon rolls onto Durham, where the Lightning will aim for a third straight North Group success.
Wells shared a stunning 177 opening partnership with captain Keaton Jennings, who made 95.
He said: “It’s been well-documented that there’s been a lot going on. But the format lends itself to playing with freedom. You can’t be successful if you’re not playing with freedom.
“It was the same last year. We opened up and started well in the Blast last year after a tough start with the red-ball campaign.
“It’s come at the right time, it’s an exciting format, and it lifts everyone spirits that we’ve gone two from two. It’s huge.
“But, more importantly, we’re still thinking we can improve in certain areas. We’re not taking anything for granted. The guys are staying really present and looking forward to another game tomorrow.
“There’s obviously been a lot of negativity so far this season - rightly so - that’s come our way.
“I’m really honoured that we’ve got such passionate fans. Passion means they care. And we care desperately as well.
"The fact we have fans who care so much when things go wrong but also when things go right, it’s great for us that we have support.
“To get two wins from two is great, and we’re going to take that positivity and move forwards with it and see where we go.”
How’s Stat!
The historic Blast record between these two counties at the Banks Homes Riverside makes for interesting reading.
The two counties have played each other on 21 occasions at this venue dating back to 2004, with Lancashire winning 11 of those and losing only six times.
However, Durham have won this fixture in each season dating back to 2021.