Match Preview: Lancashire Lightning v Northampton Steelbacks, Vitality Blast Men
Lancashire Lightning v Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Vitality Blast, North Group
Sunday June 8, 2025, 1pm
Emirates Old Trafford
Two in-form counties go head-to-head tomorrow.
Lancashire may have been defeated last time out, at home against Leicestershire Foxes on Wednesday evening, but they remain in good shape at the start of the Blast.
Three wins from four. Any county would snap your hand off for that start to a campaign.
The expectation is that seven or eight wins will be enough to reach first base, which is a top-four finish and qualification for the quarter-finals. Then the next goal can be chased - a top-two finish for a home tie in the last eight.
Northamptonshire Steelbacks are in even better shape. They have won all four at the start of the North Group, including away at Worcestershire last night, and sit top of the table.
The Lightning are chasing what would be their 90th home victory in 125 T20 matches since 2003. No county has a better record on home turf.
Opposition
Two-time champions in 2013 and 2016 - beaten finalists by Lancashire in 2015 - Northamptonshire are aiming for back-to-back quarter-finals having reached the last eight last year. And they are well on course.
They finished second in the North in 2024 before being knocked out by Somerset at home.
Captained by former England all-rounder David Willey, they are coached by Australian Darren Lehmann.
Willey was their leading wicket-taker last year, claiming 16 with his left-arm swing bowling.
He has started this season well, too.
South African opener Matthew Breetzke was their leading run-scorer last season with 460, and he is back for another campaign. The Steelbacks have also signed Australian leg-spinner Lloyd Pope as their other overseas player.
Experienced seamer Ben Sanderson is currently the leading wicket-taker in the competition with 13, which included an incredible 6-8 against Worcestershire at New Road last night as they bowled the Rapids out for 159 chasing 191.
He took four of those wickets in one over, a hat-trick to boot.
Ravi Bopara is also the third leading run-scorer in the competition with 167 runs so far.
Opposition player to watch
David Willey is a talismanic figure down at Wantage Road. Captain, potent with the ball, destructive with the bat and a live-wire in the field.
Capped 116 times by England in one-day and T20 cricket, the 35-year-old retired from international cricket in November 2023.
He is closing in on 350 career T20 wickets and 4,500 runs. He is nine away from the former and 81 from the latter.
Willey has taken eight wickets and has scored 133 runs in this season’s Blast.
He swings the new ball with his left-arm pace and, batting left-handed, whacks it. Watch out in the crowd if he gets going tomorrow afternoon.
Willey has been a regular on the franchise circuit in recent years, playing in competitions such as the IPL, the Big Bash, the Pakistan Super League and the Hundred. He has won a number of titles along the way as well, including for the Steelbacks in 2013.
He was player-of-the-match in that Blast final against Surrey at Edgbaston, hitting 60 and claiming 4-9, including a hat-trick.
Previous meeting
Lancashire and Northamptonshire were due to play each other twice last year but only played once. The first meeting, at the start of July, was washed out at Wantage Road.
A fortnight later, they did face off at Emirates Old Trafford, with the Steelbacks triumphant by four wickets chasing down an imposing target of 202 - and doing it with eight balls remaining.
Northamptonshire replied to Lancashire’s 201-9 with 203-6, the highest total ever conceded by the Red Rose in T20 cricket at Emirates Old Trafford.
Ireland spin-bowling all-rounder George Dockrell top-scored with a middle order 45 off 25 balls, with Liam Livingstone also contributing 36. Seamer Jack White, who has since left for Yorkshire, claimed 3-16 from two overs.
But fair play to Northamptonshire, it was an incredibly impressive chase, with South African opener Matthew Breetzke superb for 76 off 31 balls with five sixes.
It was undoubtedly one of the best visiting innings seen in T20 cricket at this venue.
When Breetzke fell, to the leg-spin of Luke Wells, Northamptonshire were 118-2 in the 10th over. They were ahead of the game but by no means over the line. They did get over the line, though, thanks to Ravi Bopara’s 36 and 26 for captain David Willey.
What they said
Chris Green is confident Lancashire can bounce back quickly from their first loss in four Vitality Blast matches at the start of the competition as they prepare to tackle Northamptonshire Steelbacks.
The Australian overseas all-rounder impressed in a losing cause against Leicestershire on Wednesday, hitting 36 not out and taking two wickets with his off-spin.
Unfortunately, though, it wasn’t quite enough to seal a fourth straight North Group win.
Still, Green refused to get too down about the five-wicket reverse to the Foxes.
“Three from four at this stage of the tournament, we’re sitting pretty. But it’s not a time to rest on our laurels,” he said.
“I think we’re starting to understand our game-plan really well. I think we take a lot of confidence from last year (quarter-final qualification). And looking back at the history of Lancashire in T20 cricket, it’s a strong one.
“It’s about putting these performances together and pushing on for finals cricket.”
Green has returned to Emirates Old Trafford for a second summer, and has penned a two-year contract through to the end of next year, which centres around Blast appearances but also includes the other formats when available.
“I’m loving it,” he said. “It’s a great group to be a part of. The guys have welcomed me in, and I love playing here at Emirates Old Trafford. The crowd is so welcoming.
“I love spending time in England during the summer, and the weather is a lot nicer this time, which I’m very grateful for. It feels like a home away from home.
“And I’m just trying to contribute as much as possible.”
Lancashire suffered a rare home defeat on Wednesday, with Leicestershire breaching fortress Emirates Old Trafford, where the hosts have won 89 of 124 T20 matches since 2003.
There’s certainly a steely determination within the Aussie and the rest of his team-mates to make sure the Leicester loss was a one-off.
Green added: “We have seven home games through the season. Last year, I think we lost one at home. If we can make Leicester the only loss, it sets you up really well for the tournament.”
How’s Stat!
Chris Green, 31-years-old, could reach the 250-career appearance mark in T20 cricket during this summer’s spell with Lancashire.
Green is currently sat on 240 matches since he debuted in the Big Bash for Sydney Thunder at the start of 2015.
The Lightning have 10 more group games to play through to late July.
Should the weather or injury not ruin things, he should get there whilst wearing the Red Rose.
Green has taken 207 wickets and has scored 1,724 runs in his career.