Match Preview: Lancashire Lightning v Notts Outlaws, Vitality Blast Men
Lancashire Lightning v Nottinghamshire Outlaws
Vitality Blast, Men
Monday May 25, 2026, 4pm
Emirates Old Trafford
Squad to face Notts Outlaws
Lancashire are back on home turf as they bid to get off the mark in this season’s Blast.
A disappointing defeat against Surrey at the Kia Oval on Friday night was far from the start captain Keaton Jennings and his side wanted, losing by 59 runs chasing 214.
Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, kicked things off with a home defeat against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge on the same evening, by seven wickets defending 168.
Both counties will be desperate to bounce back at the first available opportunity.
This forms part of a daily Blast double header, with Lancashire’s women facing The Blaze from 10.30am. They are effectively Notts’ women.
The club’s Annual General Meeting will take place in between the two games.
Opposition
Champions in 2017 and 2020, the Blast hasn’t actually been too kind to the Outlaws in the last few seasons. In three of the last four years, they have failed to make it beyond the group stage.
Coached by Peter Moores and captained by wicketkeeper-opener Joe Clarke, they have signed South African all-rounder George Linde and Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Ali as their overseas players.
Linde didn’t play on Friday, while Ali did.
They have also signed two experienced T20 domestic players in all-rounder Benny Howell and powerful Scotland international opening batter George Munsey.
In 2024, they actually finished bottom of the North Group with only three wins from their 14 matches, while last year was better with seven wins.
They also included former Lancashire loanee wicketkeeper-batter Tom Moores.
Opposition player to watch
Mohammad Ali only signed for Nottinghamshire on the eve of the Blast and debuted in their defeat against Yorkshire. And he certainly displayed some encouraging signs.
He bowled Will Luxton with a searing, leg-stump yorker and only conceded four runs in his first two overs. He finished with 1-27.
Ali is a quicker-than-you-expect bowler. He ambles to the crease but then lets it rip.
Aged 33, he has played eight times for Pakistan across all formats, including four Test Matches and three T20 internationals. He played all his T20s on tour in New Zealand last March.
He is 12 wickets away from 100 in his T20 career.
Ali will take the new ball and then return at the death.
Previous meeting
The two counties shared a win apiece in last year’s Blast, with Lancashire winning at Emirates Old Trafford at the end of May, by 47 runs defending 217.
Nottinghamshire then won by four wickets chasing 127 in mid-July. That was actually the final group game, and Lancashire had already topped the North Group table.
Matty Hurst’s middle-order 36 was Lancashire’s best individual score in 126 all out, which saw teenaged off-spinner Farhan Ahmed take a super, career best 5-25, including the key wickets of Keaton Jennings and Chris Green.
It certainly wasn’t game over, though.
Nottinghamshire slipped to 14-4 inside three overs, with Luke Wood and Tom Hartley sharing the new ball and striking twice apiece.
Unfortunately, though, a blistering 75 off 42 balls from wicketkeeper-batter Tom Moores in the middle order led a recovery which saw the Outlaws complete victory inside 16 overs.
They just missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.
What they said
Chris Green believes the next three weeks can be so important for Lancashire’s overall summer and not just their prospects in the Vitality Blast.
The Red Rose’s popular overseas all-rounder is in his third campaign with the club and is hungry for silverware.
“T20 cricket is a lot of fun,” said the Australian.
“You rewind to this time last year, it was a stage where the club really got their season going, if you like.
“We took that momentum into the middle four-dayers, I think winning three out of four.
“We then nearly pulled a rabbit from the hat in getting up to the top of the table at the back end.”
Green took a wicket with his off-spin in Friday’s away defeat to Surrey and hit 35 with the bat.
He added: “The Blast is a competition we’ve done well in for the last two years I’ve been here. We set a really high bar for ourselves in terms of being accountable to high standards and delivering good results.
“It’s exciting to be back playing this format, and more exciting to get out here at Emirates Old Trafford (against Nottinghamshire) on Monday night.”
How’s Stat!
On Friday night, against Surrey at the Kia Oval, Lancashire suffered their first opening day defeat in the Vitality Blast since 2018, when they were beaten at Emirates Old Trafford by Worcestershire.
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