MATCH PREVIEW: Surrey v Lancashire, Men's Vitality Blast
Match Preview as we travel to the Kia Oval to face Surrey in the Vitality Blast opener
Surrey v Lancashire Lightning
Vitality Blast, Men
Friday May 22, 2024, 6.30pm
The Kia Oval
The Blast begins in earnest this weekend, and the change in format for 2026 comes into full view immediately for Surrey and Lancashire.
This season, we’re down to 12 group games instead of the 14 of last year.
The 18 counties are split into three groups; North, South and Central and Midlands. You play each of your other five group rivals twice and then two other random counties from elsewhere. One will be at home and the other away.
The top two from each group advances to the quarter-finals alongside the two best third-placed finishers.
So, here we are with Surrey away first up.
While Lancashire were beaten semi-finalists in 2025, Surrey were beaten quarter-finalists. Both counties have won this competition once. Surrey won it in 2003 and Lancashire in 2015.
This is the second part of a daily T20 double header at the Kia Oval, with Surrey’s women taking on Lancashire women to start their Blast campaigns from 2.15pm.
Australian overseas signing Ben McDermott is in line to make his Lancashire debut under the South London lights. Keaton Jennings resumes captaincy duties for the Red Rose in this competition.
Opposition
Much like Lancashire, it’s somewhat of a surprise that Surrey have only won the Blast on one occasion, and that was 23 years ago. You have to go all the way back to the inaugural season of T20 cricket in this country for their sole triumph, in 2003.
They have challenged since.
For example, these two played each other at the Kia Oval in the 2005 semi-final, which the Red Rose won before losing to Somerset in the final. In 2023, Surrey beat Lancashire in the quarter-final at Emirates Old Trafford.
Coached by Gareth Batty, they are captained in T20 cricket by England all-rounder Sam Curran. But he has not played since England’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India in Mumbai at the start of March because of groin injury.
Australian seam bowler Sean Abbott is their overseas player until mid-July. He has been playing Championship cricket for them in the early stages of the season.
The likes of Chris Jordan, Will Jacks, Jason Roy, Reece Topley and Tom Curran are all in Surrey’s T20 plans, though Jacks is at the IPL with Mumbai Indians.
Opposition player to watch
Aussie Sean Abbott is the leading wicket-taker in Big Bash history with 186, starring largely for Sydney Sixers across the last 15 years.
In all, the skilful 31-year-old international has taken 269 career wickets in this format.
He can bowl at either end of an innings and is also a dangerous hitter down the order with one century to his name.
That actually came in a Surrey shirt against Kent at the Oval in May 2023, off 34 balls. It remains the joint fastest ton in Blast history, alongside former Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who was playing for Kent at the time in 2004.
This is Abbott’s fourth spell with Surrey having represented them in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Previous meeting
In early July 2023, Surrey beat Lancashire by 13 runs defending a 188-target at Emirates Old Trafford to qualify for Finals Day.
A tight quarter-final saw Surrey post 187-5 thanks to 70 off 41 balls for Laurie Evans and 50 off 34 for Jason Roy, and they inflicted a first home defeat upon the Lightning in 22 games dating back to late 2020.
Unfortunately, the Red Rose slipped from 124-2 in the 14th over of their chase to finish on 174-6. Jos Buttler contributed 42 and Steven Croft 55, but it wasn’t quite enough as Chris Jordan struck twice with the ball for the visitors.
Earlier, Tom Bailey had done likewise for the Red Rose.
What they said
Ben McDermott is ready and raring to go for Lancashire, where he hopes a good time will turn into a long time.
The powerful Australian batter has landed at Emirates Old Trafford ahead of his overseas stint with the county.
The Queensland native is with his third county having previously played for Derbyshire in 2021 - albeit not in the Blast - and for Hampshire between 2022 and 2024.
In 2023, he was part of the Hampshire team which beat Lancashire in a nail-biting, controversial final at Edgbaston. He even scored a half-century in the match.
“I got in Sunday, so settled in nicely,” he smiled. “A bit of jet-lag, but that’s to be expected.
“I’m really looking forward to it, especially being up North. I obviously spent three seasons down South and playing in that South group.
“But, yeah, really looking forward to the season, playing for Lancs and hopefully start a long relationship with this club. If all goes well and everyone's happy, then why not keep coming back.”
How’s Stat!
Captain Keaton Jennings needs 49 runs to become the fourth Lancashire player in history to reach 2,000 T20 runs alongside Steven Croft, Liam Livingstone and Karl Brown.
Lancashire Thunder & Lancashire Lightning: T20 Blast Tickets
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