LANCASHIRE Lightning will be hoping to secure their first win in this years Natwest T20 Blast when they take on old enemy Yorkshire Vikings at Old Trafford tomorrow evening (First Ball: 18:30).
The defending champions have struggled in the competition so far, due to disappointing top-order batting performances in their first two games.
Only opening batsman Martin Guptill has a batting average over 30 after the opening two games, having hit a 72 off 46 balls to keep Lancashire in with a chance of beating Durham at Old Trafford last Friday; in what has been his only match in the competition so far.
Lancashire as a team haven’t broke the 150 barrier in either of their opening games, a feat achieved six times in last years competition. However, the Lightning can take solace in the fact that they didn’t break the 150 barrier in their opening two games last year, and still went on to beat Yorkshire and lift the trophy at Edgbaston against Northants.
Buttler looking forward to Yorkshire clash in the NatWest T20 Blast.: https://t.co/Jm3c6Zn756 via @YouTube
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) June 2, 2016
Meanwhile Yorkshire Vikings currently lie at the foot of the Northern group, having played just one game.
The White Rose had a torrid time chasing down Leicestershire’s target of 170, reduced to 32-4 in the ninth over, before being bowled out for 120 after 18.4 overs.
However, with a bowling attack spearheaded by former England internationals Tim Bresnan, Liam Plunkett and World T20 finalist Adil Rashid, Lancashire will have to put their batting woes to bed if they are to walk out of Old Trafford with a win.
Lancashire will be faced with the familiar task of not having swing bowler Jimmy Anderson in their attack, with the world’s number one test bowler still on England duty against Sri Lanka.
Both sides also have a history of putting on exhibition cricket when they meet, with the last two T20 meetings putting up aggregate figures of 371-14 and 433-12, the latter being the fourth highest in last years competition, and with both teams struggling with their net run rates so far this year, Lancashire and Yorkshire will be aiming for a repeat of these totals.
The Red Rose will also aim to make amends for this week’s defeat to Yorkshire in the County Championship.
The visitors for that game, Lancashire struggled to make a meaningful response to Yorkshire’s first innings of 308. Having narrowly avoided the follow on they were set the ambitious, but not impossible, target of 349, yet after a solid start the Red Rose lost five wickets for just 12 runs to narrow their lead at the top of the County Championship Division 1.
By Oliver Mackenzie
@olliemackenzie7
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