Lancashire face a pivotal fixture against the already-qualified Worcestershire Rapids, a game which will ultimately decide their fate in the Natwest T20 Blast.
Heavy rain is forecast for Friday throughout the country and is set to eliminate Lancashire and Nottinghamshire's final group games, but the Lightning have the edge due to a superior net run rate, which could see them advance to the quarter-finals
Lancashire were beaten by four wickets in the reverse-fixture at Emirates Old Trafford when Ben Cox hit the penultimate ball of the game for six off James Faulkner, a win which went a long way towards securing a spot in the knockout stages for the Rapids, who are also guaranteed a home quarter-final for the first time in the history of the tournament.
A mixture of resounding success and defeat by small margins has left Lancashire in a state of uncertainty heading into the last round of matches, but large victories have given them a better net run rate than Nottinghamshire, acting as an extra point for Lancashire when it comes to choosing which side progresses from the North Group.
Lancashire will be satisfied if the rain affects the entire country, but if they are unable to force a five-over match at New Road and Nottinghamshire win a completed game at Leicestershire, then the Outlaws would sneak through by just one point.
The last time Lancashire travelled to Worcester for a Twenty20 match, they recorded their highest ever score in the format, posting 229/4 in Andrew Flintoff's first game for five years. Since then, the Lightning have beaten this formidable total, scoring 231/4 at home to Yorkshire earlier in the campaign to record the double over their Roses rivals.
Worcestershire's narrow victory at Old Trafford was only their first win over Lancashire in six games, but the Rapids have been a testing opponent this season for most sides, winning more games than any other season in their T20 history.
Key Players:
Ross Whiteley is one of the biggest hitters in Twenty20 cricket this season and has proven that he can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition with his brute force. He recorded a staggering and unbeaten score of 91 in 35 balls, an innings containing no fewer than 11 sixes, as Worcestershire annihilated Yorkshire by 74 runs. Whiteley has accumulated 299 runs at an average of 37.38 and his record of 27 sixes is the third-highest in the tournament.
Steven Croft has been an integral factor for Lancashire in all three facets of the game, not to mention the fact that he has lead the side superbly in Tom Smith's absence. The all-rounder is the Lightning's leading run-scorer with 456 runs at an average of 57.00 and he is the sixth-highest run-scorer in the tournament this season.
The Lancashire stand-in captain recorded a Twenty20 career-best 94 against Derbyshire earlier this season and in the Lightning's recent win against Birmingham Bears, he was a pivotal asset with the bat once again, scoring 64 not out before taking two wickets and a stunning catch to seal an important win for his side.
Team News:
Worcestershire 13-man squad: Daryll Mitchell (c), Richard Oliver, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Joe Clarke, Brett D'Oliveira, Ross Whiteley, Ben Cox, Joe Leach, Ed Barnard, Jack Shantry, Saeed Ajmal, Alex Kervezee, Charles Morris.
Lancashire 14-man squad: Steven Croft (c), Tom Bailey, Karl Brown, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies (w/k), James Faulkner, Gavin Griffiths, Paul Horton, Kyle Jarvis, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Stephen Parry, Ashwell Prince, Luke Procter.
Match Information:
Weather and Conditions: Persistent and sometimes heavy rain is set to have the final say at this important stage in the tournament, but Nottinghamshire will be hoping for any kind of game, even a five-over slog, as one point for a no result will see them miss out on net run rate if Lancashire's game also falls victim to the weather. For a full weather forecast of Worcester click here and for prospect of play at Leicestershire click here.
The outlook for the rest of the day in Worcestershire:
Ground: New Road
Start time: 5.30pm
Umpires: TBC
Match odds (SkyBet): Worcestershire 1/1, Lancashire 4/5
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