Lancashire seem to have rediscovered their winning formula from last year's Natwest T20 Blast and the Lightning are hoping to continue their run of good form against Worcestershire this Thursday.
A double header - including a visit to Northamptonshire the following day - signals an important period in this campaign for Lancashire who could go to the top of the table if they are able to collect another two victories.
Last year's finalists have won their last two Twenty20 matches, with their most recent victory coming against Derbyshire at Emirates Old Trafford. Prior to this 67-run victory, Lancashire defeated their Roses rivals at Headingley by four wickets, a run which has seen the Lightning jump into the top four of the North Division after an indifferent start to the tournament.
Worcestershire have experienced an identical start to the campaign, winning three and losing two of their five t20 matches, which will give this match added significance, as both sides look to break away from the pack in the early stages of the tournament.
The Rapids have thrived on the availability of Moeen Ali and the all-rounder played a vital role in their win against Northants, scoring 90 off 50 balls to guide Worcester to a 14-run victory. Since then they have been beaten by Nottinghamshire, but they have also managed to defeat the current leaders of the North Group, Durham, who have played three more games than both Lancashire and Worcestershire, who both trail by a margin of just two points.
The last time these two sides met in the T20 Blast, Andrew Flintoff made his first appearance for five years as Lancashire scored 229/4 at New Road, their highest score in the history of the tournament. Lancashire achieved the double over Worcestershire in the 2014 campaign, recording a 12-run victory at home in a high-scoring match.
Key Players:
Liam Livingstone has proven his potential to be a destructive batsman in the powerplay overs without going on to make a big score. A whopping 350 in 138 balls for Nantwich has been followed by a regular slot at the top of the order for the Lightning alongside Ashwell Prince, but the duo are yet to share a mammoth partnership in the tournament.
Livingstone has scored 67 runs in five Twenty20 innings so far this season, with his highest score of 27 coming against Yorkshire in Lancashire's last-ball victory at Headingley.
Daryl Mitchell plays an integral role in everything Worcestershire hope to achieve in all formats of the game. He is captain, opens the batting and his economical bowling makes him a useful asset to the Rapids' exploits in Twenty20 cricket. Mitchell is a consistent contributor every season for Worcestershire and he has made a strong start this year, scoring 204 runs - the most of any player in the side so far - with these runs coming at an average of 40.80.
The Worcestershire all-rounder is within range of 1,500 runs in Twenty20 cricket and a return of 64 wickets in 101 matches demonstrates his all-round threat to any opposition.
Team News:
Lancashire 14-man squad: Steven Croft (c), Tom Bailey, Karl Brown, Jordan Clark, Alex Davies (w/k), James Faulkner, Gavin Griffiths, Paul Horton, Rob Jones, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Stephen Parry, Ashwell Prince.
Lancashire have named an unchanged 14-man squad from their win against Derbyshire. Saqib Mahmood made his debut for Lancashire in this match, claiming the final wicket to guide the Lightning to a comfortable victory under floodlights.
Worcestershire 12-man squad: Daryl Mitchell (c), Saeed Ajmal, Moeen Ali, Edward Barnard, Ben Cox (w/k), Brett D'Oliveira, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Joe Leach, Colin Munro, Richard Oliver, Jack Shantry, Ross Whitely.
New Zealand have given Colin Munro permission to play Twenty20 cricket for Worcestershire this week after being told that he will not be required for international duty. Munro had initially been included in the New Zealand squad as cover for injured players, but the 28-year-old has been given clearance to play in Worcestershire's two Twenty20 matches this week.
Match Information:
Weather and conditions: Dry and warm for the majority of the game with the temperature dropping slightly towards the end of the match. For a full weather forecast click here.
Ground: Emirates Old Trafford
Start time: 6.30pm
Umpires: Nick Cook, Martin Saggers
Match Odds (SkyBet): Lancashire 4/6, Worcestershire 6/5
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