T20 Blast Essentials: Worcestershire Rapids v Lancashire Lightning

Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast, form, prediction and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the Vitality Blast...

Fixture: Worcestershire Rapids v Lancashire Lightning

Venue: New Road, Worcester

Date: Sunday, June 13, 2021

Start time: 2.30pm

What’s the lowdown? 

In-form Lancashire Lightning visit New Road for a tantalising clash in the North Group.

Lancashire have comfortably won each of their two matches so far this season, dispatching of Derbyshire Falcons by six wickets and Leicestershire Foxes by 16 runs.

Worcestershire Rapids produced an epic, televised fightback on the competition's opening night to secure a dramatic tie with Notts Outlaws.

They then thumped Northamptonshire Steelbacks by 32 runs at Wantage Road, again in front of the Sky Sports cameras, on Friday night. 

This game matches some of the most explosive batting talent in English cricket, and should be an absolute belter.

Who’s in form?

Moeen Ali is the beating heart of this Worcestershire team and he has started the season in excellent nick. The England allrounder produced extraordinary figures of 2 for 15 from four overs to restrict Notts on day one, and then showed he is in form with the bat against Northamptonshire with a 30-ball 52.

Jake Libby made a half-century against the Outlaws and is in a purple patch so deep it might start humming Smoke On The Water at any moment. Watch out for unheralded but essential allrounder Ed Barnard with bat and ball.

Lancashire are stacked with firepower. Liam Livingstone and Finn Allen are both explosive batsmen, capable of taking the game away from the opposition in the blink of an eye, and each have rapid half-centuries to their names already this season. Livingstone's 119 runs across two knocks have come at a 170 strike rate, with Allen's 102 coming at a slice under 160.

What’s the team news? 

Coming soon.

Saqib Mahmood misses out with an abdominal strain, and Richard Gleeson is ruled out by back pain for Lancashire.

Lancashire Lightning squad: Dane Vilas, Finn Allen, Tom Bailey, Jack Blatherwick, Josh Bohannon, Jos Buttler, Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Tom Hartley, Keaton Jennings, Danny Lamb, Liam Livingstone, Matt Parkinson, Luke Wood

Last five T20 results (most recent first)

Worcestershire Rapids: WTLLW

Lancashire Lightning: WWLWL

Head-to-head T20 record  

Total matches: 13

Worcestershire Rapids wins: 3

Lancashire Lightning wins: 10

Tied: 0

Abandoned: 6

What’s the weather forecast? 

Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Worcester: Click here

Going to the game?

Tickets

No tickets are on public sale for this fixture, with the club conducting a ballot of members.

Travel

Address: Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester, WR2 4QQ

By car 

From the north: From the M5 junction 7 follow the cricket stumps on the roadsigns to the ground.

From the south: From M5 junction 7 follow the cricket stumps on the road signs to the ground.

From the east: From the A422, Alcester, continue on this road to the roundabout junction with the A4440 (Swinesherd Way), take second exit at roundabout on to A44, continue to follow the A44 and it will lead you to New Road, the ground will be on your left.

From the west: From the A44, Evesham, stay on the A44 (east) and it will lead you to New Road, the ground will be on your left.

By bus

Once you are in Worcester city centre’s bus station that is beneath the Crown Gate Shopping Centre, walk out of the station, turn left, continue to walk straight ahead to a pedestrian crossing, walk across this and another pedestrian crossing, continue across the bridge over the Severn River and you will arrive at the ground on your left.

By train

Worcester Foregate Street is the closest train station to the ground and is approximately half a mile from the ground. To get to the ground from Foregate Street station turn left out of the main entrance, head towards the cross where you turn right onto Broad Street. Continue straight, across two pedestrian crossings to get to the other side of New Road, walk over the bridge and you will shortly arrive at the ground on your left.

How do I follow the match 

Worcestershire will offer live coverage of the match via their YouTube channel: Click here.

All T20 Blast matches are also available via the ECB's central hub: Click here. The matches can also be viewed on mobile via the ECB app.

Sky Sports will show this game live on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404 on Sky).

Radio: All Vitality Blast fixtures will be available on BBC Local Radio stations with extensive coverage also on 5 Live Sports Extra.

Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and updates from every Vitality Blast match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.

Prediction?

Much is promised from this fixture, and Worcestershire should run their visitors close, but Lancashire are one of the standout sides in this competition. Away win.