Durham vs Lancashire Preview – T20 Blast 2026 | Statz

7th June 2026

Two sides in desperate need of a result meet at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Monday when Durham host Lancashire in the T20 Blast 2026. Durham sit 13th on 8 points while Lancashire are down in 17th with just 4 points from five matches. First ball at 23:00 IST (18:30 BST).

Full match data, projections, and live odds available on the Statz fixture page.

The Venue – Riverside Ground

Across the last 28 T20s at the Riverside (since 2022, Statz data), the average first innings score is 168.3 with an average match total of 321.1. Teams batting first have won 56% of decided games here – a slight advantage for whoever wins the toss and elects to bat.

Pace bowlers take 59.4% of wickets at an economy of 8.54, while spinners go at 7.76 and account for 34.2% of wickets. The pitch is tagged as balanced – expect both disciplines to have their say.

The most recent game at this ground saw Northamptonshire post 145/9 and defend it against Durham (138/8) on 6 June 2026 – a low-scoring affair that bucked the venue trend.

Form and Table

Durham – 13th (P5 W2 L3, 8pts)

Durham have lost their last three on the spin and look a side searching for answers. The rot started with a heavy 58-run defeat to Yorkshire at home (93 all out chasing 151/9) and continued with a loss at Trent Bridge to Nottinghamshire (156/8 vs 157/4). Most recently, they fell 7 runs short against Northamptonshire at home (138/8 vs 145/9). Their two wins came in the opening fortnight – beating Derbyshire away (203/8 vs 197/8) and Leicestershire at home (150/4 chasing 148/8).

Last 5: L vs NOR (138/8 vs 145/9), L vs NOT (156/8 vs 157/4), L vs YOR (93/10 vs 151/9), W vs LEI (150/4 vs 148/8), W vs DER (203/8 vs 197/8)

Lancashire – 17th (P5 W1 L4, 4pts)

Lancashire are in even deeper trouble. Four defeats from five and a net run rate of -1.296 tells its own story. They were demolished by Yorkshire away (107 all out vs 213/7), lost a heartbreaker at home to Glamorgan (201/8 vs 202/8), and were edged by Leicestershire (145/9 vs 146/8). The sole win came against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford (208/4 vs 169/9) in round two.

Last 5: L vs GLA (201/8 vs 202/8), L vs YOR (107/10 vs 213/7), L vs LEI (145/9 vs 146/8), W vs NOT (208/4 vs 169/9), L vs SUR (154/10 vs 213/6)

Top 4 (T20 Blast 2026)

Pos Team P W L Pts
1 Northamptonshire 5 5 0 20
2 Worcestershire 6 5 1 20
3 Hampshire 6 5 1 20
4 Yorkshire 6 4 2 16

Both sides have 9 group matches remaining. Plenty of time to recover, but defeats here will only deepen the hole.

Head-to-Head

8 meetings since 2022 (Statz data): Durham 3 wins, Lancashire 4 wins, 1 no result.

Lancashire have won the last two encounters. The most recent came on 13 July 2025 at Old Trafford, where Lancashire chased down Durham’s 155/6 with 8 balls to spare (156/7 in 18.4 overs) – a 3-wicket win.

At the Riverside specifically, it’s a different story. Durham have won 3 of 4 completed matches against Lancashire at this ground since 2022, including a thriller in June 2024 when they posted 218/3 and defended it by just 2 runs (216/8).

Lancashire’s overall record at the Riverside is poor – just 1 win from 4 visits.

Statz Projections

Full projections available on the Statz projections page.

In the batting-first scenario, Durham are projected at 54% to win with Lancashire at 44% (2% tie/no result). The projected first innings total is 170.2 and the projected match total is 327.4 – fractionally below the venue’s 30-match average of 332.

Durham’s projected run rate of 8.51 in the first innings edges Lancashire’s 7.86 in the chase – a gap that reflects Durham’s home advantage and Lancashire’s struggles on the road this season.

T20 Blast 2026 Season Leaders

Orange Cap – Top Run Scorers

Pos Player Team Runs Inns
1 Jonny Bairstow Yorkshire 250 6
2 Martin Andersson Derbyshire 237 5
3 Kiran Carlson Glamorgan 221 6
4 Chris Lynn Northamptonshire 208 5
5 Matthew Montgomery Derbyshire 199 5

Purple Cap – Top Wicket Takers

Pos Player Team Wkts Inns
1 Duan Jansen Worcestershire 16 6
2 James Sales Northamptonshire 13 5
3 Scott Currie Hampshire 12 6
4 Hasan Ali Yorkshire 11 5
5 Tymal Mills Sussex 10 6

Durham – Season Leaders

Runs: Alex Lees 118 runs (avg 23.6, HS 54) | Ollie Robinson 104 (avg 20.8, HS 48) | Colin Ackermann 97 (avg 19.4, HS 36)

Wickets: Callum Parkinson 10 wkts (best 3/, 5 matches) | Matty Potts 9 wkts (best 3/) | Kasey Aldridge 8 wkts (best 3/)

Lancashire – Season Leaders

Runs: Liam Livingstone 140 runs (avg 46.67, HS 81) | Ben McDermott 100 (avg 20.0, HS 63) | Keaton Jennings 90 (avg 18.0, HS 51)

Wickets: Tom Hartley 8 wkts (best 4/, 5 matches) | Liam Livingstone 5 wkts (best 3/) | Saqib Mahmood 5 wkts (best 3/)

Predicted XIs

Based on most recent team selections. Always check the Statz fixture page after the toss for confirmed lineups.

Durham (predicted): Graham Clark, Alex Lees (c), Ben McKinney, Ollie Robinson (wk), Colin Ackermann, Will Rhodes, Kasey Aldridge, Ben Raine, Nathan Sowter, Callum Parkinson, James Minto

Lancashire (predicted): Keaton Jennings (c), Marcus Harris, Ben McDermott, Matthew Hurst (wk), Liam Livingstone, Joe Moores, Harry Singh, George Balderson, Tom Hartley, Thomas Aspinwall, Luke Wood

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: George Balderson (113.1 projected Dream11 points) – The Lancashire all-rounder is projected 16.7 runs and 1.93 wickets in this fixture. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball at No. 8 makes him the standout fantasy pick.

Vice Captain: Ben Raine (96.1 projected Dream11 points) – Durham’s in-form seamer is projected 1.69 wickets and useful lower-order runs (11.2 projected). At a venue where pace takes 59.4% of wickets, Raine is perfectly placed.

Also consider: Kasey Aldridge (79.1 pts), Luke Wood (74.7 pts), Callum Parkinson (63.9 pts)

Key Players

Ben Raine (Durham)

Durham’s leading wicket-taker last season (38 wickets at the Riverside since 2021) and projected 1.69 wickets here. Raine bowls at the death and has genuine pace on a surface where seamers dominate. His projected economy of 7.68 is among the best in the Durham attack. With 7 wickets in 3 Blast appearances already this season, he’s in excellent rhythm.

Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)

Lancashire’s season top scorer with 140 runs at an average of 46.67 and a high score of 81. Livingstone is the only Lancashire batter averaging above 30 this campaign. He also chips in with the ball – 5 wickets at a best of 3/ from 5 matches. At a ground where spin goes at 7.76, his part-time leggies could be valuable.

George Balderson (Lancashire)

The highest-projected Dream11 scorer in the match at 113.1 points. Balderson is projected 1.93 wickets and 16.7 runs, making him a genuine all-round threat. His projected economy of 8.37 is respectable, and batting at No. 8 he can strike cleanly in the death overs with a projected SR of 140.4.

Callum Parkinson (Durham)

Durham’s leading wicket-taker this season with 10 wickets in 5 matches at a best of 3/. Parkinson is projected 1.18 wickets with an economy of 7.93 – the best among Durham’s frontline options. Spin takes 34.2% of wickets at the Riverside with an economy of 7.76, giving Parkinson a solid platform to operate.

Conditions

Forecast shows 12°C at match time with 77% cloud cover, 66% humidity, and light winds (5.4 m/s). There is a slight chance of light rain showers – keep an eye on the forecast closer to match day, though significant disruption looks unlikely.

Verdict and Betting Angles

Durham to win. The projections back them at 54%, and there’s a clear home advantage at play. Durham have won 3 of 4 completed games against Lancashire at the Riverside since 2022, and Lancashire have been the second-worst side in the competition so far with just 1 win from 5. Durham’s three-match losing run is a concern, but they’ve been more competitive than Lancashire’s results suggest – two of those three defeats came by narrow margins.

Lancashire’s away form is abysmal. They were bowled out for 107 at Yorkshire and 154 at Surrey. Their bowling has leaked runs at 188.6 per match on average this season. Durham’s home bowling attack – led by Parkinson (10 wkts) and supported by Aldridge and Raine – should have the edge.

Betting Angles

Build your own bets on the Statz Bet Builder.