Lancashire vs Leicestershire Preview – T20 Blast 2026

28th May 2026

Lancashire welcome Leicestershire to Old Trafford in the T20 Blast 2026 on Thursday 29 May. First ball is at 23:00 IST (18:30 BST). Lancashire sit 11th with one win and one loss from their opening two matches, while Leicestershire prop up the table in 18th – winless after three games. A big opportunity for the hosts to build momentum at home. View this fixture on Statz.

The Venue – Old Trafford, Manchester

Old Trafford has hosted 26 T20s since May 2022. The average first innings score is 172.5 with a match total average of 332.5. Teams batting first have won 52% of decided games – a venue that gives a slight edge to the side setting a total. Pace bowlers take 58.3% of wickets at an economy of 9.08, while spinners go at a tidier 8.25 and account for 34.7% of dismissals. The pitch is tagged as balanced. The highest total recorded is 236 and the lowest is 75.

The most recent T20 at Old Trafford (25 May 2026) saw Lancashire post 208/4 before bowling out Nottinghamshire for 169/9 – a dominant 39-run win for the hosts that showed this ground can produce big first-innings totals.

Form and Table

Lancashire – 11th, P2 W1 L1 (4 pts)

Lancashire have had a split start – thumped 213/6 by Surrey away on 22 May (bowled out for 154), before bouncing back emphatically with 208/4 at home against Nottinghamshire on 25 May, winning by 39 runs. The batting looks dangerous when it fires at Old Trafford.

Last 5 results: W vs Nottinghamshire (208/4 vs 169/9), L vs Surrey (154 all out vs 213/6), L vs Somerset (159 all out vs 182/7), W vs Kent (156/7 chasing 153 all out), L vs Nottinghamshire (126 all out vs 127/6).

Leicestershire – 18th, P3 W0 L3 (0 pts)

Leicestershire are rock bottom and searching for answers after three straight losses to open the campaign. They were demolished by Derbyshire at home (145 all out vs 230/5), fell to Durham away (148/8 vs 150/4 in just 14 overs), and lost to Worcestershire at home (170/4 vs 188/9). The batting has shown flashes but the bowling has been leaking runs badly.

Last 5 results: L vs Derbyshire (145 all out vs 230/5), L vs Durham (148/8 vs 150/4), L vs Worcestershire (170/4 vs 188/9), L vs Yorkshire (185 all out vs 188/8), NR vs Durham.

Head-to-Head

These two have met 4 times since 2022 (Statz data). Lancashire lead 3-1 overall, but Leicestershire won the most recent meeting – a 5-wicket victory at Old Trafford on 4 June 2025, chasing down 145/7 with 149/5 in 18.3 overs. Before that, Lancashire had won three in a row including an 8-wicket thrashing at Old Trafford in May 2023.

Statz Projections

In the batting-first scenario (Lancashire bat first), Statz projects Lancashire at 56.0% win probability against Leicestershire’s 42.0% (2% tie/no result). The projected first innings total is 186.7 – well above the venue average of 172.5, suggesting Statz expects runs to flow. The projected match total is 357.1, with a P10-P90 range of 308 to 403 for total runs. First innings P10-P90 spans 159 to 214.

Lancashire are clear favourites on the model. That projected first innings of 186.7 is notably higher than the venue norm, reflecting the hosts’ batting firepower against a Leicestershire attack that has been shipping runs.

T20 Blast 2026 Season Leaders

Orange Cap – Top Run Scorers

  1. Martin Andersson – 156 runs (3 inn)
  2. James Rew – 140 runs (2 inn)
  3. Matthew Montgomery – 137 runs (3 inn)
  4. Sam Billings – 112 runs (2 inn)
  5. Zak Crawley – 111 runs (2 inn)

Purple Cap – Top Wicket Takers

  1. Jack Morley – 8 wickets (3 inn)
  2. Duan Jansen – 7 wickets (2 inn)
  3. Fazalhaq Farooqi – 6 wickets (2 inn)
  4. Martin Andersson – 6 wickets (3 inn)
  5. Scott Currie – 6 wickets (2 inn)

Lancashire Season Leaders

Runs: Ben McDermott 75 runs (avg 37.50, HS 63) | Matthew Hurst 57 runs (avg 28.50, HS 57) | Keaton Jennings 51 runs (avg 25.50, HS 51)

Wickets: Tom Hartley 4 wkts (best 4/?) | Chris Green 2 wkts | George Balderson 2 wkts

Leicestershire Season Leaders

Runs: Ashton Turner 102 runs (avg 34.00, HS 52) | Ben Cox 93 runs (avg 31.00, HS 51) | Nick Kelly 90 runs (avg 30.00, HS 61)

Wickets: Ben Mike 3 wkts | Josh Davey 3 wkts | Ben Green 3 wkts

Predicted XIs

Lancashire (based on XI vs Nottinghamshire, 25 May 2026)

Keaton Jennings (c), Michael Jones, Matthew Hurst (wk), Ben McDermott, Joseph Moores, Chris Green, Harry Singh, George Balderson, Jack Blatherwick, Tom Hartley, Saqib Mahmood

Leicestershire (based on XI vs Derbyshire, 27 May 2026)

Rishi Patel, Stevie Eskinazi, Nick Kelly, Ashton Turner, Ben Cox (wk), Ben Green (c), Liam Trevaskis, Ben Mike, Ian Holland, Josh Hull, Alex Green

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: George Balderson – projected 109.3 Dream11 points, comfortably the highest in the match. The Lancashire all-rounder is projected for 18.4 runs and 1.83 wickets – a genuine three-dimensional contributor who should thrive in home conditions.

Vice Captain: Harry Singh – projected 84.8 Dream11 points. Singh is projected for 18.1 runs and 0.50 wickets, offering steady accumulation and useful off-spin contributions.

Other top picks:

Key Players

Ben McDermott (Lancashire)

The Australian has been Lancashire’s most prolific run scorer this season with 75 runs at 37.50, including a match-winning 63 against Nottinghamshire. McDermott’s ability to anchor an innings while scoring at a brisk rate makes him the bedrock of the Lancashire middle order. Against a Leicestershire attack that has been leaking runs, he could be in for a big evening.

Tom Hartley (Lancashire)

England’s left-arm spinner leads Lancashire’s wicket charts with 4 wickets this season, all coming in a devastating 4-wicket haul against Nottinghamshire. With spinners going at just 8.25 at Old Trafford and taking 34.7% of wickets, Hartley’s role is crucial. He is the key to containing Leicestershire’s middle order.

Ashton Turner (Leicestershire)

The Australian skipper-in-waiting is Leicestershire’s leading run scorer with 102 runs at 34.00, including a highest of 52. Turner has been the most consistent performer in a struggling Leicestershire lineup with scores of 22, 28 and 52 in his three innings. If Leicestershire are to pull off an upset, Turner needs a big score.

George Balderson (Lancashire)

Projected for a massive 109.3 Dream11 points – by far the highest in this fixture. Balderson is expected to contribute 18.4 runs and 1.83 wickets with his right-arm pace. He took 2 wickets in his only appearance so far this season and brings genuine all-round threat. A match-winner in waiting.

Conditions

Old Trafford should get perfect cricket weather on Thursday evening. Clear skies are forecast with just 1% cloud cover and zero precipitation. Temperature sits at 20 degrees with 57% humidity and a light westerly breeze at 3.6 m/s. No weather concerns here – expect a full, uninterrupted match.

Verdict and Betting Angles

Lancashire should be too strong at home. They hammered 208/4 at Old Trafford last time out and have the bowling depth – led by Hartley and Mahmood – to exploit a Leicestershire side that has been bowled out cheaply. The Statz model gives Lancashire a 56% win probability and with Leicestershire winless in three, the hosts should extend that losing run.

Odds are not yet available on bet365 for this fixture. Across other bookmakers, Lancashire are around 1.65-1.73 and Leicestershire 2.10-2.24. The Ladbrokes price of 1.73 for Lancashire offers reasonable value given the model’s 56% projection (implied 57.8%).

Pick: Lancashire to win

Bet Builder Angles

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