The second quarter-final match of the T20 Blast 2023 scheduled to be played at Old Trafford in Manchester will witness a thrilling game of cricket between Lancashire and Surrey. Both the teams qualified for the playoffs after delivering similar performances in the league round of the T20 Championship.
Lancashire formed a part of the North Group and collected 17 points during the group stage with the help of eight victories and five losses. Bowlers have been the frontrunners for the side in the tournament so far as they gave a tough fight to the opposition batters.
With the bat, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler will be the crucial players while Lancashire will also be hoping for the power-hitter Liam Livingstone to end his lean patch. Meanwhile, Luke Wood and Tom Bailey are likely to handle the bowling department.
Coming to Surrey, they concluded the league round in third place in the South Group. The team played a total of 14 games and collected 16 points from eight wins and four losses. Surrey struggled toward the end of the competition but managed to make it to the playoffs.
For Surrey, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, and Sunil Narine will be players to watch out for on Friday. The three have the talent to cause a turnaround and break their team’s losing streak.
What has happened so far?
Surrey earned a place in the quarter-final round of the T20 Blast 2023 by winning eight of 14 league games. The team made a dashing entry to the group round but lost track towards the end and ended up losing the last three matches.
They were defeated by Middlesex, Somerset, and Essex in their last three games by seven wickets, 18 runs, and three wickets respectively. All three matches saw the bowlers struggling as they conceded over 195 runs in the allotted 20 overs.
Speaking of Lancashire, they ended up in second place in the North Group standings. The team managed to earn 17 points from eight wins, five losses, and one abandoned game.
Unlike Surrey, Lancashire defeated Northamptonshire in their most recent T20 Blast match by six wickets. For the team, the bowlers have been the real match-winners. In their last game as well, the bowlers restricted Northamptonshire to a score of 138 runs in 20 overs.
Head to Head Record
Surrey has won only one game against Lancashire so far
Surrey and Lancashire have featured in only two games against each other so and both the teams have recorded a win each. This will be only their third fixture against each other and it will be exciting to see which team will take the lead in the head-to-head records.
Key Players
Philip Salt (Lancashire): The opening batter Philip Salt delivered an outstanding performance in the last league match as Lancashire defeated Northamptonshire by six wickets. The 26-year-old ended up as the top run-scorer for his side with a knock of 74 runs off 51 balls.
Salt is likely to continue his batting exploits and take his team to their second consecutive victory in the T20 Blast 2023.
Sunil Narine (Surrey): Though Surrey lost their last league game against Essex by three wickets, the West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine was successful in making an impact. The veteran player made headlines by smacking 78 runs off just 37 balls with the help of seven boundaries and six maximums.
Narine also boasts of having a lot of international and franchise cricket experience under his belt. Therefore, for Surrey to return to the winning ways on Friday, it will be important for the all-rounder to shine.
Predicted XIs
Lancashire: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Croft, Liam Livingstone ©, Daryl Mitchell, Dane Vilas, Luke Wells, Rob Jones, Tom Hartley, Luke Wood, Tom Bailey
Surrey: Will Jacks, Laurie Evans, Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Sunil Narine, Jamie Overton, Tom Curran, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Jordan ©, Sean Abbott, Gus Atkinson
Prediction
Both Lancashire and Surrey experienced a similar ride during the league round of the 2023 edition of the T20 Blast as they won eight league games after playing a total of 14 matches.
However, the chances of Lancashire outshining Surrey on Friday at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester are high as they conclude the group stage with a win against Northamptonshire by six wickets.
Surrey, on the other hand, struggled in the second half of the T20 Championship as they lost their last three games. Thus, the players might not be in their best shape or mindset on Friday.