Leics vs Lancashire – T20 Blast 2026 Match Report | Statz
Lancashire won by 5 wickets (with 7 balls remaining) against Leicestershire in match 56 of the T20 Blast 2026 at Grace Road, Leicester. Liam Livingstone delivered an astonishing all-round display – 74 off 43 balls with the bat and 2/34 with the ball – to single-handedly drag Lancashire to victory. Both sides sit on 12 points in a congested mid-table, with Lancashire moving to 11th (W3 L4) and Leicestershire slipping to 13th (W3 L4).
Leicestershire Innings: 156/7 (20 overs)
Lancashire won the toss and elected to bowl first at Grace Road. Rehan Ahmed (12 off 10, 1 four, 1 six) fell caught at 17/1 (2.6 overs), bringing Nick Kelly to the crease. Kelly and Rishi Patel rebuilt steadily, with Patel striking 38 off 28 balls (4 fours, 1 six) in an aggressive display at the top. Patel was caught at 70/2 (7.6 overs), and Ben Cox lasted just one ball, caught for 0 at 74/3 (8.5 overs).
Ashton Turner arrived and provided the crucial middle-overs impetus. The Australian made 32 off 23 balls (4 fours, SR 139) in a key partnership with Kelly that pushed the score from 74/3 to 118/4. Turner was bowled at 118/4 (14.3 overs), and the innings lost steam from there – Joey Evison (1 off 2) fell at 125/5 (15.3 overs), and Ben Green (7 off 11) was caught at 143/6 (18.4 overs).
Nick Kelly anchored the innings throughout, finishing unbeaten on 49 off 44 balls (4 fours, 1 six). Liam Trevaskis (2 off 2) was run out off the final ball at 156/7, leaving the hosts with a below-par total.
Liam Livingstone led the Lancashire bowling effort with 2/34 from four overs, while Shadab Khan was excellent with 1/23 from four overs (economy 5.75). Jack Blatherwick returned impressive figures of 1/9 from two overs (economy 4.50), and Tom Hartley took 1/23 from three.
Lancashire Chase: 160/5 (18.5 overs)
Jos Buttler came out swinging with 10 off 6 balls (2 fours) but fell LBW at 17/1 (1.6 overs), bringing Liam Livingstone to the crease. The England all-rounder combined with Philip Salt in a crucial partnership that swung the match. Salt contributed 34 off 31 (4 fours) in a patient anchor role as Livingstone began to cut loose.
Salt was LBW at 106/2 (10.6 overs), and Ben McDermott followed for 0 (LBW) at 107/3 (11.2 overs) – two wickets in four balls that briefly gave Leicestershire hope. But Livingstone was immovable. He smashed 7 sixes and 2 fours in a devastating 74 off 43 balls at a strike rate of 172, dominating the bowling attack from start to finish.
Livingstone eventually fell LBW at 139/4 (15.5 overs), and Shadab Khan (1 off 3) was bowled at 140/5 (16.2 overs). But the hard work was done. Keaton Jennings (12* off 18) and Joseph Moores (16* off 11, 1 four, 1 six) guided Lancashire home with 7 balls to spare.
Ashton Turner was the pick of the Leicestershire bowlers with 1/14 from three overs (economy 4.67). Liam Trevaskis returned 1/29 from four overs, while Rehan Ahmed took 1/38 from four. Ben Green struggled with 1/30 from 2.5 overs (economy 10.59, 7 wides).
Statz MVP: Liam Livingstone – 139.30
Liam Livingstone earns the Statz MVP award with a match impact rating of 139.30 out of 100. His combined contribution of 74 off 43 with the bat and 2/34 with the ball made him the dominant force in every phase of the match. The Statz rating calculates impact based on match context, and Livingstone’s ability to take wickets during the powerplay and then chase down the target almost single-handedly makes this one of the all-round performances of the tournament. His season average Statz rating of 146.13 across five matches is remarkable. No official Man of the Match was named.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Liam Livingstone – 139.30 – Dominant all-round display: 74 off 43 (2 fours, 7 sixes, SR 172) and 2/34 with the ball.
- Ashton Turner – 97.03 – Key dual contribution of 32 off 23 (4 fours) batting and 1/14 from three overs bowling.
- Rishi Patel – 51.48 – Aggressive 38 off 28 (4 fours, 1 six) at the top of the Leicestershire innings.
- Rehan Ahmed – 49.45 – Useful all-round effort with 12 off 10 batting and 1/38 bowling.
- Nick Kelly – 47.20 – Patient anchor innings of 49* off 44 (4 fours, 1 six) holding the Leicestershire innings together.
Turning Point
The dismissal of Ashton Turner, bowled at 118/4 (14.3 overs), was the moment the Leicestershire innings lost its way. Turner had been the key accelerator alongside Kelly, scoring 32 off 23 to build a platform. Once he fell, the hosts managed just 38 runs from the final 34 balls while losing three more wickets. That failure to capitalise on the platform left Leicestershire 20-30 runs short of where they needed to be.
Match Context
This was match 56 of 115 in the T20 Blast 2026. Lancashire sit 11th (W3 L4, 12 points, NRR -0.818) and desperately needed this win to stay in touch with the qualification places. Leicestershire drop to 13th (W3 L4, 12 points, NRR -0.994) in an incredibly tight mid-table where five teams are locked on 12 points. Lancashire had lost the reverse fixture earlier in the tournament and will be pleased to level the series.
