Leicestershire vs Lancashire Preview – T20 Blast 2026 | Statz

Leicestershire welcome Lancashire to Grace Road in the T20 Blast 2026 on Friday 26 June. Leicestershire are 11th in the table with 12 points from six matches (W3 L3), while Lancashire sit 16th on 8 points (W2 L4). Both sides need wins to stay in contention for the knockouts. First ball is at 11:00 PM IST (6:30 PM BST). Full stats on the Statz fixture page.

The Venue

Grace Road has produced an average first-innings score of 168.8 across the last 30 T20s, with an average match total of 324.9. Teams chasing have the edge here – the bat-first win rate is just 43%. Spin bowlers thrive at this ground with an economy of 7.70 compared to 9.07 for the seamers, though pace still accounts for 60.7% of wickets versus 34.6% for spin. The most recent T20 here saw Leicestershire defend 147/8 to beat Yorkshire by 12 runs on 7 June 2026. The pitch is tagged as balanced.

Form and Table

Leicestershire (11th – P6 W3 L3, 12pts) are on a three-match winning streak. They chased 146 with one ball to spare against Lancashire, beat Sussex by getting home with 15 balls to spare, and defended 147 against Yorkshire. Before that, back-to-back defeats against Derbyshire (bowled out for 145 chasing 230) and Durham.

Last 5: vs YOR 147/8 beat 135/10 (W), vs SUS 180/6 chased 179/10 (W), vs LAN 146/8 chased 145/9 (W), vs DER 145/10 lost to 230/5 (L), vs DUR 148/8 lost to 150/4 (L).

Lancashire (16th – P6 W2 L4, 8pts) have a mixed recent record. Their most recent outing was a comfortable DLS win over Durham (130/3 in 9.1 overs chasing 128/2 in 10 overs), but before that they lost three in a row – including the reverse of this fixture at Old Trafford where Leicestershire chased down 146.

Last 5: vs DUR 130/3 beat 128/2 in DLS (W), vs GLA 201/8 lost to 202/8 (L), vs YOR 107/10 lost to 213/7 (L), vs LEI 145/9 lost to 146/8 (L), vs NOT 208/4 beat 169/9 (W).

Top 4: 1. Northamptonshire 24pts, 2. Gloucestershire 20pts, 3. Hampshire 20pts, 4. Yorkshire 16pts.

Head-to-Head

5 meetings since 2022 (Statz data). Lancashire lead 3-2 overall, but Leicestershire have won the last two encounters – including the reverse fixture at Old Trafford on 29 May 2026, when they chased 146 with one ball to spare. Lancashire have won both their previous visits to Grace Road in 2022 and 2024.

Statz Projections

Interestingly, Statz projections favour Lancashire in both batting-first scenarios. If Leicestershire bat first, Lancashire are given a 56% win probability. If Lancashire bat first, it tightens to 51.7% vs 46.3%. The projected first-innings total sits between 174.3 and 177.7 depending on the scenario, above the ground average of 168.8. Projected match totals of 336.7-340 suggest a high-scoring affair (P10: 274-283, P90: 390-391).

Competition Season Leaders

Orange Cap (Top 5 Run Scorers):

1. Beau Webster – 288 runs (6 inns)
2. George Munsey – 251 runs (6 inns)
3. Jonny Bairstow – 250 runs (6 inns)
4. Chris Lynn – 245 runs (6 inns)
5. Martin Andersson – 237 runs (6 inns)

Purple Cap (Top 5 Wicket Takers):

1. Duan Jansen – 16 wkts (6 inns)
2. James Sales – 16 wkts (6 inns)
3. Adam Finch – 12 wkts (6 inns)
4. Scott Currie – 12 wkts (6 inns)
5. Mohammad Ali – 12 wkts (6 inns)

Leicestershire Season Leaders: Nick Kelly leads the runs with 193 at 32.17 (HS 61). Liam Trevaskis tops the wickets with 8 (best 2).

Lancashire Season Leaders: Liam Livingstone is the standout with 225 runs at an impressive average of 56.25 (HS 85). Tom Hartley leads the bowling with 8 wickets (best 4).

Predicted XIs

Leicestershire (based on 07 Jun 2026 vs Yorkshire): Rishi Patel, Rehan Ahmed, Nick Kelly, Jonathan Tattersall, Ashton Turner, Ben Cox (wk), Ben Green (c), Liam Trevaskis, Alex Green, Ian Holland, Josh Davey.

Lancashire (based on 09 Jun 2026 vs Durham): Keaton Jennings (c), Liam Livingstone, Michael Jones, Ben McDermott, Joe Moores (wk), Harry Singh, George Balderson, Tom Hartley, Luke Wood, Thomas Aspinwall, Marcus Harris.

Check the fixture page for toss and any late changes.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: George Balderson – projected 97.6 Dream11 points. The Lancashire allrounder offers the best combination of runs and wickets in the match, projected for 16.7 runs and 1.53 wickets.

Vice Captain: Ben Green – projected 81.7 Dream11 points. Leicestershire’s captain is projected for 11.6 runs and 1.41 wickets with his medium pace.

Also consider: Liam Livingstone (75.8 pts), Luke Wood (73.6 pts), Josh Davey (73 pts).

Key Players

Liam Livingstone (LAN) – The star man. Livingstone has 225 runs this season at an average of 56.25 with a 75% hit rate for 30+ runs. He also has a 100% hit rate for 1+ wicket in his last five matches. He is the complete T20 package and the biggest threat in this match.

Nick Kelly (LEI) – Leicestershire’s leading run-scorer with 193 runs at 32.17. Kelly has an 83.3% season hit rate for 20+ runs and 50% for 30+ runs. Consistent contributions at the top of the order make him a key player for the hosts.

Ian Holland (LEI) – The allrounder has a remarkable 100% hit rate for 1+ wicket this season and 75% for 2+ wickets. He may not grab the headlines, but his consistency with the ball makes him a genuine bet builder weapon.

George Balderson (LAN) – The top projected Dream11 scorer in the match at 97.6 points. Balderson’s allround ability gives Lancashire balance, with 1.53 projected wickets and useful runs from the lower middle order.

Conditions

Clear skies and a scorching 32°C expected at the start – the hottest match of the evening. Humidity is just 32% with no rain forecast. Expect good batting conditions.

Verdict and Betting Angles

Lancashire are the slight favourites with the bookmakers at 313/500 (bet365), and the Statz projections agree, giving them a 51.7-56% edge depending on the scenario. Liam Livingstone is the difference-maker – his form has been outstanding, and the allround contribution of Balderson adds depth. Despite Leicestershire’s three-match winning streak, Lancashire’s quality should tell here.

Bet builder angles via Statz Cricket Bet Builder:

• Liam Livingstone 30+ runs – 75% season hit rate. He has been the most consistent run-scorer in this match, averaging 56.25 this campaign.
• Ian Holland 1+ wicket – 100% season hit rate. Holland has taken at least one wicket in every match this season.
• Nick Kelly 20+ runs – 83.3% season hit rate (80% in last 5). Leicestershire’s most reliable batter rarely fails to contribute.
• Liam Trevaskis 2+ wickets – 66.7% season hit rate (80% in last 5). The spinner thrives at Grace Road where spin economy is just 7.70.