Leicestershire vs Lancashire Preview – T20 Blast 2026 | Statz

Leicestershire welcome Lancashire to Grace Road in Leicester on Friday for a crucial T20 Blast 2026 clash. Leicestershire sit 11th on 12 points while Lancashire are 16th on 8 points – both sides need results to keep their quarter-final hopes alive. First ball is at 23:00 IST (18:30 BST) on 26 June. Full match data and projections are available on the Statz match page.

The Venue

Grace Road has hosted 30 T20s since May 2022 with an average first-innings score of 168.8 and an average match total of 324.9. Teams batting first have won 43% of decided matches – fairly even. Pace bowlers take 60.7% of wickets at an economy of 9.07, while spin is more effective with a lower economy of 7.70 and accounting for 34.6% of wickets. The pitch is tagged as balanced. The venue has produced totals as high as 230 and as low as 112.

Form and Table

Leicestershire are 11th in the table with 12 points (P6 W3 L3). They head into this match on a three-match winning streak including victories over Yorkshire, Sussex and Lancashire.

• vs YOR – 147/8 vs 135/10 – Won (07 Jun, home)
• vs SUS – 180/6 vs 179/10 – Won (05 Jun, away)
• vs LAN – 146/8 vs 145/9 – Won (29 May, away)
• vs DER – 145/10 vs 230/5 – Lost (27 May, home)
• vs DUR – 148/8 vs 150/4 – Lost (24 May, away)

Lancashire are 16th with 8 points (P6 W2 L4) and have lost three of their last five matches. Their only recent wins came against Durham and Nottinghamshire.

• vs DUR – 130/3 vs 128/2 – Won (09 Jun, away)
• vs GLA – 201/8 vs 202/8 – Lost (07 Jun, home)
• vs YOR – 107/10 vs 213/7 – Lost (05 Jun, away)
• vs LEI – 145/9 vs 146/8 – Lost (29 May, home)
• vs NOT – 208/4 vs 169/9 – Won (25 May, home)

The top four: 1st (24 pts, P6 W6), 2nd (20 pts, P6 W5), 3rd (20 pts, P6 W5), 4th (16 pts, P6 W4). Leicestershire are four points off the top eight, while Lancashire need a significant turnaround with eight group matches remaining.

Head-to-Head

These teams have met 5 times since 2022 (Statz data), with Lancashire leading 3-2. However, Leicestershire have won both of their most recent encounters – at Old Trafford on 29 May 2026 (by 2 wickets) and at Old Trafford in June 2025 (by 5 wickets). Lancashire won their last visit to Grace Road in June 2024 by 25 runs.

Statz Projections

The Statz projections favour Lancashire in both scenarios. If Leicestershire bat first, they are projected to post 174.4 with a match total of 336.6 – Lancashire are favoured at 56.2% to Leicestershire’s 41.8%. If Lancashire bat first, their projected first-innings total is 177.4 with a match total of 339.8 – Lancashire still favoured at 51.2% to 46.8%.

The P10-P90 match total range is 273-391, well above the venue average of 324.9. This could be a high-scoring affair. Both sides’ projected first-innings totals sit above the venue’s 168.8 average.

Competition Season Leaders

Orange Cap – Top 5 Run Scorers (T20 Blast 2026):

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

Purple Cap – Top 5 Wicket Takers (T20 Blast 2026):

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

Leicestershire season leaders: Nick Kelly leads the runs with 193 at an average of 32.17 (HS 61). Liam Trevaskis and Ben Green share the bowling lead with 8 wickets each in 6 matches.

Lancashire season leaders: Liam Livingstone dominates with 225 runs at 56.25 (HS 85) from just 4 innings. Tom Hartley leads the bowling with 8 wickets in 6 matches.

Predicted XIs

Based on lineups from Leicestershire’s match vs Yorkshire on 07 Jun and Lancashire’s match vs Durham on 09 Jun. Check the fixture page for confirmed XIs after the toss.

Leicestershire Predicted XI: 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 Predicted XI: Keaton Jennings (c), Liam Livingstone, Michael Jones, Ben McDermott, Joe Moores (wk), Harry Singh, George Balderson, Tom Hartley, Luke Wood, Thomas Aspinwall, Marcus Harris

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: George Balderson (LAN) – projected 97.6 Dream11 points. The pace-bowling allrounder is projected for 1.53 wickets alongside useful lower-order runs of 16.7.

Vice Captain: Ben Green (LEI) – projected 81.7 Dream11 points. The Leicestershire captain is projected for 1.41 wickets and 11.6 runs, offering genuine allrounder value.

Other picks to consider:

• Liam Livingstone (LAN) – 75.7 pts
• Luke Wood (LAN) – 73.6 pts
• Josh Davey (LEI) – 73.0 pts

Key Players

Liam Livingstone (LAN): The star allrounder has been in devastating form with 225 runs at 56.25 including scores of 85, 81 and 44 in his last three innings. His 20+ runs hit rate is 75% and he has scored 30+ in 75% of innings this season. He also chips in with the ball – 6 wickets at a 100% hit rate for 1+ wickets.

Nick Kelly (LEI): Leicestershire’s most consistent batter with 193 runs at 32.17. His 20+ runs hit rate is an impressive 83.3% this season with scores of 29, 30 and 44 in his last three. A reliable pick for over 19.5 runs.

Tom Hartley (LAN): The left-arm spinner leads Lancashire’s wicket-taking with 8 wickets in 6 matches at a 66.7% hit rate for 1+ wickets. Spin is particularly effective at Grace Road (economy 7.70), making Hartley a strong bet builder option.

Ashton Turner (LEI): The Australian allrounder has scored 180 runs at 30.00 with an 83.3% hit rate for 20+ runs this season. His recent form includes a 57 against Yorkshire and he also contributes with the ball.

Conditions

Clear skies and 32 degrees in Leicester with light winds at 5.9 km/h and 32% humidity – ideal batting conditions with no rain expected.

Verdict and Betting Angles

Despite sitting lower in the table, Lancashire are favoured by both the Statz model (56.2% if Leicestershire bat first) and the bookmakers. Lancashire are 1.62 on Bet365 with Leicestershire at 2.15. The case for Lancashire rests on Liam Livingstone’s outstanding form and a stronger bowling unit on paper. However, Leicestershire have won their last three matches including beating Lancashire at Old Trafford just four weeks ago, so they should not be written off.

Bet builder angles (check live odds on Statz Bet Builder):

• Liam Livingstone over 19.5 runs – 75% season hit rate for 20+ runs
• Nick Kelly over 19.5 runs – 83.3% season hit rate for 20+ runs
• Liam Trevaskis 1+ wickets – 66.7% season hit rate, spin effective at venue (econ 7.70)
• Ian Holland 1+ wickets – 100% season hit rate (4 matches)