Pre-Match Pack: Notts Outlaws and Lancashire Lightning

Derbyshire Falcons have named a 14-man squad for their Vitality Blast double-header against Notts Outlaws (Thursday, 6.30pm) at Trent Bridge at The Incora County Ground (tomorrow, 7pm).

Wayne Madsen has struck consecutive half-centuries for the Falcons in wins over Birmingham Bears and Northants Steelbacks, the experienced batter will be aiming to help Derbyshire extend their T2o winning-run to six matches at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

The current top-two in the North Group, the Falcons take on Lancashire Lightning on home soil this Friday night, knowing that a win for either side would strengthen their claim for a place in the quarter-finals.

Captain Shan Masood’s 423 runs makes him the leading run-scorer in the North Group, and second in the entire competition behind Somerset’s Rilee Rossouw (443), and the Falcons’ skipper will be looking to challenge for top-spot in the remaining three fixtures.

On the bowling front, five players are now into double-figures for T20 wickets this season, with George Scrimshaw’s 17 putting him joint-third for the leading wicket-takers in 2022’s competition.

Derbyshire Squad: 

94. Shan Masood (c)
10. Luis Reece
4. Harry Came
76. Leus du Plooy
77. Wayne Madsen
29. Brooke Guest (wk)
21. Mattie McKiernan
65. Anuj Dal
18. Alex Hughes
15. Alex Thomson
50. Hayden Kerr
59. Sam Conners
51. Mark Watt
9. George Scrimshaw

The Opposition 

Lancashire Lightning are top of the North Group on 15 points from , while Notts Outlaws are in seventh with both having played ten games. 

Lancashire could be boosted by the return of their England stars, with Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler and Luke Wood all back from the ODI series against the Netherlands. Big-hitting batter, Tim David, has been in fine form this season, scoring 164 runs with a strike rate of 186.58.

Notts, by comparison, have struggled and will need a big upturn in form if they are to reach the knockout stages, but the experience of Alex Hales, Samit Patel, Luke Fletcher and Dan Christian, amongst others, means they will always be a threat for any side.

Pre-Match Talk

Shan Masood says Wayne Madsen’s match-winning knock against Northants Steelbacks was another indication of just how important the experienced batter is to the Falcons. 

Madsen struck 73 and shared a 95-run stand with Masood as Derbyshire completed their fourth-highest T20 run-chase in the Club’s history, while also claiming a fifth-consecutive win in the format for the first-time-ever.

Masood said that Madsen’s innovation and power made his own innings easier to play, and paid tribute to his teammate’s Derbyshire career.

“We finished the powerplay off strongly and then Wayne Madsen played an incredible knock, he made my job easier,

“I didn’t have to do anything silly or extraordinary, I just had to make sure I was at the other end , get the odd boundary away and give him support and the strike. He just literally put them under the pump and by the 10th and 11th over we were down to chasing eight or seven an over with  eight wickets to go which is always ideal.

“I think in terms of the chase we never put ourselves under pressure and that was close to a very perfect performance chasing. We are lucky Wayne Madsen has played his cricket for Derbyshire and given his heart and soul for Derbyshire and no matter what I say about him it can never be enough.”

Buy Match Tickets

Tickets are still on sale for Derbyshire Falcons’ Vitality Blast fixture against Lancashire Lightning, with supporters urged to buy in advance to get the best possible price and avoid queues.

Led by internationally renowned Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, and captain, Shan Masood, the Falcons are aiming for a second Finals Day appearance in four years.

Tickets are selling fast, so buy now to avoid disappointment and cheer on the Falcons this summer!

How to follow

Derbyshire’s Vitality Blast fixture against Lancashire Lightning will be covered live on the Club website, through our improved Match Centre, delivered in partnership with Purpose Media.

Updates will also be provides via our social media channels, so make sure you’re following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so you never miss a moment of the action.

Vitality Blast 2022 – Tickets on sale now!

Tickets for all of Derbyshire’s Vitality Blast fixtures are on sale now.