Lancashire meet Surrey in the 2nd Quarter-Final of England's T20 Blast 2023 on Friday. Lancashire completely changed their style of play in the 2nd half, taking 11 points from their last 7 league games. Surrey, on the other hand, did not end their league season well, having failed to score in their last three games.

Lancashire and Surrey will face off in Quarter Final 2 of the T20 Blast 2023 on Friday 7th July. The competition will be held at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
Lancashire, led by Liam Livingstone, finished second in the Northern Group's points table with 17 points and a +0.427 net run rate thanks to wins in eight of 14 games.

They are in great form and have won all of their last six completed games. They defeated the Northants Steelbacks by six wickets and will look to continue their impressive form.

Surrey, on the other hand, led by Chris Jordan, finished third in the South Group with 16 points and a +1.192 net run rate thanks to wins in eight of 14 games in the tournament.

Their current form isn't great as they're on a three-game losing streak. They will go into the game having lost to Essex by three wickets. It won't be easy for Surrey against Lancashire.

Match Preview

The second quarter final of the Vitality Blast 2023 clash between Lancashire (LAN) and Surrey (SUR) will take place on July 7th at Old Trafford in Manchester. While Surrey progress to the playoffs with three straight defeats in tight games, Lancashire are here with crucial wins in the finals of league play, despite falling behind their opponents technically.

Lancashire have put in an outstanding performance in the closing stages of the league, winning five of their last six games. They fought first in four competitions and easily won thanks to their impressive bowling line-up. Buttler deserves credit for stepping up at the perfect moment to hit a couple of half-century, but not hitting the worthy hundred. Although they frequently lost an early wicket or two, their top batters consistently performed well. In addition, they have lost almost six wickets per game on average. Therefore, the opponent might get the idea to exploit this section.

Surrey had recently scored some incredible totals with the intention of crushing opponents by the end of the first inning, but that strategy suffered some setbacks in the closing stages of league play. However, their opening batters in the league stage totaled 1034 runs, which accounts for more than 50% of their total points. As a result, mid-tier batters have discovered a fantastic period in which to attack and get some crucial fast runs in their final overs. World-class all-rounder Sam Curran leads their speed attack. As a team, they claim an average of five wickets in each game. They will work hard to repeat their path of success.

Pitch Report

Considering that the average scoring at Old Trafford Stadium is over 160 runs this season, the surface is quite helpful for batters. Fast bowlers are favored on this surface, as evidenced by the 35 wickets Pacer has taken in the last five games. For pacers, the early swing can help snag a few quick wickets. The teams to bat first have won the last games.

Weather Report

There is no chance of rain for the entire duration of the game. Temperatures will be around 27 degrees Celsius. The humidity would not be higher.

Toss Prediction

Chasing the score is always easy at this venue. In the early overs it can be difficult to hit on the field. Therefore, setting a goal is always a challenge here. We assume both captains will choose to bowl first on that surface after winning the toss.

Venue Details

Old Trafford is a good batting ground as the ball hits the bat hard and allows the batsmen to complete their shots. We have seen great wounds at this venue in the past. Fast bowlers do well with the new ball as there is support for them and the larger borders make it one of the easier venues in England for the spinners.

Match Prediction

Lancashire have appeared to be in poor shape lately after winning six games in a row. They go into the quarter-finals as the clear favourite.

Prediction: Lancashire will win the game.

Head to Head

The teams have played just two matches against each other, winning one game apiece.

Betting Tips

Lancashire and Surrey had a comparable journey in the league round of the T20 Blast 2023, both winning eight games out of 14. However, Lancashire have an advantage ahead of Friday's game at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester as they finished the group stage with a comfortable six-wicket win over Northamptonshire. In contrast, Surrey struggled in the second half of the T20 Championship, suffering three straight defeats. It could affect their form and mindset ahead of Friday's game. Lancashire also have T20 specialists in Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, both of whom can be dangerous in critical situations. Lancashire betting is definitely the way to go.

Probable Playing XI

Lancashire

Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Liam Livingstone (c), Daryl Mitchell, Luke Wells, Steven Croft, Dane Vilas, Rob Jones, Tom Hartley, Luke Wood, Tom Bailey

Surrey

Will Jacks, Laurie Evans, Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Jamie Smith (wk), Jamie Overton, Sean Abbott, Sunil Narine, Chris Jordan (c), Gus Atkinson.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediciton

Lancashire Key Players

Phil Salt had a good performance in the last game as he hit 74 runs in 51 balls. Salt is looking to capitalize on the momentum and play another good inning in a quarter-final against Surrey that needs to be won.

Jos Buttler Either way, Jos Buttler is always a match winner in a T20 game. Buttler has had an average tournament so far, but he played an 83-run knock against Derbyshire not too long ago. Buttler will put in a decent performance in this crucial game.

Daryl Mitchell didn't achieve much in the tournament, but he brings a lot. He bats in the middle class and is responsible for the team achieving a strong finish. He also throws 3-4 overs and is used as a partnership breaker. If Mitchell has a good day, Lancashire's chances of victory increase significantly.

Surrey Key Players

Will Jacks has been the top batsman for Surrey this season. The destructive hitter has 541 runs in 14 games for the team.

Jason Roy returned to the team against Essex but was only able to score 28 points. However, he would try to make up for poor performance in the last game with a big inning in the quarterfinals. A good Roy can make a big difference for Surrey.

Sunil Narine scored 78 runs in the last game and also took one wicket. Narine isn't the same bowler as he used to be, but he's still very useful when handling the ball. He's also got his batting skills this season. Narine has won 19 wickets in Vitality T20 Blast 2023.