Northamptonshire Steelbacks welcome Durham to Wantage Road for the first home Friday night blast fixture of the year.
The Steelbacks are looking to maintain their perfect start to the tournament after they recorded their sixth straight victory in dramatic fashion on Wednesday evening against the Birmingham Bears thanks to yet another talismanic performance with the ball from Ben Sanderson and runs from Justin Broad at the top of the innings.
Despite having played a game more than the chasing pack, victory over Durham on Friday could see the Steelbacks extend their lead at the summit of North Group to ten points and firmly establish themselves as the frontrunners for knockout qualification.
Durham, led by Alex Lees, ignited their push for the top four with victory on Wednesday night with a narrow win over Derbyshire Falcons after they had lost their previous two. They sit on eight points in fifth place.
The Steelbacks are once again unchanged, with the same squad named ready for some Friday night fireworks.
Play is set to start at 6:30pm with tickets are available on the gate or can be purchased here
We spoke to Head Coach Darren Lehmann and recapped the victory against the Bears, as well as looking ahead to our first home Friday night Blast game.
Opponent preview:
Durham
Previewed by Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Alex Lees
Overseas players: Zak Foulkes (New Zealand, all group stage), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand, full competition)
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2024 leading runscorer: Graham Clark (322)
2024 leading wicket taker: Ben Raine (21)
Key winter moves: Batter David Bedingham’s availability will be limited due to South African Test commitments, including the World Test Championship final against Australia. But Durham have recruited Kiwis Zak Foulkes and Jimmy Neesham and all-rounder Codi Yusuf from South Africa. Two can play at any one time, so rest and rotation will come into play. Sam Conners, Emilio Gay and Will Rhodes were domestic signings ahead of the summer.