The Vitality Blast returns tomorrow as the Steelbacks take on Glamorgan at the cinch County Ground.
After a fantastic 2025 campaign which saw the Steelbacks reach Finals Day, the side will be looking to take that momentum into the newly formed Central & West group.
Play is set to start at 6:30pm tomorrow, with gates opening at 4:30pm. Tickets can be bought in advance online or on the gate.
Carlsberg Happy Hour is back this year, with Carlsberg available for just £3.50 a pint from 4:30pm-5:30pm.
Concessions:
Tempeo Foundation FanZone: Rocky Gelato & Feast – Burgers
Standing areaMem Saab, Nuts For Your Coffee, Hey Spud & Go Greek
Steelbacks Bar: Joshua – Firecooked lamb asado served with wraps and fries
Water is available at all external bars at the ground for £1.
The Tempeo Foundation FanZone will be open, with plenty of things to do for our younger fans. We’ll have a bouncy castle, a speed tunnel, face painting and plenty of food and drink options. The FanZone is located behind the Briggs & Forrester stand.
Squad news:
Head Coach Darren Lehmann has named 14-man squad for our Blast opener, with David Willey captaining the side.
Chris Lynn is back in the Steelbacks squad for the first time since 2023, and he’s joined by fellow Australian Nathan McSweeney, who could be in line for a Steelbacks debut.
Newly appointed T20 vice-captain Justin Broad is also named in the squad for tomorrow’s game and the all-rounder could make his first appearance of the season after missing the first block of four day games with an ongoing back issue.
After being struck in the head during our County Championship game against Gloucestershire, Saif Zaib misses this fixture due to concussion protocols. The all-rounder may be available for Sunday’s trip to Worcestershire, but that is subject to medical clearance.
Raphy Weatherall has returned from his university exams and makes the squad, while James Sales could be involved but it’s dependent on his England Lions duty.
We caught up with Head Coach Darren Lehmann to discuss the return of Chris Lynn, new teams coming to the cinch County Ground and the importance of home support.
Steelbacks squad to face Glamorgan:
David Willey (c), George Bartlett, Justin Broad, Calvin Harrison, Louis Kimber, Chris Lynn, Lewis McManus (wk), Nathan McSweeney, Gus Miller, Luke Procter, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Raphy Weatherall
Opponent Preview:
Glamorgan
Previewed by Blake Bint, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Kiran Carlson
Overseas players: Nathan McAndrew (Australia, all), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan, all), Colin Ingram (South Africa, all)
Finals Day appearances: Two (2004, 2017)
Titles: None
2025 finish: 5th in South Group
2025 leading run-scorer: Colin Ingram (338 runs)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Ned Leonard & Dan Douthwaite (20 wickets)
Key winter moves: Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew joining from Sussex is a good addition to Glamorgan after he took a five-wicket haul and a six-wicket haul against them in the competition last year. With fellow seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi in the squad, Glamorgan now have depth in their bowling attack with Mason Crane, Dan Douthwaite and Ned Leonard reliable performers in the format.
The big question: Glamorgan’s biggest disappointment in recent seasons has been their inability to string results together to qualify from the group stage. Last year, individual performances from Dan Lawrence and Toby Albert took games away from the Welsh county when they were looked likely winners. And in 2024 a record win over Somerset in the format showed Glamorgan’s capabilities; can they pull it all together?
Wildcard watch: Ned Leonard is the type of bowler one might think would be picked up in The Hundred. His point of difference in the Glamorgan attack is extra pace, which he demonstrated in a five-for against former club Somerset last season. Previously on the radar of England coaches, he has yet to play professional cricket in 2026 due to injury.
Final thought: Glamorgan used the Vitality Blast last year as an opportunity to blood youngsters and give them responsibility. Alex Horton regularly featured, Ben Kellaway batted at four and Asa Tribe made a name for himself at number six, although he is likely to open when available. Richard Dawson has had plenty of success in red-ball cricket since joining as head coach 15 months ago, but can he translate that into white-ball success.