The Blaze face Lancashire Thunder in the quarter-finals of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup at Nottinghamshire Sports Ground, Nottingham on 23rd August. The match is scheduled to begin at 14:30 UK time (19:00 IST), with a place at Finals Day on 29th August at stake. The Blaze have the stronger recent T20 evidence, having beaten Lancashire by 15 runs at Trent Bridge in June before progressing all the way to the Vitality Blast final. Lancashire, however, are the defending Women’s County Cup champions and cannot be underestimated in knockout cricket.
Form Guide
The Blaze
The Blaze enjoyed an excellent Vitality Blast campaign, reaching the final after establishing themselves among the competition’s strongest sides. Their June meeting with Lancashire demonstrated the balance within the team: Tammy Beaumont made 59 as The Blaze posted 135-9 before Charli Knott claimed 4-17 to dismiss Thunder for 120. Their combination of experienced batting, quality spin and versatile all-rounders makes them particularly difficult to contain in T20 cricket.
- The Blaze defeated Lancashire Thunder by 15 runs in their June T20 meeting.
- They progressed to the 2026 Vitality Blast Women final, underlining their strong short-format form.
- Home familiarity in Nottingham provides another useful advantage for this quarter-final.
Lancashire Thunder
Lancashire’s Blast campaign proved more difficult, with a mid-season sequence of six defeats in seven matches damaging their chances of reaching Finals Day. They nevertheless showed signs of improvement later in the competition, including a four-wicket victory over Durham. More importantly for this fixture, Thunder are defending the County Cup title they won last season, giving them valuable experience of handling the unique pressure created by a straight knockout format.
- Lancashire are the defending Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup champions.
- Their Blast campaign was undermined by a run of six defeats in seven matches.
- Thunder responded with a four-wicket T20 victory over Durham during July.
Key Players
The Blaze
- Tammy Beaumont – The experienced England batter made 59 from 40 balls against Lancashire in June and remains capable of controlling a T20 innings from the top order.
- Kathryn Bryce – A high-quality all-rounder whose batting and seam bowling provide The Blaze with valuable flexibility in several phases of the match.
- Charli Knott – The Australian all-rounder produced the decisive performance in the previous meeting, taking career-best figures of 4-17 against Lancashire.
Lancashire Thunder
- Meg Lanning – The former Australia captain brings enormous T20 experience and remains capable of constructing a match-winning innings against any attack.
- Eleanor Threlkeld – Lancashire’s wicketkeeper-batter scored 49 in the June defeat to The Blaze and could again play an important role through the middle overs.
- Grace Potts – The seamer took career-best figures of 5-20 against The Blaze at Trent Bridge, making her an obvious wicket-taking threat in the rematch.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
Nottinghamshire Sports Ground at Lady Bay is likely to offer a slightly different challenge from Trent Bridge, making quick adaptation important for both teams. Seamers could find early movement if there is moisture or cloud cover, while slower deliveries and spin should become increasingly useful once the ball softens. The Blaze possess several bowlers capable of changing pace effectively, while Lancashire’s seam attack has already troubled this batting line-up. In knockout T20 cricket, a first-innings score around 150 to 165 could provide a competitive platform, with preserving wickets for a late acceleration likely to be important.
The Blaze vs Lancashire Thunder – Prediction
Lancashire’s status as defending champions demands respect, and Meg Lanning provides exceptional experience for a high-pressure contest. Grace Potts is particularly dangerous after taking five wickets against The Blaze in June, while Eleanor Threlkeld has already scored effectively against this attack. The Blaze nevertheless have the stronger recent T20 record. Tammy Beaumont scored a half-century in the previous meeting, Kathryn Bryce provides outstanding all-round balance and Charli Knott has already exposed Lancashire’s batting with her off-spin. Having beaten Thunder earlier this season and subsequently reached the Blast final, The Blaze deserve favouritism on home territory. Prediction: The Blaze to win.
Dream 11 Fantasy Picks
- Kathryn Bryce – Her involvement with both bat and ball makes her one of the strongest all-round fantasy selections.
- Grace Potts – A compelling bowling option after taking 5-20 against The Blaze in their previous T20 meeting.
- Tammy Beaumont – An experienced top-order selection who scored 59 against Lancashire earlier this season.
