Vitality T20 Blast 2019: North Group, Leicestershire vs Lancashire: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Lancashire and Leicestershire feature in their respective first games of the T20 2019 Blast when they face off at the Grace Road. Lancashire dealt with a huge blow when their skipper Liam Livingstone suffered a side strain in County Championship game. He will be missing the first part of the tournament. Livingstone gained confidence from playing PSL and IPL in the last six months.

As much as his batting, Lancashire will miss his captaincy that has been playing a key role in T20s in the recent past. On the other hand, Leicestershire does not have any star players on their side. They will take on Lancs a day after suffering a narrow defeat in the county championship game. Gloucestershire needed 48 from 8 overs towards the end where they scored 24 runs in only 8 balls from being 24/3 in 5.5 overs.

Match Details:

The North Group game in the Vitality T20 Blast 2019 will be played between Leicestershire Foxes and Lancashire Lightning at the Grace Road in Leicester.

The match starts at 6:30 PM local time (11:00 PM IST) (5:30 PM GMT).

This match can be streamed live on Leicestershire County Cricket’s YouTube Channel.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Grace Road in Leicester has witnessed middling totals recently as the previous five T20 Blast games recorded total between 140 and 160 by the team batting first. Four of those were won by the chasing side but once they ended up six short of the target. The trend might continue in the opening game of the 2019 season at this venue.

Average first innings score: 148 (Last five T20 Blast matches)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 4, Lost – 1

Probable Playing XIs:

Leicestershire:

Colin Ackermann (C), Paul Horton, Mark Cosgrove, Aadil Ali, Neil Dexter, Ateeq Javid, Callum Parkinson, Gavin Griffiths, Arron Lilley, Ben Mike, Mohammad Abbas.

Lancashire:

Keaton Jennings, Alex Davies, Glenn Maxwell, Dane Vilas (C), Steven Croft, James Faulkner, Danny Lamb, Toby Lester, Richard Gleeson, Matt Parkinson, Stephen Parry.

Bench: Josh Bohannon, Liam Hurt, Rob Jones.

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Power Picks:

Mark Parkinson in 2018 T20 Blast:

25 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 16.60 and a strike rate of 13.6. He was the 2nd leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain options – Glenn Maxwell, Colin Ackermann, Dane Vilas, Mark Cosgrove

Vice-captain options – Keaton Jennings, Paul Horton, James Faulkner, Callum Parkinson

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Dane Vilas

Batsmen – Paul Horton, Mark Cosgrove, Keaton Jennings

All-Rounders – Ateeq Javid, Neil Dexter, Glenn Maxwell (C), Colin Ackermann (VC)

Bowlers – Mark Parkinson, Richard Gleeson, Gavin Griffiths

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Dane Vilas (VC)

Batsmen – Mark Cosgrove (C), Aadil Ali, Keaton Jennings, Alex Davies

All-Rounders – James Faulkner, Steven Croft, Colin Ackermann

Bowlers – Aaron Lilley, Richard Gleeson, Gavin Griffiths

Expert Advice:

In the absence of Liam Livingstone, Lancashire might be tempted to open with Glenn Maxwell. If there are any announcements or signs of him opening the innings prior to the game, do make him captain or vice-captain.

Probable Winners:

Lancashire is looking in a better shape compared to Leicestershire.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.