LANCASHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB Emirates Old Trafford Lancashire Lightning v Worcestershire Rapids Nat West t20 Blast 18/06/15 Ashwell Prince Batting

Lancashire face a crucial 48 hours in their bid for NatWest T20 Blast glory, with back-to-back away games against Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

Lightning take on the Steelbacks, defending champions, at Wantage Road tomorrow night before heading to Grace Road on Friday to tackle a Foxes side who beat them at Liverpool last month.

Steven Croft and co have gone three games without a win in  the last nine days, losing two of them to Derbyshire and Birmingham to hamper their chances of securing a quarter-final berth.

They sit just outside the top four qualifying places in the North Group with nine points from nine games.

Northants are reigning champions, and have won this competition twice in 2013 and 2016, whilst losing to the Lightning in the 2015 final.Lancashire and Northants have not played  each other since the 2015 final at Edgbaston

Leicestershire are the only side to have won this competition three times, in 2004, 2006 and 2011.

Coach Glen Chapple has described these two games for Lancashire as “the biggest part of the T20 campaign”.

Chapple admits the Lightning have not been at their best so far this season in the game’s shortest format, but the former all-rounder remains confident of success.

These are two of five remaining group fixtures and the last before a mini break for the return to Championship cricket at Hampshire on Sunday.

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