NOR vs LAN: Northamptonshire Steelbacks defeated Lancashire Lightning by 24 runs to maintain their flawless beginning in the Vitality Blast 2025, recording their fifth successive victory. The exciting NOR vs LAN encounter at Emirates Old Trafford witnessed exceptional efforts from George Scrimshaw and Lloyd Pope, as the Steelbacks held off a challenging total of 180/6 with clinical accuracy.
Willey Leads with the Bat as Northants Set 180
Skipper David Willey anchored the innings with a captain’s knock, leading the way with 37 as Northamptonshire reached 180 for 6 after being asked to bat. After losing early wickets, a 60-run stand between Willey and the experienced Ravi Bopara (28) set the innings back on track.
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Willey’s innings featured some impressive strokeplay before he was caught by Keaton Jennings off Liam Livingstone.
Lewis McManus (28) and Saif Zaib (20*) combined 42 for the last few overs to take the Steelbacks to a par score on a good surface to bat on.
James Anderson of Lancashire Lightning took 3 for 31, while there were 2 for 35 from Livingstone. Tom Hartley strangely bowled no overs in ideal conditions.
NOR vs LAN: Lightning Collapse in Powerplay Despite Brief Rebellion
Lancashire’s pursuit of 181 got off to a bad start. Captain Willey and Ben Sanderson came in early, getting rid of Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings in the first 13 balls. While Matty Hurst continued to try and counter-attack, sharing four sixes from seven balls with Livingstone, the powerplay was ruined.
Hurst got out for 17, going for a big shot off Luke Procter.
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Livingstone’s comeback to domestic cricket following his IPL 2025 victory with RCB was abbreviated at 18 when he pulled Lloyd Pope to Ricardo Vasconcelos.
Pope and Scrimshaw Seal the Deal for Northants
A tight bowling performance in the middle overs by Northants, coordinated by Australian leg-spinner Lloyd Pope and pacer George Scrimshaw.
Pope dismissed Ashton Turner for 23 and finished with 2 for 27.
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Scrimshaw produced a match-winning performance of career-best T20 figures of 4 for 19, among them the crucial wickets of Michael Jones (32) and Chris Green (15).
Lancashire Lightning did put up a fight, but they never quite managed to get back to full force and were limited to 156 for 9, losing their second consecutive match at home.
NOR vs LAN Match Highlights & Key Takeaways
Result: Northamptonshire Steelbacks won by 24 runs
Top Performers:
Northants: George Scrimshaw (4/19), David Willey (37), Lloyd Pope (2/27)
Lancashire: James Anderson (3/31), Liam Livingstone (2/35)
Turning Point: Livingstone’s dismissal by Pope shortly after the power play
Current Form:
Northamptonshire – 5 wins in 5
Lancashire – 3 wins, 2 losses
Northants Remain Unbeaten in NOR vs LAN Battle
In a closely fought NOR vs LAN match, Northamptonshire Steelbacks presented their strength and equilibrium, both with bat and ball. With this victory, they solidified their position at the number one spot in the Vitality Blast 2025 standings, whereas Lancashire Lightning will have to rebuild after consecutive home losses.
ALSO READ: ENG vs WI: T20 Series Sealed By England With A Victory In The 2nd Match
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