Lancashire cricket fixtures: Red Rose start with visit of champions

The champions will return to Old Trafford, where they were presented with the Division One trophy for winning a second title in five years in September, for their first game of the campaign on Thursday 6 April

The opening seven rounds are played from Thursday-Sunday on successive weeks. Each county has a week off for rest and recovery during the first five rounds of the season.

The regional women’s domestic season gets underway on Saturday, April 22, when Paul Shaw’s Thunder host South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (List A).

Lancashire Lightning will begin their T20 campaign at Edgbaston on Saturday, May 20, as part of the new Vitality Blast Off event which will see the 2023 edition of the competition launched with a televised doubleheader live on Sky Cricket.

Thunder will then kick off in the Charlotte Edwards Cup when they take on newly established Nottingham-based region, The Blaze, at Old Trafford on May 25. The match forms the first of three doubleheaders during 2023, as Lancashire Lightning playing their opening home Vitality Blast fixture against Leicestershire Foxes on the same day.

The next double header takes place just two days later – on Saturday, May 27 – when Lancashire Lightning take on Notts Outlaws at Old Trafford and Thunder host Sunrisers.

The third and final doubleheader will take place at Blackpool CC on Wednesday, June 7, as Thunder square off against rivals Northern Diamonds and Lancashire Lightning face Worcestershire Rapids.

Two County Championship matches will be played at outgrounds when the Red Rose will welcome Hampshire to Southport & Birkdale CC starting on June 11 before returning to Blackpool to play Essex, which starts on July 10.

The eagerly awaited Roses T20s will be played at Headingley on Thursday, June 1, and at Old Trafford on Friday, June 30, with both matches to be broadcast live on Sky Cricket.

The Vitality Blast North Group concludes with a home match against Northants Steelbacks at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday, July 2. Quarter-Finals will be held on 6-7 July, before Finals Day takes place at Edgbaston on Saturday, July 15.

Lancashire will begin the group stage of the One Day Cup by hosting Essex Eagles at Sedbergh School on August 1, before travelling to Scarborough to face Yorkshire two days later.

Lancashire conclude the County Championship at the Spitfire Ground away to Kent, beginning on Tuesday, September 26.

Director of cricket performance Mark Chilton said: “Fixture release day is always an exciting occasion and after the players returned for pre-season training earlier this month, this now marks the next step on the road to the new season and we can begin to plan knowing exactly what lies ahead.

“Opening our County Championship campaign at Emirates Old Trafford against the defending champions is a mouth-watering prospect and a challenge which I know the squad are already looking forward to.

“Last season’s T20 doubleheaders when Lancashire Lightning played alongside Thunder were all thoroughly enjoyable occasions and we are really pleased to have another three in the schedule for 2023 – with two at Emirates Old Trafford followed by a trip to the Blackpool seaside in June.

“We are also looking forward to hosting more women’s matches at Emirates Old Trafford than ever before with Paul Shaw’s Thunder side set to play five matches here during the 2023 season.

“I must thank all four of our outgrounds which we will use next year across both men’s and women’s cricket – we look forward to taking the game to Blackpool, Southport, Sedbergh and Sale which always seem to serve up superb spectacles in front of passionate and knowledgeable cricket crowds.”

2023 Fixture List

LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures

Thursday 6-9 April - Lancashire v Surrey – Emirates Old TraffordThursday 13-16 April – Essex v Lancashire – The Cloud County GroundThursday 20-23 April – Somerset v Lancashire – The Cooper Associates County GroundThursday 4-7 May – Nottinghamshire v Lancashire – Trent BridgeThursday 11-14 May – Lancashire v Somerset – Emirates Old TraffordSunday 11-14 June – Lancashire v Hampshire – Southport & Birkdale CCSunday 25-28 June – Surrey v Lancashire – Kia OvalMonday 10-13 July – Lancashire v Essex – Blackpool CCWednesday 19-22 July – Warwickshire v Lancashire – EdgbastonTuesday 25-28 July – Lancashire v Northamptonshire – Emirates Old TraffordSunday 3-6 September – Northamptonshire v Lancashire – The County GroundSunday 10-13 September – Lancashire v Middlesex – Emirates Old TraffordTuesday 19-22 September – Lancashire v Nottinghamshire – Emirates Old TraffordTuesday 26-29 September – Kent v Lancashire – The Spitfire Ground

Vitality Blast fixtures

Saturday 20 May – Derbyshire Falcons v Lancashire Lightning – EdgbastonThursday 25 May – Lancashire Lightning v Leicestershire Foxes – Emirates Old TraffordSaturday 27 May – Lancashire Lightning v Notts Outlaws – Emirates Old TraffordMonday 29 May – Birmingham Bears v Lancashire Lightning – EdgbastonThursday 1 June – Yorkshire Vikings v Lancashire Lightning – HeadingleyFriday 2 June – Durham v Lancashire Lightning – Seat Unique RiversideSunday 4 June – Notts Outlaws v Lancashire Lightning – Trent BridgeWednesday 7 June – Lancashire Lightning v Worcestershire Rapids – Blackpool CCFriday 16 June – Northants Steelbacks v Lancashire Lightning – The County GroundSunday 18 June – Lancashire Lightning v Durham – Emirates Old TraffordTuesday 20 June – Worcestershire Rapids v Lancashire Lightning – New RoadFriday 30 June – Lancashire Lightning v Yorkshire Vikings – Emirates Old TraffordSunday 2 July – Lancashire Lightning v Northants Steelbacks – Emirates Old Trafford

One Day Cup fixtures

Tuesday 1 August – Lancashire v Essex Eagles – Sedbergh SchoolThursday 3 August – Yorkshire Vikings v Lancashire – ScarboroughWednesday 9 August – Lancashire v Kent Spitfires – Emirates Old TraffordFriday 11 August – Lancashire v Leicestershire Foxes – Emirates Old TraffordTuesday 15 August – Lancashire v Hampshire – Emirates Old TraffordThursday 17 August – Surrey v Lancashire – Kia OvalSunday 20 August – Middlesex v Lancashire – TBCTuesday 22 August – Notts Outlaws v Lancashire – Grantham

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures

Saturday 22 April – Thunder v South East Stars – Emirates Old TraffordSaturday 29 April – Western Storm v Thunder – Sophia GardensMonday 1 May – The Blaze v Thunder – Trent BridgeSaturday 6 May – Thunder v Central Sparks – Emirates Old TraffordWednesday 10 May – Thunder v Sunrisers – Sale CCSunday 2 July – Central Sparks v Thunder – New RoadFriday 7 July – Thunder v Southern Vipers – Sedbergh SchoolThursday 11 July – Northern Diamonds v Thunder – TBCSaturday 15 July – Sunrisers v Thunder – The County Ground, NorthamptonSaturday 22 July – Thunder v The Blaze – Sedbergh SchoolThursday 5 September – South East Stars v Thunder – GuildfordSunday 10 September – Southern Vipers v Thunder – ArundelWednesday 13 September – Thunder v Northern Diamonds – Sale CCSaturday 16 September – Thunder v Western Storm – Emirates Old Trafford

Charlotte Edwards Cup fixtures

Sunday 21 May – Western Storm v Thunder – Cooper Associates County GroundThursday 25 May – Thunder v The Blaze – Emirates Old TraffordSaturday 27 May – Thunder v Sunrisers – Emirates Old TraffordMonday 29 May – Central Sparks v Thunder – New RoadWednesday 31 May – Southern Vipers v Thunder – Ageas BowlSunday 4 June – Thunder v South East Stars – Blackpool CCWednesday 7 June – Thunder v Northern Diamonds – Blackpool CC