Match Preview | Women's T20 Blast | Northamptonshire Steelbacks | 27 June 2025

Leicestershire Women go in search of back-to-back Blast wins when they battle Northamptonshire Steelbacks in an epic East Midlands Derby at Uptonsteel County Ground on Friday evening.

The Foxes ignited their T20 campaign with victory on home soil over Worcestershire Rapids last time out and are boosted by the arrival of homegrown all-rounder Lucy Higham on loan from The Blaze in time for Friday’s showdown.

It’ll be the fourth meeting of the season between the two sides already, with Stephen Franklin’s side desperate to avenge the ghosts of their opening round defeat in the reverse fixture at The County Ground earlier this month.

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“We put everything together nicely against Worcestershire. We had good batting partnerships and put in a solid bowling performance. We’ve shown glimpses in each game but that was the first time we’ve sown every element together.

“I’ve worked hard to develop my off spin, so to get those wickets (4-0-20-4) was something I was very proud of. It was really rewarding.

“There’s been a great rivalry [against Northants] this season. There’s been drama and momentum shifts in all three games, so there’s a lot riding on this one. We want to go out there, get a win on the board, and show we’re the better team.

“Home support from the Foxes’ fans would mean a lot. The crowds we’ve been starting to get are really special, so to put on a show and beat Northants in front of them would mean the world to us.”

Squad:

Lucy Higham, who graduated through Leicestershire’s system and took 58 wickets for the Club between 2013 and 2017, returns on loan for the remainder of the Vitality Blast, coming straight into the matchday 14.

Leicestershire Foxes: Brooker*, Bennett, Colquhoun, Crofts, Davies, Herathge, Higham, Hughes, Phillips, Roff, Sweet, Thatcher, Watson+, Weston.

Tickets:

Entry for Friday’s clash is FREE, with gates opening from 4:30pm ahead of a 5:30pm start.

Follow Live:

You can watch the action with commentary via our live stream on Foxes TV. A play-by-play feed will run on our X account - @leicswomenccc, with updates also available via Leicestershire CCC Women on Facebook and @leicswomenccc on Instagram.