Return of Lancashire Cricket Club to Blackpool for two Twenty20 matches is "fabulous" for town says chairman

Blackpool has been awarded two Lancashire Lightning homes fixture in this 20th year of the Vitality Blast.

The matches are against Notts Outlaws on Sunday 19 and Durham on Thursday 23.

These are the only Lancashire home games in the competition to be played away from Emirates Old Trafford and The Gazette understands both will be afternoon matches, with a possibility of television coverage.

It follows a successful visit by Blackpool chairman Cresswell to Red Rose headquarters, where outgrounds were invited to bid to host the county sides this year.

Southport and Birkdale, Sedbergh School and Sale have also been selected to host Lancashire matches in 2022.

It is a massive boost for Blackpool, which staged a Royal London Cup game for four successive years to 2018 but has not hosted the Red Rose men’s team since.

Stanley Park was set to return to the Lancashire itinerary last year but the scheduled one-day match against Worcestershire was switched due to ongoing drainage work at the Blackpool venue.

Blackpool’s selection follows extensive works on the ground last year, which resulted in Blackpool CC playing most of their games away from home.

This proved no great inconvenience to Paul Danson’s side, who retained the Northern Premier League title.

Chairman Cresswell told The Gazette: “The county ground is being used for music events in June, but Lancashire’s strategic way forward is to play more at outgrounds and they have agreed our facilities are well suited to T20.

“This absolutely justifies the time and expense that went into improving our ground, which has given Lancashire all the reassurance they wanted.

“Hopefully this is the start of a long-term commitment by Lancashire to playing two or three matches each year here.”

It follows confirmation of Lancashire men’s fixtures in the County Championship, Vitality Blast (T20) and Royal London Cup (one-day), as well as the women’s Charlotte Edwards Cup (T20) and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (one-day).

Southport and Birkdale will stage the only home County Championship fixture not at Old Trafford (against Somerset in July) and a Lancashire Thunder one-day game.

Sedburgh School stages Royal London Cup action and the National Counties clash with Cumbria.

Sale will host a Lancashire Thunder game in both competitions. It is understood Liverpool did not bid to host Lancashire this year.

Old Trafford will stage two T20 double-headers, featuring a men’s and a women’s game, in early June.