New signing Justin Broad named in Steelbacks squad for Lightning clash

The 22-year-old put pen to paper on an 18-month deal on Thursday, having impressed throughout the summer in the Northants second team, and has been named in the squad to take on Jos Buttler & Co.

Broad takes the place of Josh Cobb, who has suffered a recurrence of the calf strain that saw him miss a couple of Championship matches in May.

It would be a big call from head coach John Sadler and skipper David Willey to throw the South African-born Germany international into the fray straight away, but he has impressed and been a regular run-scorer in the Second XI T20 competition.

In his past six innings in the format, Broad scored four quickfire half-centuries, with a top score of 71 from 48 balls against Warwickshire in May - a match that Willey played in as a warm-up for the Blast.

The other change to the squad that lost to Birmingham Bears last Friday is that Ricardo Vasconcelos returns having overcome a wrist injury.

The left-hander is likely to return to the top of the order alongside Chris Lynn, leaving Sadler and Willey to choose between Emilio Gay and Broad for Cobb's slot in the middle order, with Rob Keogh also in the frame.

Lightning have also named a 15-man squad for the showdown at Wantage Road.

England white ball skipper Buttler is included, along with international team-mates Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Matt Parkinson and Luke Wood.

New Zealand international all-rounders Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme are named, as is South African Dane Vilas. Only two overseas players can be named in the final line-up.

Going into the game, the Steelbacks are eighth in the North Group table with six points, while Lancashire are sixth, and two points better off.

Lightning ended a four-match losing streak last time out when they beat Worcestershire Rapids.

The Steelbacks have lost their past two, but were victorious in their most recent home game, the eight-wicket thrashing of Leicestershire Foxes a fortnight ago.

Northants has also announced the game is close to being a complete sell-out, and there will be no admission on the gate on the night.

Tickets must be ordered in advance from https://nccc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/steelbacks_v_lancashire_lightning__vitality_blast

Steelbacks squad: Willey, Broad, Gay, Heldreich, Keogh, Lynn, McManus, Russell, Sanderson, Sales, Tye, Taylor, Vasconcelos, G White, Zaib

Lightning squad: Livingstone, Aspinwall, Bell, Blatherwick, Croft, De Grandhomme, Hartley, Jones, Mitchell, Parkinson, Salt, Vilas, Wells, Wood