Adam Lanigan
BBC Sport at Emirates Old Trafford

Image source, Rex Features

It is fourth against sixth in the North Group as Lancashire welcome Derbyshire here to Emirates Old Trafford.

Derbyshire have won their last two games - thrashing Yorkshire at Chesterfield and then winning by six wickets away to Northamptonshire on Wednesday - to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Lancashire occupy the fourth and final qualification spot, but their T20 Blast campaign has been a mixed bag - with six wins and five losses.

All of those defeats have come on the road but it is a different story at Old Trafford (and their out grounds), where they have not lost in T20 cricket since 2020. That is an impressive run of 19 matches.

Their three remaining group games are all at home and last year's runners-up will be banking on finishing strongly to confirm a knockout spot.

Image source, Getty Images

After 14 consecutive T20 defeats spread over this season and last, Middlesex finally rediscovered the secret of how to win - and what a win it was.

They set a new Blast record by chasing down a target of 253 to beat Surrey at the Oval, largely thanks to Stevie Eskinazi (73) and Max Holden (68 not out).

But can they repeat that tonight against a Kent Spitfires side who made it five wins out of five as they beat Essex by seven wickets, with Daniel Bell-Drummond hitting his third half-century in four innings?

Sussex Sharks beat Gloucestershire by the same margin and, in North Group, there were victories for Birmingham Bears and Worcestershire Rapids - who meet this evening - over Yorkshire Vikings and Notts Outlaws.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Edgbaston

Image source, Rex Features

With the first Ashes Test going on at Edgbaston, Worcestershire Rapids v Birmingham Bears was very much on the undercard when the two teams last met just seven days ago.

But it will be very much top of the bill when they meet again in Birmingham tonight - first v second in the Group.

After three successive away victories, starting with last Friday night's 21-run win at Worcester, followed by triumphs over Durham on Tuesday and Yorkshire on Thursday, the Bears are now two points clear at the top of the group.

They are now almost mathematically certain of making the semis, given the way the other fixtures in the group work out, they probably already have enough points. But it would nice to do the job properly tonight.

The Pears have a wonderful symmetry to their T20 results in 2023 . . . Four wins, four losses, then three more wins. It would be equally satisfying, not just for the stat-minded anoraks among us, to see them go 4-4-4.

Image source, BBC Sport

The race for quarter-final places is really hotting up.

Somerset will reach the last eight with victory over Gloucestershire this evening - and even if they lose, they could still progress should Hampshire or Kent fail to win.

In North Group, victory over neighbours Worcestershire at Edgbaston would see Birmingham Bears into the quarter-finals.

They could also progress in the event of a defeat, if Yorkshire or Derbyshire fail to win away games against Durham and Lancashire.

Image source, BBC Sport

Riverside: Durham v Yorkshire Vikings

Old Trafford: Lancashire Lightning v Derbyshire Falcons

Leicester: Leicestershire Foxes v Northamptonshire Steelbacks

Edgbaston: Birmingham Bears v Worcestershire Rapids

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Sussex Sharks

Canterbury: Kent Spitfires v Middlesex

Taunton: Somerset v Gloucestershire

Ageas Bowl: Hampshire Hawks v Essex (19:00)

Back in the dim and distant past, millions of children tuned in to BBC TV to hear the words: "It's Friday, it's five to five and it's Crackerjack."

For us, Fridays mean the T20 Blast and we should certainly be in for some crackerjack action in our eight games this evening.

From a strictly numerical standpoint, only Middlesex and Leicestershire are definitely out of the running for places in the quarter-finals, so there is a lot at stake.

Welcome to our coverage. Play in seven of the matches starts at 18:30 BST, with Hampshire v Essex to follow at 19:00.

Image source, Rex Features