The South Group remains the centre of attention in the NatWest T20 Blast on Thursday as three matches take place across the afternoon and the evening. The six sides in action have had mixed starts to the tournament and will all be eager for two points here.
We have one match on the TV which is the London derby which is the middle match of the three while there is an afternoon clash and an evening one. We’ll begin the preview with the TV match.
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Middlesex vs Surrey
Middlesex opened up the tournament with a tie at Cheltenham against Gloucestershire and now their second match of the competition is against a Surrey side who have won both of their matches so far.
Middlesex stole a point in Cheltenham because they were outplayed for 37 overs in that match. I’m not sure they will get anything from this one though because Surrey look a crack hot outfit in one day cricket at the minute.
They made the final of the One Day Cup and have won both matches in this tournament. Although Middlesex’s top four is to be feared Surrey have by far the better of the two attacks in my opinion and that can ultimately be the difference. There has been a lot of cricket at Lord’s recently with a Test match and an MCC vs Afghanistan match so this could be played on a used wicket so the skills of the Surrey bowlers could be vital.
In terms of a top batsman bet Ryan Higgins must surely be overpriced at 25/1. He went ballistic in the first game for Middlesex suddenly twatting a half decent Gloucestershire attack all over the shop and while there are plenty of big names ahead of him in the line up the Surrey bowlers can get stuck in early. That Higgins knock might have earned him a place up the order so he’s worth a stab.
Gloucestershire vs Kent
Two sides who have only played one match meet at Cheltenham where Gloucestershire, who tied their first match, host Kent who were too good for Essex in their first game. A win here would be significant for whoever gets it.
Gloucestershire are struggling for overseas players here. Thisara Perera has been delayed and Michael Klinger isn’t fully fit so I have to go with a Kent side who look very dangerous in this competition. We saw that this Gloucestershire attack can go around the park against Middlesex and if Kent’s quality with the ball shines through they should win this.
I’m also going to take the performance of Darren Stevens. When these two met in the Championship earlier in the season Stevens made 50 and took eight wickets in the match including six in the second innings so he will have good memories against Gloucestershire. He has a performance line of 31.5pts which he can cover with the bat or the ball here let alone a combination of the two. I’m on the overs there.
Essex vs Somerset
The late start comes from Chelmsford as an Essex side who have played two and lost them both host a Somerset side who lost their only match so both teams will be eager to win.
Essex’s bowling attack has let them down twice in this tournament so far and until they get over the line I can’t be backing them. That said Somerset aren’t much more appealing heading into the game.
Both sides have lost some key players in the last few days. Tamim Iqbal has packed his bags and gone home for Essex while Corey Anderson is out with back issues for Somerset. This match is best left alone so that is what I’ll do.
Tips
Back Surrey to beat Middlesex for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Ladbrokes
Back them here:
Back R.Higgins Top Middlesex Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Paddy Power
Back him here:
Back Kent to beat Gloucestershire for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Bwin
Back them here:
Back D.Stevens’ Performance – Over 31.5pts for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
Back him here:
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