The NatWest T20 Blast is back on Friday night and after a couple of years of playing throughout the season we are back in a block with the entire tournament done from start to finish in seven weeks. That means we go back to the early times of the competition where the matches come thick and fast.
Recent Winners
2016 – Northamptonshire
2015 – Lancashire
2014 – Birmingham Bears
2013 – Northamptonshire
2012 – Hampshire
2011 – Leicestershire
2010 – Hampshire
2009 – Sussex
2008 – Middlesex
2007 – Kent
The Format
The competition format has remained the same. The 18 counties are split into two groups – North and South. Each side plays everyone in their group once and six of the sides twice to make up 14 group matches. At the end of the group phase the top four in each group go into the knockout stages.
The tournament concludes as ever with the semi-finals and the final one the best day of the year when Finals Day takes place at Edgbaston on September 2.
North Group
The same nine sides are in this group so Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Birmingham Bears, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Durham and Worcestershire will do battle. North Group sides have won the last four T20 competitions in this country which highlights how strong it is.
South Group
There was a time where the South Group dominated this competition with Hampshire twice winners of the competition and Sussex, Middlesex and Kent all winners in the last 10 years too. Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Surrey, Somerset and Essex make up what looks a competitive section once again this year.
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Outright Betting
I’m going to take two outright bets this year, one in each group. With the tournament slightly later and England’s restructured summer we are not going to lose one day players halfway through the competition which makes betting a lot more stable.
The North Group looks strong this year with the defending champions Northants, Royal London Cup champions Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire and Yorkshire looking good but I think Lancashire have everything that it takes to go all the way again this year. They are going to see Jos Buttler for most of the tournament. They have Liam Livingstone ready to break through in a big way and they have a Junaid Khan who is mustard. Lancashire have solid batsmen and so many bowling options and at 14/1 they look a great bet.
In the South Group you can make the obvious case for the likes of Surrey, Hampshire and Essex but this is always a group where everyone beats everyone so I want good value in who I take. Glamorgan are an improving one day side and that seems to go unnoticed but in Colin Ingram they may well have the best one day batsman in the country and they have a very solid bowling attack too. Their young batsmen have a couple of years of experience and can go big now and at 25/1 they could be the ones to surprise at a big price.
Top Batsman
A couple of bookmakers have put up a top batsman market in the last day or so and so I will have a go in that with a couple of picks. I often plump for the South players when I get stuck into this market. The better batting grounds are in the South as are the smaller grounds and by and large fewer matches get washed out in the South.
I’ve already said above that I believe Colin Ingram is the best limited overs batsman in the country. Only Alastair Cook outscored him in the Royal London One Day Cup and Essex played an extra match to Glamorgan in that competition and Cook ploughed in 130 in that game. Ingram nailed three tons and two 50s in eight knocks in the 50 over tournament so his one day credentials are rock solid. If any other proof was needed Ingram was second top scorer in this tournament last season despite Glamorgan not escaping their group. He’s a class act and 33/1 is a daft price on the South African to top score in this.
James Vince was the top scorer in the competition two years ago and having been with England for some of the tournament last year 2015 was probably the year we should judge him on. He is another class act who churns out limited overs runs for fun. Vince had a decent One Day Cup campaign for a Hampshire side who never got going in the tournament. At 20/1 he has plenty of mileage in this.
Top Bowler
The same firms have priced up a top bowler market so we will have a go at that. The opposite to the batting market applies here. I prefer bowlers in the north. Grounds are bigger and suit bowlers a little more as does the weather and atmospheric conditions.
The 12/1 on offer on Imran Tahir being the leading wicket taker in this tournament is a shade on the high side. He is the best in the world in this format and he has foxed far better batsmen than the county plodders he is going to come up against in his stint with Derbyshire. It is true that Derbyshire may not escape the group although with a specific T20 coach coming in they are certainly looking to take the competition more seriously so they might surprise and qualify. Even if they don’t Tahir could still have too many wickets from 14 matches to lead the wicket taking.
John Hastings has a decent T20 record and he’ll bowl at the start of the innings and the death for Worcestershire. He had a decent enough 50 over campaign and bowls the kind of heavy ball that is easy to cart away. At 25/1 he is well worth taking as a value back up to Imran Tahir.
Tips
Back Lancashire to win NatWest T20 Blast (e/w) for a 2/10 stake at 15.00 with Betbright (1/2 1-2)
Back them here:
Back Glamorgan to win NatWest T20 Blast (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Boylesports (1/2 1-2)
Back them here:
Back C.Ingram Top Tournament Batsman (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 34.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-4)
PLACED – Back J.Vince Top Tournament Batsman (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 21.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-4)
Back I.Tahir Top Tournament Bowler (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-4)
Back J.Hastings Top Tournament Bowler (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-4)
Back them here:
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