The quirky nature of the county campaign brings about a completely random round of Specsavers County Championship matches this week with four days of red ball cricket smack bang in the middle of a very competitive T20 tournament.
It is what it is I guess but you would have to suggest this is a bit of a nonsense, although if you thought the North Group of the Vitality Blast was tight it is almost insignificant compared to how Division Two in the Championship is shaping up.
Division One
There is quite a title race going on in Division One as well where Essex have edged ahead of Somerset and both sides are in action this week. Essex make the short trip to Canterbury to take on their rivals Kent, while Somerset have the smoother looking task on paper when they go to Birmingham to take on Warwickshire. Nottinghamshire need to sprout wings and fly if they are to avoid relegation and that needs to begin at Scarborough when they take on Yorkshire. The other match sees Hampshire heading to The Oval to face Surrey.
Division Two
Just 29pts separate second and eighth in the second tier and with three promotion places up for grabs this season, the final month of the campaign is going to be a real bunfight for those spots. Glamorgan and Gloucestershire sit second and third but Glamorgan host the leaders Lancashire in the big match this week. They meet at Colwyn Bay while Gloucestershire head up to Derby to take on Derbyshire. Northamptonshire are nicely placed and they go up against Worcestershire while two promotion chasers meet at Hove when Sussex take on Middlesex. Durham welcome Leicestershire to Chester-le-Street in the other match.
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Betting
I’ll go with just the one this week. I don’t think it is a week to get too heavily involved with because I still think much of the attention is going to be on the 20 over stuff which begins again the night after these matches finish. That said though, there is plenty at stake so I think there is a decent betting opportunity.
That comes at Hove where I think Sussex could be vulnerable to a Middlesex team who will be looking to take their impressive white ball form into red ball cricket with them. Sussex look a very young unit for this match, especially with the bat, and with the Middlesex bowlers all having found some form in the T20 competition this could be a tough assignment for the home side. They fell off a cliff before the Blast began, with some real heavy defeats and while they have caught fire in the T20, a number of their better performers in that competition won’t be playing red ball cricket. Middlesex look good things to me here.
Tips
Back Middlesex to beat Sussex for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Boylesports
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