The final week of the Vitality Blast group matches continues on Sunday afternoon and in the scorching conditions in the UK the cricket is set to be equally as hot as there is still so much to play for.
The Test match obviously gets the televised attention on Sunday afternoon so we are reduced to the various county live streams to follow the action but with some juicy matches on show it should be well worth locating one of them.
North Group
There is a full set of matches in the North Group on Sunday afternoon as four matches take place in the competition. The big one comes from New Road where third placed Worcestershire continue their title defence against the leaders Lancashire who will be looking to secure a quarter final spot with a win in the game. In the later match second placed Nottinghamshire take on a Yorkshire side who amazingly gave themselves hope of progressing on Friday night. The points are key in the other two matches as well where Leicestershire host Derbyshire at Grace Road and Birmingham Bears take on Northamptonshire at Edgbaston.
South Group
There is only the one match in the South Group but it is a massive game for both Hampshire and Essex where it is win or bust for the pair of them. With both teams three points of the top four spots with three matches left, the loser of this one can officially kiss goodbye to a chance of making the quarter finals so this one is near enough a knockout clash.
Betting
I’ll go with just the one bet over the course of the afternoon and it comes in that match in the South Group where I expect Hampshire to see off Essex. Hampshire haven’t been at their best in this competition by any stretch of the imagination but they went to Chelmsford earlier in the competition and picked up the points with their best display of the season and I expect them to do the same here.
I think it is fair to say Hampshire have underachieved in this competition this season whereas I look at the Essex side and I think their league position reflects what they are. I think they are light with the bat and if you take Mohammad Amir out of it I don’t think they are much with the ball either. Hampshire’s big players are beginning to perform and even at 8/11 I think they are the bet in this one.
Tips
DEAD HEAT – Back Hampshire to beat Essex for a 4/10 stake at 1.73 with William Hill
Back them here: