It is the final day of the Vitality Blast group action on Sunday with all 18 counties playing their final match of the first part of the competition and with quarter final places up for grabs we are all set for a fascinating conclusion to this opening stage of the event.
We are lucky enough to have one of the nine matches on show on TV but as we’ve seen throughout the competition the other matches will all be available to watch on the various live streams offered up by the counties so there’s no need to miss anything of what could be a dramatic final day.
North Group
We know the two quarter finalists from this group and we also know that Nottinghamshire will top the table and host a last eight clash regardless of the result in their clash with Durham. It is a big game for Durham though as they could sneak through as one of the best third placed sides with a win. Lancashire are in the quarter finals too but will need to beat Leicestershire to have a chance of being at home in the last eight. Leicestershire need to win and hope results elsewhere go their way in order for them to make it into the quarter finals. The other game in the group sees Derbyshire taking on Yorkshire at Headingley in a clash between the bottom two who can’t qualify.
Central Group
Gloucestershire sit on top of the Central Group going into the last round of matches and it would take something special for them not to stay top but they can guarantee it when they host Somerset down at Bristol. That is a match that Somerset know if they win they will be into the quarter finals but if they don’t they will probably miss out. Birmingham Bears currently occupy second spot but their negative net run rate leaves them exposed to Somerset and the team they face on Sunday in Northants. Northants know that a win in this match will see them through if Durham don’t win. The other match comes from Worcester where Worcestershire will end their poor campaign with a home match against Glamorgan.
South Group
It is in the South Group where the televised action will come from. That is the match at The Oval where Surrey take on Kent top spot in the group is on the line. Surrey will top the group and host a quarter final if they win or lose narrowly but a big Kent win will see them topping the table and being at home next week. Kent are through either way so they are basically playing for home advantage. Sussex are the other side hoping to progress from the group. They will guarantee a last eight spot if they win at current champions Essex whose campaign hasn’t really ever got going. The same can be said for Hampshire and they end their misery with a home clash against Middlesex.
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TV Match Betting
I’ll go with a couple of bets over the course of the televised match on Sunday. The first of those is on Kent to beat Surrey. I always think it is hard for teams who don’t have a whole lot to play for when they come up against a side who need something from a match and that is the case with Surrey here. They are through and barring a monster loss they’ll host a quarter final. Kent are playing for home advantage in the next round and probably have to win to get it with Lancashire likely to win elsewhere on the day. Kent have Sam Billings back to strengthen their batting and with their bowling going pretty well this season I think the Spitfires have enough to see off a Surrey side who have added Hashim Amla to their already lengthy list of missing players. Barring Jason Roy teeing off I think Kent have enough to get it done.
Given how he has often been used in this tournament as just a batsman I wonder if it is worth backing Jamie Overton to be the top Surrey batsman at 25/1. He showed against Sussex here recently that he can belt a long ball and while the top score was beyond him by then he is not averse to a good cameo in the middle order. His last three innings in this competitive have been 30, 29 and 40* so if Kent can keep the top order quiet there is a big run in him at a silly price.
Other Matches
There isn’t a huge amount that takes my fancy elsewhere but I do like Gloucestershire to beat Somerset. The Somerset batting line up relies a little too much on Babar Azam for my liking and while he’s the best in the world in this format even he can’t do it all the time. Once you get past him there are a lot of youngsters, who while talented won’t be used to the pressure of a knockout match. Somerset’s bowling has been an issue this summer too and while Northants collapsed against it on Friday night, I’m not convinced Gloucestershire will go the same way. Gloucestershire have played good cricket this season and look in decent order with bat and ball and the 10/11 on them winning looks decent enough to me.
The other bet I like is for David Wiese to cover his 27.5pt performance line against Essex. Wiese has batted seven times in this tournament and the only time he hasn’t gone past this total with the bat was Friday against a Middlesex team who surprisingly kept him quiet. That highlights the potential for him covering it with the bat but it would be a surprise if with the likes of Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan away at the IPL and Tymal Mills’ fitness never to be trusted if Wiese doesn’t bowl a bit. He’s a senior player too so he’ll field in the key positions and for a player who will bat no lower than five and hopefully bowl this line just looks too low.
Tips
Back Kent to beat Surrey for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with Boylesports
Back them here:
Back J.Overton Top Surrey Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Betfred
WON – Back Gloucestershire to beat Somerset for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Coral
Back them here:
Back D.Wiese’s Performance – Over 27.5pts for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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