The first stage of the LV= County Championship concludes this week when the last of the 10 group phase matches take place up and down the country over four days which are very big for a number of sides looking to quality for Division One of the next stage.
The top two in each group will head to Division One when the competition returns after the Royal London One Day Cup and it is those six sides who will compete for the title so there is plenty of incentive for those teams yet to book their spot in the top two of their section this week.
Group 1
This is the tightest group of the lot with four sides still in with a chance of claiming one of the two Division One spots. Nottinghamshire are in pole position as they sit on top of the table heading into the last set of matches. They head to third placed Durham knowing a defeat could see them miss out completely. A Durham win in that match and they are definitely in Division One when the competition returns. Warwickshire have their destiny in their own hands. They head to Worcestershire knowing if they win they will be playing Division One cricket in September. The other match comes from Derby where an Essex win over Derbyshire could yet get them into the top group for the next phase.
Group 2
We pretty much have a straight knockout for the second Division One spot in Group 2 this week. That comes from Cheltenham where second placed Gloucestershire play host to third placed Hampshire. Just six points separate the two heading into the match so the winners will play in Division One. Somerset need the worst performance of their season not to make it through but they do have to go The Oval to take on a Surrey side who won’t lay down. Middlesex take their final match to Northwood for what is a dead rubber against Leicestershire.
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Group 3
Things are a lot more straightforward in Group 3 as we already know that Yorkshire and Lancashire will go through to Division One and they meet to determine who wins the group at Headingley this week. Just two points separate fourth placed Glamorgan and third placed Northamptonshire heading into their final match in Cardiff while Kent take on Sussex at Canterbury with three points between those sides but whatever happens there they will occupy the final two spots in the table.
Betting
Glamorgan aren’t getting a lot of respect in this competition at the minute but I’m going to take them again here even though I’m not a massive fan of betting on a dead rubber. If it wasn’t the final Championship match of the season for Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser I might have thought better of it but those two men will want to end their campaign on a high and that might be all the motivation the Welsh side need to deliver the goods.
Glamorgan got me a push last week when the rain and other things got in the way of their match at Sussex. Those two Australians missed that match so they have even more reason to put on a show here. Northants aren’t really playing for anything here and I would imagine they’ll give some key players a rest with the One Day Cup on the horizon which with all the players from other counties heading to The Hundred, is a competition they could do well in. I see Glamorgan having more motivation here and the 10/11 on them winning this one feels decent enough.
Tips
Back Glamorgan to beat Northamptonshire (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Coral
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