The biggest day of the county cricket calendar is almost upon us as Edgbaston opens its doors to four of the best T20 teams in the county and a packed house for the Vitality Blast finals day, a unique day where the semi-finals and the final are played out on an extravaganza of cricket.
We’ll preview the two semi-finals elsewhere on this site but before we do, BetVictor have priced up the top batsman and top bowler on the day and it would be wrong of us not to attempt to take advantage of that. Before we preview them I’ll give my outright thoughts even though I’m not betting on the market. I’m a Hampshire fan and will be going to Edgbaston fully invested in Hampshire winning without betting on it!
Outright Thoughts
One of the reasons why I’m not getting involved in the outright market is because you can genuinely make a case for all four teams in the competition. Hampshire might feel their name is on the trophy after the escapes they have performed in the last six matches and they are the form team of the four on show. Somerset probably have the best batting side in the competition but you wonder if their bowling will stand up to the challenge.
Kent would have been by far and away the favourites for the title if Adam Milne was around for finals day but he isn’t and although they have wicket takers in their attack, they don’t have that fearsome threat anymore. Sussex have the best bowling attack on show on the day even without Rashid Khan but they look incredibly light with the bat, as highlighted by the fact they needed the Afghan ace to get them over the line in the quarter final. If I was absolutely forced into a bet I’d back Kent but there wouldn’t be much conviction with it.
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Top Batsman
There are bets that I do like though and the first of them come in the top batsman market. I guess when you look at this market you want to pick the finalists first and then your player might get two goes with the bat. I think Kent will be one of the two finalists but I can’t really pick the other so I’ll play some value from the other one.
In terms of the Kent player I like Zak Crawley. I think the longer the day goes on the more batting against the new ball will be key. He has played international cricket so the big crowd shouldn’t worry him and if the new ball comes onto the bat he is a perfect player to stand and dismiss it. Big players tend to turn up on the biggest day and with a huge point to prove a fantastic platform to prove it on he looks a decent price at 14/1. The other player I like is Tom Lammonby, a player who has shown in the last two Somerset matches and who is one of the few Somerset batsmen in any form after his ton against Lancashire in midweek. Lammonby announced himself in this competition with 90 off 36 in the final group game against Gloucestershire and then his unbeaten 47 off 28 in the quarter final showed all his class. This is a young Somerset side who could easily get into trouble early doors so the form man in the unit could be the one to be on.
Top Bowler
The same philosophy arrives with the bowler market as well in that we probably need players to make the final but there is good each way terms on the market so even were a bowler to take three wickets in a losing cause we might get some sort of a return so I’m not classing it as essential that we get a finalist, although obviously it would be nice.
Two players jump out as value here too. Scott Currie actually took four wickets in both meetings with Somerset this season and bowled as well as anyone in that amazing win for Hampshire in the quarter final over Nottinghamshire. Currie has only played eight of Hampshire’s 12 matches but he is their leading wicket taker and at 22/1 might be the value, especially if Hampshire make the final. I’ll also take a chance with Archie Lenham as well. Teams don’t get much joy out of the Sussex seam trio so someone will have to go and that someone on a day like this might well be the young leg-spinner. He’s quite canny for his age though and only Tymal Mills has more wickets than him for Sussex this season. That 30/1 could be very big.
Tips
Back Z.Crawley Top Finals Day Batsman (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 15.00 with BetVictor (1/4 1-4)
Back T.Lammonby Top Finals Day Batsman (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 29.00 with BetVictor (1/4 1-4)
Back S.Currie Top Finals Day Bowler (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 23.00 with BetVictor (1/4 1-4)
Back A.Lenham Top Finals Day Bowler (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 31.00 with BetVictor (1/4 1-4)
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