We have two matches in the NatWest T20 Blast on Tuesday evening with both groups having a fixture each in what is shaping up to be an important couple of weeks before the first stage of the tournament concludes.
One of the matches gets the TV treatment which is the North Group clash while the other match will be on the various radio outputs and the social media feeds and things. For once the weather looks to be playing ball so we’ll begin with the TV game.
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Northamptonshire vs Birmingham Bears
Two sides who are going along nicely in this tournament so far meet in a big game on Tuesday evening with top spot up for grabs for the winners. Not only would the winners go top but they would move to within a couple of wins of securing a quarter final spot.
Northants have only lost once since the opening night of the competition which was in a rain affected affair at Nottingham where they had a decent score on the board. Birmingham Bears have won their last three completed matches so this should be a good game.
Generally Northants have had the edge between these two in recent times but I’ve a feeling Birmingham can get the better of them here. Northants usually rely on squeezing sides in the middle overs but with Graeme White out injured and Seekhuge Prasanna not coming over due to injury they might not be able to do that here. Earlier in the season Birmingham looked light with the bat but the signing of Adam Hose changed all that and they now look very well balanced and worthy of support given the home absentees.
The aforementioned Hose has settled in nicely at Edgbaston and his knock on Sunday ensured the Bears came past Lancashire and at 11/2 he is a decent price to top score for them again. His quick fire 76 follows up a 59 against Middlesex before he left Somerset so he is in decent nick and given that he’ll avoid the new ball where Northants are at their most dangerous he is worthy of support.
Hampshire vs Kent
Two sides in need of a win clash at the Ageas Bowl when Hampshire take on Kent in a big South Group match. Hampshire picked up a win last time out to move into the top four but they face losing that spot to Kent if they lose here.
Kent go into this match off the back of a defeat to Glamorgan at the weekend. That in itself is no concern but one area where they should be worried is the amount of runs they are conceding in the tournament. That was the third time they have shipped 190 or more in just eight matches and one of those was rain affected. Their batsmen bailed them out in two of those games but they can’t keep doing it.
Hampshire have shown no consistency at all in this competition. They had a good win over Gloucestershire on Friday night but had lost their last three prior to that and are without Michael Carberry for this match leaving them with just James Vince to have scored more than 150 runs for them who will feature.
Hampshire’s batting struggles goes up against Kent’s bowling difficulties and whoever wins that battle will probably win the match. There is probably value on Kent but I don’t trust their attack enough to back them so I’ll sit this out given that Hampshire are a rotten price.
Tips
WON – Back Birmingham Bears to beat Northamptonshire for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Leovegas
Back them here:
Back A.Hose Top Birmingham Bears Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 6.50 with Betfair
Back him here:
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