It is the penultimate night of the group stages in the NatWest T20 Blast on Thursday with four matches taking place across the two groups and for most of the sides in action judgement day has arrived.
With two days left in the regular season seven sides can make the top four in the North Group while all nine can still progress in the South Group. Despite the day-night Test clashing with these matches we have a TV game which comes from the North Group. The other three games will be well covered elsewhere.
North Group
It is do or die for Yorkshire in the TV match on Thursday night. They host Northamptonshire knowing they have to win to have any chance of making it into the top four. A defeat ends their campaign. Northants have two bites of the cherry but a win here will secure their quarter final spot. The other match in the North is big too. Derbyshire can all but secure a home quarter final if they can win at Leicestershire with the Foxes needing to win to stay alive.
South Group
Gloucestershire finish their campaign on Thursday night when they head to The Oval to take on Surrey. Both sides are on 12pts and could still qualify but both are going to have to win in order to keep their hopes alive. In the other match Essex host Kent in a match where the winners keep their chances alive and the losers will be near enough out.
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Betting
I’m going with two bets over the course of the evening with the first of them coming in the TV match where I am taking on Yorkshire because the price on the champions is huge. In truth I don’t think there is too much between these two sides although Northamptonshire know how to perform at this end of the tournament and Yorkshire aren’t quite so accustomed to it.
Northants have Josh Cobb back for this one so their batting is at full strength and their bowling is always so underrated. Yorkshire rely too much on their top four for my liking and if Kleinveldt, Gleeson or Azharullah have a day out that unit could be decimated and if Yorkshire end up playing catch up here I’m not sure they will manage it. Northants are a massive price here and have my money.
Talking of sides who lack batting depth I’ve long since thought Essex are a batsman light with Adam Wheater and Ashar Zaidi in their top five and Kent look the perfect side to take advantage of that now that Adam Milne is back in their ranks. Essex have won their last three but their bowlers haven’t been put under pressure.
They will be under pressure from the likes of Bell-Drummond, Denly and Northeast and if the Kent batsmen get on top I’m not sure Essex have the firepower with the willow to fight back. Kent gave Essex a walloping at the start of the tournament and I think they can keep their hopes alive with a win here too. At odds against I’m on the Spitfires here.
Tips
Back Northamptonshire to beat Yorkshire for a 4/10 stake at 2.25 with Winner Sports
Back them here:
WON – Back Kent to beat Essex for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Betbright
Back them here:
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