After the crazy high of the Vitality Blast finals day we are back down to the more sedately paced LV County Championship on Tuesday as the red ball game comes to the attention of the county scene ahead of the Test series next month.
These matches will begin in an absolute heatwave so you would imagine the tosses will be all important. The TV is concentrating on the ODI series so we are left with the county streams to be able to watch these matches.
Division One
All 10 sides are in action in the top division this week which means the focus will be on what will be a scorching hot The Oval as the leaders Surrey play host to the former champions Essex who could fire themselves right into the title shake up with a win here. Hampshire came from the dead to win the Vitality Blast and they will look to keep their Championship hopes alive when they go to Cheltenham to take on bottom of the pile Gloucestershire. Lancashire were the ones on the wrong end of that Hampshire comeback and they’ll look to put that behind them when they head to Wantage Road to take on Northamptonshire, who despite only having one win to their name sit fifth in the table. The two losing semi-finalists at Edgbaston on Saturday meet at Taunton where Somerset host Yorkshire. The other match comes from Edgbaston where Warwickshire host Kent in a match where the losers will be looking over their shoulder in terms of relegation.
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Division Two
Things are hotting up in the second division and the two teams leading the chase for promotion are both in action on Tuesday. Nottinghamshire currently lead the way by 21 points and they head to Derbyshire looking to consolidate that position. Derbyshire are in fifth beginning the week but are just 14 points off the promotion slots so they will be looking for a victory which moves them right into the mix. Middlesex are the team Derbyshire are chasing. They host lowly Sussex at Lord’s in the other match to get going on Tuesday.
Betting
Surrey are the runaway leaders of this division and haven’t lost a match this season but I still think Essex are overpriced to win at The Oval. Although they are flying, three of the last four Surrey wins have been by four wickets and three wickets twice so those matches could have gone either way. For this match they are without some key players in the Curran brothers and Jamie Smith and although Ollie Pope is back there isn’t a genuine spinner in the side and in the midst of a heatwave you think that is the big necessity this week.
Essex are in decent form themselves having won their last three matches and while their margins of victory haven’t always been great, in their three wins they have beaten Lancashire and Hampshire who are two decent sides and now they have everyone available with Sam Cook back from the England Lions. The key to this match could be their kingpin Simon Harmer. I refuse to believe with 40 degree temperatures in the capital on the opening day and barely any rain forecast throughout the match that this pitch isn’t going to turn square at some point. He is the leading wicket taker in the competition and could fill his boots here. He’ll be supported by Matt Critchley and Dan Lawrence and with those two, Alastair Cook and Tom Westley around there is a seriously good batting line up for Essex. They are overpriced here.
Tips
Back Essex to beat Surrey for a 3/10 stake at 2.75 with William Hill
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