There are two matches in the Vitality Blast on Wednesday evening with one in each of the two groups as we continue to head towards the conclusion of the group phase and getting to know the quarter final line up.
Every match is beginning to take on extra significance now but unfortunately despite that we don’t have any TV coverage of these games to enjoy. We can watch them on the county live streams though so it is still possible to follow them.
Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire (18.30)
The North Group contest is do or die for the two teams involved when Northamptonshire play host to Derbyshire in a match in which the one which loses will see their quarter final hopes dashed so there is all to play for at Wantage Road.
Northamptonshire go into the contest off the back of two very good and emphatic wins over Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire but this will be their third match in four days and having been to Leeds and back on Tuesday evening the schedule might just be going against them here. Derbyshire head to Northampton having lost just one of their last four matches and having not played since Sunday they will be much the fresher of the two teams for sure. Derbyshire have the third leading scorer in the competition in Wayne Madsen and three bowlers who have 15 wickets or more. The concern for Northants is their batting. They only have one player to have scored more than 250 runs this term and on a blinding hot day you’d think conditions will suit run scoring. I never like backing the team who played the night before and with Derbyshire the fresher and potentially the class act with the bat on their side in Madsen I think they are overpriced in this one.
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Glamorgan vs Somerset (18.30)
The South Group contest is a big one for the home side when Glamorgan take on rivals Somerset in Cardiff with the Welsh outfit knowing there isn’t a huge amount of wiggle room if they are to make it through to the quarter finals.
Somerset are near enough assured of a quarter final spot and will all but secure it with a win here but they will have their hopes set on guaranteeing a home match in the last eight which will probably act as more motivation for them here. Glamorgan started the competition in good touch but there was always a concern about their bowling and with batting injuries coming at the wrong time their team is being tested to the full and it is showing. Ordinarily I would be all over Somerset here but Roelof van der Merwe went down with an injury in the win over Essex on Monday night and he joins Peter Siddle on the sidelines while as part of the Somerset rotation Matt Henry and Lewis Gregory miss this match too. I still expect Somerset to have enough to get the job done here but they are plenty short enough and those absences sway me from getting involved in the handicap. I’ll give this one a miss.
Tips
Back Derbyshire to beat Northamptonshire for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with William Hill
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