The NatWest T20 Blast kicks off with six matches on the opening night on Friday as the domestic T20 competition gets underway with a televised match and a host of good looking games as the event kicks off with a bang.
Essex vs Surrey gets the first TV treatment of the tournament and then there are matches at Worcester, Bristol, Leicester, Trent Bridge and Canterbury. We’ll begin our opening night preview with the TV match.
Essex vs Surrey TV Game
Essex begin their campaign this season looking to improve on their quarter final showing from last year where they offered up little answer to the Birmingham Bears but that was still much more than Surrey offered in the 2015 season. They were very disappointing and never troubled the qualification places in the group.
Essex look to have put a decent squad together this season. They have begun well in the County Championship and with Jesse Ryder being joined by Wahab Riaz to share the overseas duties they look at full strength. If there is a weakness in Essex it is with a lack of solid spin options but Westley, Bopara and ten Doeschate can take pace off the ball.
Surrey have recruited a number of overseas players for this season but the main ones – Aaron Finch and Dwayne Bravo are still in the IPL so they won’t be featuring here. That gives Surrey a weaker looking feel, especially with the bat and all the more if Jason Roy and Kumar Sangakkara were not to fire for any reason.
I respect Surrey’s attack enough not to take Essex to win this match although they would be favoured if I was betting on the match outcome. I will play the boundaries though. Sky are employing some space hopper looking thing as their commentary box for this series and it looks like that is getting dumped on the outfield.
The outfield here is small enough anyway without some monstrosity taking up what little space there is so I’m expecting the boundaries to be smaller square than usual which means they will be accessible. I’m going for boundaries over sixes as this is the first game of the season but I wouldn’t be surprised if both lines get covered.
Non TV Matches – South Group
Gloucestershire take on my tournament pick Sussex in the earlier of the two non TV games in the South. I’m expecting Sussex to come through here but this could go either way with Jordan and Mustafizur still at the IPL so Gloucestershire might be getting Sussex at the right time. I’m going to give this one a swerve and focus on the other match in the group.
That sees Kent facing Somerset in a match where bookmakers have Somerset as favourites but I don’t see that I have to say. Maybe later in the tournament when Mahela Jayawardena and Chris Gayle are available for the Cidermen I could understand it but in the here and now when they are not I make Kent favourites.
Kent topped this group in fine style last season and their young players have more experience now so I’m expecting big things from the likes of Alex Blake, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Northeast in particular. Tom Latham will play here as will James Tredwell while Matt Coles is back from suspension.
No Gayle and no Jayawardena leaves a hole in the Somerset batting as does the decision not to play Marcus Trescothick so what was once a feared Somerset powerful batting line up isn’t really that at all anymore. Yasir Arafat offers quality with the ball while the Overton twins, Gregory and Groenewald will all have their days in this tournament.
In terms of a balanced side and potential match winners I think most are with Kent and I like them here. Tredwell and Cowdrey are hard to get away while Coles and Claydon pick up wickets throughout. Kent bat deep which you have to do in this tournament and they look fantastic value to kick off with a win.
Non TV Matches – North Group
There are three matches from the North on the opening night as well with Worcestershire hosting Durham, Leicestershire taking on Northants and Nottinghamshire welcoming Birmingham Bears to town in what looks the pick of the matches on paper.
Bookmakers can’t split Leicestershire and last year’s runners up Northants and I have to say I can’t get a feeling for that either. Both sides are ones I have earmarked as teams to watch and observe before I make judgements on them. On recent history you would make Northants’ favourites but David Willey’s departure does leave a huge hole.
I’ve a feeling for Birmingham in their match at Trent Bridge but they are another side I just want to see how they line up but they’ve been in good nick in this competition for a couple of years and with Nottinghamshire missing some key players from seasons gone by there should be an opening for the visitors but I’ll play safe and keep things tight for the opening night.
I am happy to bet in the other match though where Worcestershire look a standout bet to me. Durham have never really got involved in the business end of this competition and I’m not sure they are any better suited to it this season either.
Worcestershire have made the quarter finals in each of the last two seasons and having signed Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner for the start of the tournament they are in place to go well again. Not having Moeen Ali is a bit of a blow but Santner’s spin helps to negate that loss.
I think Worcestershire are better balanced here and better suited to this wicket and they are my pick to get off to a good start this season.
Tips
WON – Back Essex vs Surrey – Over 39.5 boundaries for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with William Hill
Back it here:
WON – Back Worcestershire to beat Durham for a 4/10 stake at 1.87 with Unibet
Back them here:
WON – Back Kent to beat Somerset for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Coral
Back them here:
