There is a full round of NatWest T20 Blast matches on Friday night with eight games in all including a TV match from Trent Bridge. The 16 sides in action will be looking for wins to bump them into the top four with the tables just starting to take shape. We’ll begin as ever with the TV game.
Nottinghamshire vs Derbyshire
Local bragging rights are at stake at Trent Bridge where the runs have been absolutely plundered in the last week and hopefully the Outlaws have saved a few for us all to enjoy in this match.
It has been a pretty inauspicious start for the home side to this tournament with a solitary win from three matches so they will need to kick themselves into 20 over form here but the arrival of Andre Russell should take care of that. They can always fall back on the form of the 50 over competition where they are scoring runs like they are going out of fashion.
Derbyshire are the opposite of Nottinghamshire in this tournament. They have won two of their three matches with good wins too over former champions Lancashire and Leicestershire and there isn’t too much harm in losing to a rampant Northants side at the time. They’ve also been in good form in the Royal London One Day Cup so don’t write Derbyshire off.
When I heard this was this week’s game I was probably going to shade a bet on the Falcons although I never like doing that but thankfully Andre Russell turning up has soon given me a reason to run for the hills in that regard but there is still one bet I’m going to chance.
Paddy Power are offering even money on Hamish Rutherford to hit a six and on this ground that is a real risk they are taking. I say that purely because Rutherford is a left hander so no matter where this match is played on the square that New Stand is going to be in reach for him to the leg side from bowling from the Pavilion End. If they play towards the other side there will be a short boundary there too so the Kiwi is always going to have a short boundary on show.
He’s a huge hitter at the best of times but he has been in savage form in the last couple of weeks. He destroyed Worcestershire with a barrage of sixes in the 50 over competition earlier in the week and has taken Lancashire to the cleaners in this tournament too. At even money I can’t resist a punt on him sticking one over the rope at some point.
Non TV Matches – North Group
The other three matches in the group see the top two Worcestershire and Northamptonshire going at it again at New Road. Northants won their first meeting which was Worcestershire’s only loss but the Steelbacks are riddled by injuries and as such Worcestershire have to be the call there.
Northants are without Rory Kleinveldt and Richard Levi – two big players for them. Olly Stone is also missing for the rest of the season and between that trip they accounted for three wickets and 44 runs from 25 in the reverse meeting.
I don’t think the return of Moeen did Worcestershire any favours in that match last week. It meant they had to shuffle their batting line up around but their order was their strength prior to that and really they never got going with the bat. I fancy it will be different here though so I’m with the Rapids.
Away from New Road we have Lancashire hosting Leicestershire at Old Trafford in a match I don’t really have a feel for and also Birmingham against Yorkshire. Yorkshire have been consistent in this tournament so far in that they’ve lost every match they have played but they have Kane Williamson over now which could make a difference.
I was tempted by Birmingham until I saw the odds. Birmingham blood a number of youngsters around the experienced players in this competition and while that doesn’t stop them from winning matches I’m not sure I want to take cramped odds against a Yorkshire side who while looking pretty poor in this tournament so far do have dangerous players in the likes of Willey, Williamson, Plunkett and Rashid.
Non TV Matches – South Group
Four matches in the South as well on Friday with Hampshire the only side not in action. It all begins with Somerset hosting Surrey and I like the home side here I have to say. These two met in the 50 over competition on Wednesday with Somerset winning quite comfortably although the rain did have a large say.
The main reason I like Somerset here is because Surrey were involved in this tournament on Thursday night against Hampshire in a match which finished around 9pm so by the time they had warmed down and done all the media and things that would have been 10.30ish and then they had to get up the next day and head to Taunton for a 5.30pm start. That is tough.
Somerset have no such issues in that regard and they have Chris Gayle added to the side which won on Wednesday so that extra firepower combined with the scheduling issues Surrey have and the fact Surrey haven’t completely convinced yet in that they beat a nothing Hampshire side on Thursday who may have been reeling from the death of one of their young players, that makes me take Somerset here.
Sussex vs Kent and Essex vs Middlesex are two very good looking games that are not on TV on Friday but I do like a bet in the latter one of those. If forced into a bet in the game at Hove I’d probably choose Sussex but I’m on them outright and I’m not a great odds on backer especially against extremely competent sides like Kent are.
Sixes should be the order of the day at Chelmsford. Anyone who needed a reminded as to how accessible these boundaries are got it with the opening match that Sky covered where there were 11 sixes and when you look at this Middlesex line up you’ve got to think we’re going to go big here.
Middlesex’s top order could feasibly be Brendon McCullum, Dawid Malan, Paul Stirling, Eoin Morgan, Nick Gubbins and John Simpson. That screams power without mentioning the likes of James Franklin.
We know all about Essex’s batting. Jesse Ryder, Ravi Bopara and Ryan ten Doeschate are all well established in hitting balls out of the park but they have some talented youngsters who can all flourish as well and with neither bowling attack being watertight I’m expecting the sixes to really flow here.
At Bristol Gloucestershire take on Glamorgan. Glamorgan could be value at odds against but I’d need to know Jacques Rudolph is ok to play before I get involved so I’ll probably sit that one out because he took a blow to the wrist on Wednesday and they can flare up at any time.
Tips
VOID – Back H.Rutherford to hit a six for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Paddy Power
Back it here:
WON – Back Worcestershire to beat Northamptonshire for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Betfair
Back them here:
WON – Back Somerset to beat Surrey for a 4/10 stake at 1.95 with Unibet
Back them here:
WON – Back Essex vs Middlesex – Over 12.5 sixes for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Coral
Back it here:
