There is almost a full round of NatWest T20 Blast matches on Friday night and hopefully now we’ve moved into July the weather can start to play ball and the rest of the competition can pass through without delays and the like.
On Friday there is a TV match which is the second Roses clash of the competition and then there are six other matches up and down the country away from the cameras. We’ll begin with the Roses battle.
Yorkshire vs Lancashire
Lancashire head into this match knowing they have won the last three Roses battles and the match earlier in the season at Old Trafford saw them beat the strongest Yorkshire will be all season. They are nowhere near as strong in this renewal with all their England players away on ODI duty.
Yorkshire have only won one match this season in the Blast and they were by no means guaranteed to win that had the rain not arrived when it did when they were one run ahead of Derbyshire but with the likes of David Willey, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett you would expect them to struggle.
Lancashire are going to be without Martin Guptill and Jos Buttler from the first meeting between these two but they go into the match off the back of having thrashed Worcestershire last week and with a solid bowling attack they will be full of confidence.
Yorkshire will have a big crowd behind them but on the pitch Lancashire aren’t too far behind in the batting quality, if they are behind at all, and for me they are better with the ball so I expect them to complete the double over their arch rivals here.
North Group – Non TV Matches
The other matches in this group sees Nottinghamshire hosting Durham at Trent Bridge, Worcestershire host Derbyshire at New Road and then the match of the night sees the top two going head to head when Birmingham host Northamptonshire at Edgbaston.
I’m not taking any bets in these matches although I’m tempted by Northants at Edgbaston, a ground they have had plenty of success on in the past and seem to enjoy playing at but ultimately taking on Birmingham and the forecast of showers might not be the best idea.
In the other matches I don’t see beyond Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire winning but with showers in the area and Worcestershire having the lengthy trip back from Durham to overcome I will avoid a bet there.
South Group – Non TV Matches
The second Somerset vs Gloucestershire derby steals the show in the South on Friday night with the other two matches seeing Essex hosting Kent at Chelmsford and Sussex facing Middlesex at Hove.
I’m going to leave the Essex and Kent game alone because Kent played on Thursday but I will get involved in the other two. Since the opening night of the season the only match Gloucestershire have lost was to the group leaders Glamorgan and they head into this match knowing a win will send them top of the table.
Somerset hit a good run of form but the rain has begun to get involved in their matches and they have come out on the losing side of a couple of matches which has stalled their progress and they could do with a win here just to rebuild a bit of a platform to finish on.
Gloucestershire are my pick here though. They are in exceptional form and with a solid bowling attack and some of the most in form batsmen in county cricket right now that is a combination which can send them to another win.
Sussex have to get up again after the defeat to Kent on Thursday night and that is never an easy thing to do. Not only that but they are without Chris Jordan now and a very light batting line up that they took to Canterbury has just got even lighter which has to be far from ideal.
Middlesex aren’t the best side in the world and have lost Brendon McCullum now but George Bailey has arrived so they do have a capable replacement and McCullum leaving will allow Paul Stirling to move back to opening the batting and we can expect him to flourish.
Sussex almost lose two players in one with Jordan away and with the schedule going against them this just feels like the right time to go against them with a Middlesex side who look slightly overpriced at solid odds against.
NatWest T20 Blast Tips
Back Lancashire to beat Yorkshire for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Boylesports
WON – Back Gloucestershire to beat Somerset for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Boylesports
Back Middlesex to beat Sussex for a 4/10 stake at 2.15 with Boylesports
Back them all here:
