There are two matches in the NatWest T20 Blast on Thursday night including a match on the television as we build up for an important weekend in the competition. Both groups are in focus on the evening with a game in each so it could be an important evening for the four sides involved.
Durham face Worcestershire in the North Group while the TV action comes from the South Group clash between Kent and Sussex at Canterbury. We’ll start off with that match.
Kent vs Sussex
Kent go into this match surprisingly low on results in this competition although I’m sure they’ll be the first to admit they’ve thrown a couple of good positions away. Their last two matches have seen them take sustained beatings though and that isn’t good.
Sussex are much higher up in the table even though the rain hasn’t been kind to them but there are no weather issues for this match and they will be looking to take advantage of that and firm up their position in the top four ahead of the rest of the group campaign.
Kent miss a couple of key men for this match which could prove crucial. Daniel Bell-Drummond and Matt Coles are both out with injuries and while Tom Latham and Kagiso Rabada replace them I’m not sure they help the balance of the Kent side. Coles is a big hitter down the order and they’ll lack that and have quite a long tail now.
Sussex welcome Chris Jordan back after England released him to play and they have Nuwan Kulasekara making his debut in the match and with Luke Wright, Danny Briggs, Tymal Mills and Ross Taylor all around this Sussex side aren’t lacking for internationals.
Given that Kent have taken a couple of bashings recently and Sussex are probably as strong now as they have been at any stage in the tournament I have to go with the visitors to complete the double over Kent having won the reverse fixture earlier in the season.
Durham vs Worcestershire
Worcestershire absolutely battered Durham on the opening night of the tournament courtesy of Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s fantastic century and they’ve been going generally the better of the two sides up until recently when they went to Lancashire and got rolled over 53 last week.
That result is a concern and I would need to see a decent performance from them again before I can part with any cash on them winning this one but on the flip side Durham have never truly been convincing in this format of the match and even Ben Stokes’ place in the side isn’t enough to tempt me in. I’ll sit this one out.
Tips
Back Sussex to beat Kent for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Bwin
Back them here:
