The Royal London One Day Cup begins on Sunday with six matches in total as the county circuit braces itself for a fortnight of thick and fast 50 over action. There are three matches in each group on Sunday and we have a television match as well. We’ll kick things off as always with the TV match.
Somerset vs Gloucestershire
Defending champions Gloucestershire get their title defence underway with a trip to their arch rivals Somerset on Sunday and they will be hoping to make a fast start to their campaign like they have done in the NatWest T20 Blast. Somerset will also be looking for a winning start so we have a competitive match here even without their rivalry.
Somerset had played two and lost them both prior to Chris Gayle going a bit mad on the Essex attack on Friday night but there is no Gayle for the Cidermen in this match and that is a concern because with Marcus Trescothick not playing one day cricket their batting looks very light. Their bowling doesn’t look too much stronger either.
Gloucestershire bat deep. That was a key element to their success in this competition last season and they have a canny bowling attack that uses its variations in the necessary way and the early signs of their white ball cricket have suggested that they might go close to defending this title.
I really like this match from a betting point of view. I usually do like Somerset matches because they are so overrated by bookmakers it is untrue. I don’t see how they are favourites here. Maybe if they had Gayle I could understand it but they don’t. We saw last year how well suited Gloucestershire are to this format and I’ve no hesitation in backing them again here at odds against.
I’m happy to take over 54.5 boundaries too. This is a tiny ground and the wicket here is very good for batting and with the cricket that has been played here recently and the fact Sky are in town I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re on the edge of the square, or away from the dead middle anyway.
While it would be fair to say that neither side are full of power this format doesn’t need that with all the fielding restrictions so I’m quite confident that the boundaries will flow here. When these two met here in 2013 there were 64 boundaries in a 40 over contest. I’m expecting similar here.
I’ll also chance one in the man of the match market where Benny Howell looks a big price at 16/1. He is in decent form. In the two T20 matches Gloucestershire played at the end of last week he bagged a couple of wickets in both and he smashed a ton and bagged three more wickets in a four day game for the second eleven prior to that.
Howell is the sort of player who makes an impact on this ground. He bowls accurate medium pace with plenty of pace variations and he gives it a tonk with the bat in his hand. He should be in the game throughout so I’ll have a go at him at 16s.
Non TV Matches – South Group
The other two matches in the South sees Hampshire hosting Essex and Kent playing host to Surrey at Beckenham which technically should make Surrey at home with Beckenham being actually in Surrey!
I’m not getting involved in the Kent vs Surrey match. They look fairly evenly matched but I’ll be hoping Kent can get off to a winning start for the outright bet. I will get stuck into the other match though.
Again I’m surprised Hampshire are the favourites in their match with Essex. Unlike in the T20 where they were extremely lucky to edge out Kent on Thursday to avoid being 0 from 3 in that competition, they have no Shahid Afridi and no Darren Sammy here. They have no James Vince either so this is going to be a young Hampshire side taking the field.
That certainly isn’t the case with Essex. While they will be without Wahab Riaz from their 20 over side I’m not sure that’s a massive loss because he hasn’t had much of an impact on things so far for the Eagles. Essex are very strong with the bat though and it is that which interests me.
If Hampshire were at full strength, or even close to it then I could understand these odds but they’re nowhere near that strong so Essex have to be the call in this one.
Non TV Matches – North Group
The three matches in this group see Lancashire taking on Warwickshire in probably the match of the day in this group. Leicestershire host Durham while Worcestershire take on Derbyshire.
I’ve a sneaky feeling for Warwickshire up at Lancashire because the schedulers really haven’t been too kind to the home side there. This will be their third successive day of cricket which isn’t easy but Warwickshire are yet to name their squad and that isn’t ideal.
If Durham play as abjectly as they did at Leicester in the T20 on Saturday then it could be carnage for them again but I can’t believe they will be as bad again. With no Umar Akmal that one has a trappy feel about it so I’ll sit that one out.
Worcestershire are worthy favourites to see off Derbyshire though in my eyes. Worcestershire have begun their white ball season very strongly. It was unfortunate that they lost at Northants in the T20 on Friday night but I’m not going to hold that against them too much because again the scheduling went against them.
Derbyshire have gone ok in the T20 in fairness but I’m a little concerned I have to admit. They have restricted both Lancashire and Leicestershire to rubbish totals but Jimmy Neesham played a large part in that and he isn’t around here while Wes Durston was a big miss with the bat on Friday night when Derbyshire laboured to a tiny chase and he’s still missing here which is less than ideal.
Unless Hamish Rutherford does something huge I just don’t see where Derbyshire get the job done with this squad. Then there’s the off field issues with the coach suddenly resigning and Derbyshire aren’t an attractive proposition at the minute. Worcestershire certainly are and I’ll back them accordingly.
Tips
Back Gloucestershire to beat Somerset for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Winner Sports
Back them here:
Back Somerset vs Gloucestershire – Over 54.5 boundaries for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with William Hill
Back it here:
WON – Back Essex to beat Hampshire for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Boylesports
Back them here:
Back Worcestershire to beat Derbyshire for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Bet365
Back them here:
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