We are almost at the end of the group stage of the Vitality Blast and we get a step closer to that on Friday evening when a full round of matches take place which could take us towards knowing the identity of the quarter finalists.
The Test match might be getting most of the attention on Friday but there is room in the schedule for a televised Blast game once play at Lord’s concludes. The other seven games will all be shown via the county live streams.
North Group
This is where the TV game will come from as the second Roses clash of the season takes place. After an epic between Yorkshire and Lancashire at Headingley earlier in the campaign, the two sides will battle it out at Old Trafford on Friday night with Yorkshire needing to win and hope results go their way over the weekend if they are to make the quarter final. Lancashire will book their last eight spot with a win. Elsewhere, the Birmingham Bears head the way and are on track for a home quarter final. They will confirm it if they win away to Nottinghamshire who secure their own knockout spot should they win. Worcestershire will also reach the quarter finals if they can win on Friday night. They host an already eliminated Durham while Derbyshire take on troubled Leicestershire in Derby.
South Group
The top two meet in the South Group at The Oval on Friday night when Somerset, who have already guaranteed a home quarter final, go up against Surrey who with their net run rate will pretty much guarantee their spot in the last eight should they win that match. There is a three into two dogfight on for the other two quarter final spots with the champions Hampshire leading the way. They are at home to Glamorgan while Kent in fourth host lowly Sussex. Essex are the other team in quarter final contention and they play host to Middlesex in what looks like the easiest game for that trio.
Special Offer
Sign up for a Boylesports account and bet £10 to get up to £20 in free bets! Perfect offer for this competition! Click the image below for this great offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware.
TV Match Betting
The TV game should offer up a very watchable game but the forecast for that part of the world on Friday evening is absolutely terrible and with little to no chance of a full game there is no real point in wasting time looking for bets which are only going to get voided so we’ll focus our attention elsewhere on Friday evening.
Other Match Betting
We have to dodge a lot of showers around the country on Friday evening but two places where we might get through unscathed interest me from a betting point of view with the first of those coming at Trent Bridge where Nottinghamshire take on a Birmingham Bears that they have already beaten this season. I think it is fair to say that Nottinghamshire aren’t the force they usually are in this competition but at the same time they look to have the bowling unit to get the job done here. Birmingham Bears have been the standout team in the competition but have qualified and as good as secured a home quarter final so it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility that they just ease up a touch. They are beginning to pick up a few too many absentees for my liking too with Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes still with England and Sam Hain and Danny Briggs out injured. Nottinghamshire have Imad Wasim and Olly Stone available for this one too. Nottinghamshire beat Birmingham at Edgbaston when Alex Hales was out cheaply and Sam Hain made 97 for the Bears. Hales doesn’t fail often and Hain isn’t playing so I fancy an Outlaws win here.
The other match which should dodge the worst of the weather comes from Canterbury where a surging 2021 champions Kent have found a real rich vein of form and now host a Sussex side who are already out of their competition and look to be carrying a few too many passengers in their team this season. Kent go into the match off the back of a resounding Championship win where Daniel Bell-Drummond continued to fill his boots and with Fred Klaassen back to strengthen the bowling attack Kent look good things to me. They won in Hove chasing 170 with six wickets to spare even though they were 28-3 at one stage. To be fair to Sussex, they have won three of their last four matches but Kent look a cut above and I think that can be shown in the final reckoning.
Tips
Back Nottinghamshire to beat Birmingham Bears for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with William Hill
Back them here:
Back Kent (-3.5 wickets/9.5 runs) to beat Sussex for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023
