The Vitality Blast returns from a couple of days off on Wednesday with one match in the South Group as Sussex host Hampshire to then put every county on 10 games ahead of the last week and a bit of games in the opening phase of the competition.
These two met at the Utilita Bowl earlier in the group stage and Sussex ran out pretty comfortable winners. They can consolidate their quarter final hopes with a win here while Hampshire might need to win out to get out of the group so this is a big local derby. We need the Sussex live stream to follow the action.
Sussex
This has been a very promising season as a whole for Sussex but particularly in the Vitality Blast where they sit second in the South Group with six wins and three defeats from their nine matches. That has come around a positive showing in the County Championship so the vibe at Hove should be very much a buoyant one. A win here would move Sussex three points clear of fifth spot and actually that far clear of second place so they wouldn’t just be in a good position to reach the quarter finals but also host it should they get there.
The one thing you would say about this Sussex team is that their bowling has been quite expensive this season. That isn’t ideal, although it might be that the indifferent weather leading to wet balls and things like that haven’t helped. In their nine matches though Sussex have conceded 170 or more in seven of them with the two games they didn’t leak that many coming against Gloucestershire who are nothing special. Their batters are in good form and they will hope that remains the case here.
Hampshire
Hampshire are regulars at the business end of this competition but they are going to need to sprout wings and fly from here if they are going to get out of the group this time around. They haven’t been helped by the weather it has to be said. Three of their nine matches have been rained off, two of which have been against the worst team in the competition in Middlesex so it could be that they have lost two points there which could be their undoing.
Hampshire actually won two of their first three matches this term but haven’t won any of the six since then, although three of them were those rained off games. This is a Hampshire squad which often comes good in the latter stages of the group phase but they are missing a key component to their bowling attack and they haven’t really been able to find the right formula. That has put the pressure on the batting and to date they haven’t been up to the task.
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Key Players
Tymal Mills is the leading wicket taker in the competition and is really the only gun bowler in a Sussex attack which has conceded plenty of runs. His 19 wickets have come at 14.05 and an economy rate of 7.41 per over. The hosts need their captain to deliver here.
James Vince is only averaging 25.33 for Hampshire in the competition this season and if they are going to get where they want to be at the end of the group phase they are going to need their captain to come to life. He filled his boots in the County Championship recently so is in good form.
Betting
I’m a little surprised that Sussex are the outsiders here but I just can’t be trusting their bowling attack at the minute, especially with Hampshire having reinforced their batting since the first meeting with Tom Prest now back available for selection. Hampshire aren’t pulling up trees with the ball at the minute either and the leading bowler from that first game between the two, Michael Neser, has finished his overseas stint and his replacement Ottniel Baartman is being held up by visa issues.
That makes me think that we are in for a high scoring game here and as such I am happy to take over 330.5 runs. This line covered at the Utilita Bowl earlier in the campaign and that was on a day where three of the four opening batters failed to make 20. The Sussex pair in particular haven’t failed very often this season and with James Vince having scored two big hundreds in the Championship since then and Hampshire deepened their batting but their bowling has weakened, I think we go beyond this line with a bit to spare.
Tips
Back Over 330.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
