As the Indian Premier League draws to a close, the Vitality Blast gets underway on Thursday with the 18 counties all dreaming of a day out at Edgbaston in September to attempt to land the domestic T20 title.
Gloucestershire did exactly that last September and they will be the latest side to attempt to be the first county to successfully defend the crown. The other 17 all have their eye on it and some big stars have been signed as a result to make the competition much more competitive.
Recent Winners
2024 – Gloucestershire
2023 – Somerset
2022 – Hampshire
2021 – Kent
2020 – Nottinghamshire
2019 – Essex
2018 – Worcestershire
2017 – Nottinghamshire
2016 – Northamptonshire
2015 – Lancashire
The Format
We are using what is now the normal format for this competition. That means we have the two groups – North and South – with each team playing the other eight in their group once and then six of the teams once more giving 14 group matches per county. The top four from each group at the end of the first phase will go into the quarter finals where we have N1 vs S4 N2 vs S3 S2 vs N3 S1 vs N4. The winners of those quarter finals will head to Finals Day which once again is at Edgbaston on September 13.
North Group
It was a dry competition for the North Group last year as not one of the nine counties made it to finals day. You would have to say that this section looks the weaker of the two again. Birmingham Bears topped the table last term and they have started the campaign well in red ball cricket. They are always motivated by the finals being at their home ground. Northamptonshire were second last year and have since recruited Big Bash winning coach Darren Lehmann. Lancashire were third a season ago but they begin the Blast in rotten shape on and off the pitch. Durham were the other quarter finalists and having brought Jimmy Neesham in to balance the side they have visions of going well again.
Leicestershire are three time winners of this competition but they haven’t made it to finals day since 2011. They have begun the season like a house on fire though and will aim to be dangerous this term. Nottinghamshire were the last team from the North Group to win this competition. They did that in 2020 but the absence of Alex Hales leaves a huge hole for them to fill this term although the addition of Daniel Sams is certainly no bad thing. Worcestershire were champions in 2018 and were a match away from defending the title in 2019 and after a rough start to the Championship they will be looking to the Blast for a pick-me-up. Yorkshire and Derbyshire are two of just four teams who haven’t won this title and they’ll be out to end that form line this term.
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South Group
This is where Gloucestershire will look to make history this season. Teams have made it to the final in their defence of the title but they have never successfully retained the trophy. D’Arcy Short has been brought in to add pep to the batting and if the bowlers perform like they did last season they will go close. Somerset themselves were a match away from creating that title defending history in 2024 but couldn’t quite get over the line in the final. They have a settled squad looking to regain the trophy. Sussex and Surrey were the other two teams who made finals day a year ago and will be looking to do that again and go two steps better than they did last year.
Hampshire are one of the most successful sides in the Blast over the time it has been in existence and after failing to make the last eight a season ago they will be motivated to do well this time around. Essex are another team who are regulars at finals day who missed out last term who will be eager to get back to the business end of the competition. Kent are previous winners of the tournament who have underachieved in the last few campaigns while Middlesex have offered precious little in the Blast since they won the tournament back in 2008 but they have brought Kane Williamson over for the majority of the competition to look to change that. Glamorgan have never won the competition, the only South Group side for whom that is the case, and haven’t reached finals day since 2017 but they are the reigning 50 over champions and will be keen to complete the 20 over double.
Outright Betting
Sussex made the semi-final of the competition a year ago with a fairly young squad and that experience should serve them well as they look to go even better. I always like sides who retain overseas players as a culture can be built. That was always the success of their local rivals Hampshire and having Daniel Hughes and Nathan McAndrew back is certainly a positive. Sussex have started the season well in the Championship so the squad should be confident, as it was last year, and with sprinkles of stardust on the side such as Tymal Mills and maybe even Jofra Archer down the line there is a lot to like about the Sharks. They tick a lot of boxes and at 14/1 are good value to go all the way this year.
The North Group looks comfortably the weakest of the two this year and with usual standout features in the section in Nottinghamshire and Lancashire having more questions than answers about them and the Birmingham Bears being messed about with overseas players close to the start of the tournament there looks the chance for someone at a price to go well. Leicestershire tick that box. We saw Sussex riding high in Division Two of the County Championship last season and carry that momentum into this and go well. Shan Masood is a classy operator who has been in the North Group for a while so will know what is coming his way. Leicestershire have a very powerful top four with him in the side and when their bowling attack is all together that looks stronger than previous seasons too. They know how to win this with James Taylor, assistant coach now, part of a team who won the competition and I expect them to go very well.
Group Betting
I’m going to leave the South Group market well alone here because there are so many strong teams in it and it might even come down to net run rate or who dodges any indifferent weather that might be doing the rounds and in truth even if the group is untouched by weather there isn’t really any serious standout value. That isn’t the case in the North Group. Admittedly, weather is more likely to impact this group but only two or three teams standout to me.
I’ve already made the case for Leicestershire to go well this season but they might need to build their way into the campaign with Rehan Ahmed and Josh Hull away with the England Lions initially and that might open the door up to the other side I fancy to go well this term in Yorkshire to set the pace in the group. Yorkshire will have Jonny Bairstow back within a week and his availability and that of Dawid Malan now England have moved on from both look welcome additions to the side. The likes of Adam Lyth, James Wharton and George Hill when he is around offer solidity to the batting and the additions of Will Sutherland and Will O’Rourke as overseas players look good too. Yorkshire have the spin department covered, especially should Adil Rashid play later in the group stage and so the White Rose could be the ones to set the pace in the North Group and top the table heading into the quarter finals.
Tips
Back Sussex to win Vitality Blast (e/w) for a 2/10 stake at 15.00 with William Hill (1/2 1-2)
Back them here:
Back Leicestershire to win Vitality Blast (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Unibet (1/2 1-2)
Back Yorkshire to win North Group for a 2/10 stake at 8.00 with Boylesports
Back them here:
