T20 Blast

Starts today!

Winners?
Top Batsman?
Top Bowler?
One to watch?
Team to flop?

Winners? Surrey
Top Batsman? Vince
Top Bowler? Rashid...Khan
One to watch? Benny Howell
Team to flop? Lancashire

Always hard this competition to predict but here goes:

Winners: Kent
Most Runs: Guptill
Most Wickets: Rashid Khan
One to Watch: Matt PArkinson
Team to flop: Yorkshire

I think we have fans of Surrey, Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Sussex and Somerset on the forum (sorry if I've missed anyone) - how do you think you'll teams will line up?

Yorkshire

Williamson does not join us until the 6th game, and with England also playing the side will probably look something like:

Lyth
Kohler-Cadmore
Ballance
Brook
Leaning
Bresnan
Tattersall
Rafiq
Fisher
Coad
Patterson

Jack Brooks unlikely to feature, but Josh Shaw may do so as may Karl Carver at some point. That lineup does not look to have enough fire power and the seam bowling is rather one paced. Rafiq being a slow bowler who does not turn the ball could take some tap.

If we can just about hold our own until game 6 when Williamson, Willey, Rashid & Plunkett become available then just maybe we can scrape into the knock out stages - but not holding my breath. So much will depend on the openers (who were in good form in the RLC) getting us off to a flying start.

Surrey

We'll be without SCurran, TCurran, Maddinson, Finch and Roy for at least the first three games so almost by process of elimination:

Jacks
Stoneman
Burns
Pope
Foakes (wk)
Borthwick
Clarke
Pillans
Batty
Morkel
Dernbach

with Pillans the most likely to miss out for Patel if we want to strengthen the batting or van den Bergh if we want a second spinner.

Similar to what LondonTiger says above about Yorkshire, it's likely a case of damage mitigation until the big names come back.

Winners: Sussex
Runs: Vince
Wickets: Jofra Archer
One to watch: Will Jacks

I quietly fancy Worcs' chances this year, although we're a couple of bowlers light owing to long-termish injuries to Joe Leach and Josh Tongue. Also, there's potential for disruption in the batting order due to the way our overseas players' time here is structured.

Moeen is skipper when he's available, if not then Brett D'Oliveria will take over.

Strongest team is probably something like:

Guptil
Clarke
Ferguson/Head
Moeen
Mitchell
Dolly
Whiteley
Cox
Barnard
Wood
Magoffin/Brown/Pennington

When Moeen can't play an extra bowler will come in I'd think. To have Cox at 8 and Barnard 9 is perhaps over-kill but Mitchell needs to play as his bowling has been more than useful over the years, same with Dolly while in recent games Whiteley has been turning his arm over a bit too.

James100 wrote:Surrey

We'll be without SCurran, TCurran, Maddinson, Finch and Roy for at least the first three games so almost by process of elimination:

Jacks
Stoneman
Burns
Pope
Foakes (wk)
Borthwick
Clarke
Pillans
Batty
Morkel
Dernbach

with Pillans the most likely to miss out for Patel if we want to strengthen the batting or van den Bergh if we want a second spinner.

Similar to what LondonTiger says above about Yorkshire, it's likely a case of damage mitigation until the big names come back.

Winners: Sussex
Runs: Vince
Wickets: Jofra Archer
One to watch: Will Jacks

I think James is on the right lines for Surrey's early games with so many ''star turns'' missing.

For all Alec Stewart's comment along the lines of ''we want to win every competition'' and it having some integrity, the County Championship is the one we want by far most of all. The Blast would of course be good but little more than a cherry to go on the cake of the Championship. I therefore believe there'll be some rotation of the seamers which will see the likes of Morkel and Clarke putting their feet up at times with possibly Dunn and Meaker coming in.

Not sure how much game time the Burger Van (Freddie van den Bergh) will get. Batty will be the number one spinner with both Jacks and Borthwick also able to bowl some slow stuff. There again, Burger has just been given a new contract to the end of 2019 and must surely play some time.

I'll also stick with James on Sussex emerging as winners. I'm generally ok to go with a team being put together by Gillespie.
Runs: Tom Westley - roughly treated by England and, from what I hear, still smarting.
Wickets: Danny Briggs - experienced and proven in the white ball game.
Ones to Watch: Mike Burgess and Andrew Salter - two of my Div 2 CC tips at the start of the season, Salter hasn't done much but Burgess is going well with a good strike rate.

Mat, Whiteley was going to be my 'one to watch'

We're likely to be:

Munro
Vince
Roussow
Weatherley
Ervine
Dawson
McManus
Wood
Abbott
Topley
Muljeeb

To further support James' thoughts on the Surrey t20 team for their opener away to Middlesex tomorrow - Harinath, Meaker, Virdi and Atkinson have been named for the t20 second eleven double header away to Hants on the same day.

By my reckoning, that only leaves the 11 named by James plus Burger Van, Patel and Dunn available from the professional squad to take on Middlesex.

He's normally good value to get some runs in this and has been in decent nick too this season, hopefully some fireworks against the bears to start off with!

guildfordbat wrote:
...

I'll also stick with James on Sussex emerging as winners. I'm generally ok to go with a team being put together by Gillespie.
Runs: Tom Westley - roughly treated by England and, from what I hear, still smarting.
Wickets: Danny Briggs - experienced and proven in the white ball game.
Ones to Watch: Mike Burgess and Andrew Salter - two of my Div 2 CC tips at the start of the season, Salter hasn't done much but Burgess is going well with a good strike rate.

On the immodest basis that you should milk things whilst you can, I'll flag that Mike Burgess hit 56 off 23 balls tonight as Sussex knocked over Essex.

The ex-Surrey academy player is actually having a fine season, averaging above 50 in the Championship, admittedly Div 2.

He didn't have a great time in the RL 50 Over comp, where I tipped him as well - but watch out for Ed Pollock (ignore tonight!). He smashes it.

Also, Sam Hain averages pretty much 70 in 40 innings in List A stuff, so I expect him to go huge in the T20 this year as well.

Ryan Higgins another tidy all round cricketer who I would expect to go well with bat and ball!

Good to see Ben Duckett back in the runs last night

LondonTiger wrote:Jack Brooks unlikely to feature, but Josh Shaw may do so as may Karl Carver at some point.

Well Jack Brooks playing tonight shows just how much I know

This will be his first T20 outing in over 3 years, while he last bowled with the white ball in the 50 over semi-final v Surrey in 2016

Jdizzle, agree about Ed Pollock I've seen him a couple of times on TV and he doesn't mess about, just gives it a whack. Exciting to watch.

Mat will be happy with Worcestershire's win over Lancs, good run chase that!

Guildford, will keep a eye out for your guy Burgess. Sussex look a very good side on paper.

Your boys have royally c0cked this game up Jimbo

You're not wrong Olly. Shambles of a batting performance.

Sensational comeback from Leicestershire. 15/3 to 191/5 to win the game.

Nabi 86* off 33.

Hampshire struggling again tonight - what’s happened to your boys in this comp Jimbo? You have a strong XI on paper!

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Hampshire struggling again tonight - what’s happened to your boys in this comp Jimbo? You have a strong XI on paper!

Where do you want to start, Olly! Poor management, reckless batting and some sloppy bowling. We have a good top 3 on paper. Munro was hit and miss. Vince normally scores big runs but has only done so in a couple of games this year. Dawson and Wood have been impressive. An inexperienced middle order, Weatherley, Alsop and McManus, think the first 2 suit championship cricket a lot more. Poor management too, the coaches have been on thin ice for a while now, hopefully they will be gone soon.

Final fixtures being played this week.

In the North Division:
Durham, Lancashire and Worcestershire have all made the 1/4 finals. Home 1/4 finals up for grabs between these two teams with Worcester needing one of teh other two to lose to give them a realistic chance.
Notts and Yorkshire fighting out for the final spot. With these two facing each other at Headingley on Friday it coudl be a winner takes all match.


South Division:
Somerset have qualified for the 1/4 finals, with Gloucester also through (as the teams that can catch them play each other). Bun fight between Kent, Glamorgan, Surrey and Sussex for teh other two spots.

When you watch Sussex bowl like this, you do wonder how they lose games of T20.

Their bowling line up is ridiculous. Briggs, Jordan, Archer, Rashid Khan, Mills.
They really should be running away with it.

The worst t20 innings ive seen there by Tom Abell.

Umpires awful though, Kent should have had 6 penalty runs, like Somerset did. No consistency at all

Surrey have a must win game against Glam this evening (tho realistically, a win probably won't be enough to qualify as Sussex must be heavily odds on to beat Middlesex.)  In an absolute classic, Jason Roy is unavailable for the match having injured his face in a fit of temper after being dismissed for a duck.    Looking on the bright side, at least we have players who care about how well they play.

Lancs
Durham
Gloucestershire
Somerset

Win for me

Sky not showing the Somerset/Notts game. Shocking!

Rearranged game to be fair to them, and all the comms and gear was at the KSL Finals.

Worcs vs Lancs
Sussex vs Somerset

I would love to see a Somerset vs Worcs final, but my head says it will be the other two who go through - with Lancs winning it, as spin is usually crucial on finals day.

I see T20 Finals Day is as late as the 15th of September this year, the latest it has ever been held.

It's just asking for a bucketful of rain to descend.

JDizzle, they spend the whole summer promoting the t20 blast and then don't show a Quarter Final, it's ridiculous. They always knew there was a good chance of rain. The womens cricket was on 3 channels *sigh*

What are people's predictions for Finals day?

I fancy your boys to win it Afro - the Somerset outfit is so strong, and with the form Gregory is in coupled with the spinners you have I think you can do it. If Sussex had Rashid Khan I'd have picked them, but alas he isn't playing!

I don't mind who wins - but think it would be a nice story if Worcestershire won. That squad/club has been so close to getting over the hump in the one day competitions for a while now, would be nice to see them pull it off

I think we have a decent chance. I'm just hoping the last two County games is because our eye is on the blast and not because we are losing form.

Rashid Khan not playing is a big plus for us tbh. I made a point of watching Sussex's games as he is so good to watch bowl.

If I take out Somerset from the equation, I fancy Lancs to win. Buttler has to have a good performance for them at some point and when he has them, he takes the game away from the opposition

Good recovery from Worcestershire - 97/6 ends up at 169/6. Lancashire still strong favourites, but it is defendable.

Impressed by Parkinson.

After 6 overs, Lancs look comfortably set for the final. Sorry Mat but I don't see them falling away in the middle overs like Worcs did.

Nice jinx, Guildford!

67/3 and Lancashire are teetering. Get Buttler out in the next few overs and Worcestershire could well be favourites.

Buttler chops on! Four down, RRR nearly up to ten.

Very smart call by Key about Mitchell coming on.

guildfordbat wrote:Very smart call by Key about Mitchell coming on.

Whilst Key was spot on about Mitchell taking the ball, it didn't come off. 13 from the over. Jennings and Vilas running well, converting ones into twos.

About 10 per over from the last 6 with 6 wickets left. Feel Worcs needed to have taken 1 or even 2 more by now.

guildfordbat wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:Very smart call by Key about Mitchell coming on.

Whilst Key was spot on about Mitchell taking the ball, it didn't come off. 13 from the over. Jennings and Vilas running well, converting ones into twos.

About 10 per over from the last 6 with 6 wickets left. Feel Worcs needed to have taken 1 or even 2 more by now.

Jinx for you there, Mat!

Delighted for Worcs and Mat to get that very wrong.

I'm still not convinced by Pat Brown but he's been outstanding in this game.

Magnificent from Worcestershire. Bang average batting from Lancs however

If anyone can tell me why batting Buttler at 4 for Lancs was the decision they made I’d love to hear - absolutely ludicrous

Sussex and in particular Burgess and Briggs were my tips earlier in the season - so that should guarantee disaster for them and a final place for Somerset!

Somerset have been very disappointing with the ball. Looks like they'll be chasing a score north of 200.

'Only' 202/7 posted by Sussex. At one point, a score of 230 looked very possible.

We were very disappointing with the ball.

67 off 3 overs in the middle from Overton and Gregory

Can’t wait for Jofra to qualify for England next summer