- Vitality Blast, North and South Group
- Sunday July 2, 2023, 2.30pm - 6.30pm
Calculators at the ready. This could get messy. It’s amazing to think that ahead of the final round of group matches tomorrow, only the two group leaders - Birmingham and Somerset plus Lancashire - have secured their passage through to the quarter-finals.
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You could throw a couple of others into the ‘all but qualified’ category, but work remains to be done.
This competition has been incredibly tight, and that’s best shown by the fact seventh-placed Northamptonshire in the North could mathematically still get through.
There’s a couple of result prices which have caught my eye for tomorrow, and one which I’d be slightly more confident with than the other.
The one I can very much see coming in is Middlesex at 7/5 with BetVictor to beat Glamorgan at Cardiff.
Middlesex may be bottom of the South Group and out of contention, but they have won two of their last three games, chasing 253 to beat Surrey away and 226 to beat Essex away. Glamorgan, third bottom, have lost seven of their last eight Blast matches, including their last four on the bounce.
The other one I can see happening is Derbyshire beating Worcestershire at home in the North. They are 11/10 with the same company, BetVictor.
If I was forced to choose one result, it would be the Middlesex one. But if you’re have a few quid to spend on this round, why not go for both.
Both sides are in the qualification hunt. Derbyshire realistically have to win, while Worcestershire could lose and still go through.
Derbyshire have won three of their last four matches and Worcester haven’t won either of their last two.
If you want a crack at the Middlesex-Derby double, it’s 4/1 with BetVictor.
Buttler to continue fantastic form
I wrote about expecting Jos Buttler success for Lancashire in last night’s Roses match at Emirates Old Trafford. But rain prevented any play in that one.
There’s no reason to think he won’t be successful against Northamptonshire at Emirates Old Trafford tomorrow afternoon, and I’d be taking the 9/4 on offer with bet365 for him to score a fifty in the match.
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Jos Buttler to score a fifty - 9/4
Buttler is fancied to be in the runs on Sunday
In his last five innings, he has scored 58, 0, 31, 74 and 83.
In the same match, Northamptonshire’s powerful Australian Chris Lynn is six sixes away from reaching 400 hit in his career. This would be his 265th match. Compare that to Buttler, for example, and he has hit 429 in 372 T20 appearances.
That leads you to think that a couple of prices are worth taking on Lynn success on a true Old Trafford surface. Bet365 have him at 3/1 to hit the most sixes for Northants and at 9/2 to hit the most sixes in the match. I’d be spreading stakes across the two.
Chris Lynn Most Northants Sixes - 3/1
Lynn is fancied to lead his team in sixes
Chris Lynn Most Sixes in Match - 9/2
Lynn is also backed to be the top six scorer overall
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