After a rain affected weekend, a new week of T20 Blast group stage matches begins. In 52 T20 Blast matches this season there have been 15 200+ scores. The most ever in a season is 20 in 2015; in 2016 there were 17.
All times are BST all prices are with green listed bookmaker William Hill.
Tuesday 1st August
6.30pm Northants v Warwickshire
Northants are in fourth place in the North group after 8 of their 14 group games. Their Friday game was washed out and the night before they had a comfortable win over Worcestershire, chasing 160 for the loss of only three wickets
Warwickshire played on Sunday, beating Lancashire and they are third in the table, a point ahead of Northants having played a game more than their hosts here.
A very difficult game to call this between the holders and a side that is becoming more consistent. This is reflected in the betting market where the two teams cannot be separated at 10/11 each of two. I have a modest preference for Northants at the prices.
7pm Hampshire v Kent
Hampshire beat Gloucestershire at the end of last week in another rain affected match to arrest a slump where they had lost three games in a row in the previous ten days. As a result of their latest win they are now back into the top four with nine points from their eight matches
Kent meanwhile are outside the top 4 with only three wins and a no result from their eight games. A destructive batting side unfortunately they have one of the weaker bowling line ups in the competition. For example they have conceded 199 and 197 in their last two games, a 20 run loss to Glamorgan and before that a successful chase against Somerset
The hitting line up makes them a difficult team to accurately assess as they are a “wild card” but odds of Hampshire 8/11 and Kent 6/5 reflect the fundamentals well enough. Kent stand a punchers chance but here away from home the bowling line up might well struggle again. Hampshire are a fair price here.
Wednesday 2nd August
6.30pm Leicestershire v Notts
Leicestershire won their first three games in the competition but have now lost four games in a row as the early start has faded and they are down to seventh in the league table albeit only a win away from the top four so far from a forlorn situation
They will have their hands full in this local derby though against one of the most powerful sides in the competition. Notts continued their high scoring games when chasing 223 to beat Yorkshire on Sunday, led once again by Alex Hales who scored a 45 ball century.
Notts are a point outside the top four in sixth in the north group and should be worthy favourites around the 4/5 mark to be challenging for the top four by the end of Wednesday night ahead of the last week of group games.
Calculators
