A full programme of matches on Friday night as the group stages move towards their conclusion ahead of the quarter-final stage
All times are BST, all prices are with Paddy Power.
Friday 4th August
6.30pm Durham v Yorkshire
Durham are bottom of the North group with one win in their 8 games. Averaging only 145 runs an innings they’ve struggled to make the totals to be competitive. In their last match they made a total, 201 against Worcestershire with a hundred from veteran Paul Collingwood but even that score was overhauled easily.
Yorkshire play Derbyshire at home on Thursday night and go into that game third in the group table having won five of their nine games in what is a very open group. They are set for a home time in the quarter-finals and will be a tough prospect for any side to face with experience across the line up and international quality in Willey, Marsh, Rashid and Bresnan
Durham are 2/1 home underdogs here, with Yorkshire ½ but even that isn’t enough to tempt me on Durham in their current form. No bet
6.30pm Leicestershire v Lancashire
Leicestershire were at home to Notts on Wednesday and were fortunate, having conceded over 200 that the rain came at the half way point abandoning the game and meaning they secured a point. They are still in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages but with only one win in their last five games form is going to have to improve markedly.
Lancashire play at Northants on Thursday, currently in fifth place and this is a key game in the hunt for top four places for qualification for the knock out stages. Lancashire have four wins and four losses (one no result) from their nine games. A high profile team with big names and batting firepower fifth place has to be seen as disappointing relative to expectations.
Leicestershire are 5/4 here, Lancashire 4/6. Lancashire should win and be backed
6.30pm Gloucestershire v Somerset
Gloucestershire play at Glamorgan on Thursday and lie sixth in the table, a point behind the crucial fourth position with four wins from their eight games. They are very dependent on their Australian opening batsman Michael Klinger with over 200 runs in the competition so far this season.
Somerset are second in the table with five wins from nine games and despite problems off the field, departures to other counties and poor forming other formats have enough talent to still be in contention in the T20.
The green listed bookmakers are struggling to separate these two, with Gloucestershre a shade of odds against and Somerset 19/20.Matrginal preference for Somerset as they have more match winners
6.30pm Surrey v Glamorgan
Surrey play at Sussex on Thursday, and are third in the table with five wins from their eight games and in combinations of Finch, Sangakkara, Roy and Pietersen have match winners at the top of the batting line up. It is the new England bowler Tom Curran at the close of innings who has contributed markedly to securing several wins.
Glamorgan host Gloucestershire on Thursday and are top of the South Group with five wins and two no results from their nine games. Colin Ingram has been a big hitting match winner, with three hundreds in the competition so far, opening the batting and the contingent of four South African Kolpak players have made a big difference to a side perceived as also-rans at the start of the competition
Surrey are 4/6 favourites here and Gamorgan are sportingly priced with their big hitters at 11/8. I’ll back Glamorgan
7.00pm Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire
Derbyshire play at Yorkshire on Thursday. Derbyshire are the surprise package in this group, an unheralded side with no pedigree in the competition in previous seasons.
Currently third in the table, their investment in overseas/Kolpak players for this competition has paid dividends but it is performances from domestic players such as Madsen (second highest run scorer in the competition ahead of this game ), Godleman and Reece that have really helped make a difference
Nottinghamshire were unfortunate that their game at Leicestershire on Wednesday night was rained off at the half way stage. They have a prolific opening partnership. Hales has scored 343 runs off 173 balls and Wessels 347 runs off 239 balls including 63 off 37 balls against Leicestershire in the last game
Amazingly the effect of their no-results is to mean that they are fifth in the table which is a false position for such a dynamic side.
Derbyshire 6/4 and Notts 4/7 are the prices here. I expect Notts to win but no bet at the price.
7.00pm Warwickshire v Worcestershire
Warwickshire beat Northants by two runs on Tuesday to go top of the North group. Their star bowling performer Jeetan Patel helped Warwickshire turn the game roundaft a fast start by Northants
After a terrible start to the competition Worcestershire have at least recordeda couple of wins, last time helped by Joe Clarke’s fabulous 124* they chased down 201 comfortably to beat Durham.
Hopes of reaching the knock out stages are still slim.
Odds for this game are Warwickshire 4/7, Worcestershire 11/8. Warwickshire should win, but aren’t at a value price
7.00pm Hampshire v Essex
Hampshire were at Middlesex on Thursday. Hampshire hosted Kent on Tuesday and required 39 off 30 balls to win with 8 wickets in hand, and lost. They now have a record of 4 wins, 1 no result and 4 losses from their nine matches and are in fourth place in the group, and qualification for the knock out stages is far from certain
They won their first three games in the competition and looked to be competition favourites but have only won 1 of their next six games
Essex have been one of the disappointments of the competition so far this season with only three wins from their nine games despite a talented team (on paper) including Amir, Bopara and Harmer.
Hampshire are 8/11 here and Essex 11/8 reflecting the current form of the visitors. Hampshire to win for me
7.00pm Kent v Sussex
Kent beat Hampshire on Tuesday from a losing position. Joe Denly is the top scorer in the competition and part of a dangerous batting line up that unfortunately isn’t matched by their bowling attack, hence their inconsistency. Kent are fifth in the table with four wins frothier nine games
Sussex hosted Surrey Thursday. Sussex are bottom of the South table with three wins from their eight games. Despite the presence of internationals Luke Wright and Ross Taylor and the burgeoning promise of fast bowler Jofra Archer the remainder of the side has not delivered consistent performances to back them up, hence the league position.
Kent 4/6 and Sussex 11/10 are the prices here.Tempted by Sussex but not by their form.
Calculators
