T20 Blast Quarter Finals Preview

 

The group stages of the T20 Blast are over and the eight quarter-finalists have been confirmed.  In the Northern group, Nottinghamshire topped the group with eight wins and four no results which gave them 20 points. Northamptonshire finished in second place with seven wins and two no results only finishing above Yorkshire with a superior run rate as Yorkshire ended with the same record and Northamptonshire. The final quarter-final place in the Northern group was given to Durham after a close 13 run win over Derbyshire in a winner takes all match at the Riverside.

In the Southern group, Gloucestershire topped the table with ten wins and one no result which meant that they ended with a solid 21 points, however Glamorgan were close behind with 19 points but had more no results and only eight wins. The fight for the final two spots was closer with Middlesex taking third spot with 15 points with seven wins but they were safe with a game to go as they lost to Gloucestershire on the final day. Middlessex managed to finish above Essex in 4th place with a better run rate, though Essex came close to losing their quarter-final place but rain called their final match with Glamorgan which gave them the point to finish above Surrey.

Nottinghamshire v Essex 

Nottinghamshire are a great batting side and this is where their strength lies. Nottinghamshires’ key player is Daniel Christian who had an average of 50.67 and a strike rate of 170.79 and he will provide the runs for Nottinghamshire against Essex. Alex Russel is one of the top bowlers for Nottinghamshire with an average of 15.50 and 4 wickets. They will be without Alex Hales and Stuart Broad who will be with England in their series against Pakistan.

Essex captain, Ravi Bopara, is one of their outstanding players when it comes to T20 and One day cricket. The batsman has a lot of limited overs England caps and he can be one of the best players in the Country when he plays well. He had a slow start to the season but he has lately been one of the best players for Essex and will definitely be a key factor in the quarter-final. Essex aren’t the best bowling side however Napier is one of their best bowlers with an average of 17.45 and 20 wickets. They will be without Alistar Cook, who is England test captain, who will be in the England side.

Northamptonshire v Middlesex

Northamptonshire finished just below Nottinghamshire and they were unlucky to finish below them. Northamptonshire has been an outstanding side in both of the limited overs competitions and it is easy to see why. Ben Duckett has been one of their key batting players having an average of 45 in all 11 matches that he has played in but Josh Cobb has also been amazing in bat with an average of 36.5. Richard Gleeson has been the best bowler for Northamtonshire and will cause problems for the Middlesex batting side as he has an economy of 6.08 as well as taking 12 wickets.

Middlesex has a similar record to Northamptonshire with 7 wins and 15 points in which they finished 3rd in the south group. England T20 and ODI captain, Eoin Morgan is one of Middlesex’s best batters with an average of 36.66 but Dawid Malan has had a great competition with an average of 40.88. Australian, Nathan Sowter, is their key bowler with an economy of 7.12 and 11 wickets but Ryan Higgins will also be one of their key bowlers in this match and is capable of getting key wickets and not a lot of runs.

Gloucestershire v Durham

Gloucester dominated the Southern group with 10 wins and one no result and they will be a force to be reckoned with if they keep up this form. Ian Cockbain has one of the best batting averages in the competition with an average of 62.37 but Micheal Klinger is also a dangerous batsman with an average of 53. Benny Howell is one of Gloucester’s best bowlers and he has some of the best stats in the competition with an economy of 6.69 and he has also taken 23 wickets, he will be a threat to Durhams batsmen.

Durham had a mixed group stage but ultimately got the final Northern spot after a win against Derbyshire gave them the 4th spot. Opening Batsman and possible captain, if Stoneman is out, Keaton Jennings is the one to watch when Durham are in bat with an average of 42.6 but Usman Arshad is also a great batter for Durham. England bowler, Mark Wood has just come back from injury and has had great form since and will be the key bowler but Chris Rushworth will also provide key wickets and has an economy 6.58 and has taken 12 wickets.

Glamorgan v Yorkshire

Glamorgan also had a good group stage with 8 wins and 19 points overall meaning they managed to finish 2nd in the Southern group. South African batter, Colin Ingram, is their key batter and will face tough challenges against tough Yorkshire bowlers but with a batting average of 44.18, he may be more than capable to cope with the tough Yorkshire bowlers. Another South African to be wary of is Dale Steyn who is a great bowler with an economy 6.1 and he has took 11 wickets and is good enough to come up against big Yorkshire batters.

Yorkshire were unlucky not to finish second place as they were on the same points as Northamptonshire but had a lower run rate by just 0.042. England all-rounder Adam Lyth and England batter David Willey will be their key batters as they have both hit some great form for Yorkshire in the One day cup and T20 matches scoring many vital runs to see them through. Lyth also managed to have a great  bowling stats with an economy of 5.33 but he has only took 1 wicket though Rafiq managed to get an economy of 6.73 and 12 wickets which adds to Yorkshires strong bowlers.

All stats correct at the time of writing and found on ESPNcricinfo.com