NatWest T20 Blast betting tips: Sussex v Essex TV game preview

Cricket

Fri August 18, 2017 · 7y ago

Recommended bets: Friday T20 Blast

1pt century to be scored in the Sussex v Essex match at 59/10 - it's very much a batsman's game and on a small ground the price looks too big

2pt double Leicestershire and Kent to win at 5.34/1 - both teams need to win to make the knockout stages and are capable of defying the odds

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Sussex v Essex (1900 BST, Sky Sports Mix)

The final round of matches in the group stages of the NatWest T20 Blast takes place tonight and there is plenty to play for in both the North and South Groups.

The Sky Sports cameras are at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove as Sussex host Essex and victory is a must for both sides if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals.

The runs have flowed once more in the competition and I believe that is simply down to the batsmen getting better all the time.

Only last night Yorkshire amassed 260 for four against reigning champions Northamptonshire, while Essex made 210 for five but still finished on the losing side against Kent.

Hove is one of the smaller grounds in the country and I fully expect batsmen to be the fore once again.

Already during this campaign there have been 15 centuries scored - three of them last night - compared to just eight in the whole of the 2016 competition.

Luke Wright has already achieved one for Sussex, while opener Varun Chopra has hit two for Essex.

The hosts have also been on the receiving end of two - Colin Ingram (Glamorgan) and Aaron Finch (Surrey) doing the damage, while Ingram also hit one against Essex as did Joe Denly for Kent which suggests both attacks are more than capable of leaking runs.

It's a general 6/1 that a century will be scored in this match and with the likes of Wright, Chopra, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate, Chris Nash and Ross Taylor on show, I definitely think this looks a tad big.

Best of the rest

Leicestershire Foxes have a good record in this competition and kept their last-eight hopes alive by edging out Derbyshire in a close game last night.

To be certain of progressing, they must win at neighbours Nottinghamshire, who have been the form team of the competition and are already guaranteed top spot in the North Group after eight wins from 13 games.

But I feel momentum could be with the Foxes in this one and they look a good shout at 2/1 with Sky Bet and MarathonBet to surprise the leaders in this local derby.

The South Group is outrageously tight with only four points separating top from bottom.

Kent - who beat Essex last night as previously mentioned - host Surrey who are odds-on favourites despite losing the reverse game at the Kia Oval last month.

Surrey do boast plenty of batting firepower with the likes of Australian Finch, Jason Roy and Moises Henriques, but Kent are too tempting at odds-against and are a best of 27/20.

The advice is to put Leicestershire and Kent in a double that pays a tasty xxxxx.

Posted at 0730 BST on 18/08/17.