PREVIEW: FRIENDS PROVIDENT T20 - SOUTH
DIVISION
by Marcus Hook
With the North Division supplying the last five
winners of the domestic Twenty20, surely it's time a team from the
beautiful south redressed the balance. Surrey go into the Vitality
T20 Blast, which gets underway next week, looking as well equipped
as anyone to mount a serious challenge; and with every county
reporting a significant increase in pre-sales 2018 promises to be
the biggest Blast to date.
ESSEX
It remains a mystery not only that Essex have never won the T20, but
that they've never even reached the final. In 15 years the Eagles
have reached the semis four times and the quarters five. But they
are packed with potential match-winners. A game changer is Varun
Chopra no longer being seen as a red-ball specialist. Last season he
made 427 runs, ticking along at a strike rate of 159.32. Recently,
he clocked up 528 in the 50-over Royal London. Ravi Bopara, Tom
Westley and Adam Wheater are no slouches either. Matt Coles and Paul
Walter offer with both bat and ball and the cherry on the cake is
the acquisition of Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
Surrey clashes: 12 July (Thu) at the Oval and 5 August (Sun) at
Chelmsford.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 5 wins apiece.
Odds: 12-1.
Overseas player(s): Neil Wagner (New Zealand) and Adam Zampa
(Australia).
Best finish: Semi-finalists (2006, 2008, 2010 and 2013).
Biggest total: 242-3 v Sussex at Chelmsford 2008.
Highest score: 152* by Graham Napier v Sussex at Chelmsford 2008.
Best bowling: 6-16 by Tim Southee v Glamorgan at Chelmsford 2011.
GLAMORGAN
Quarter-finalists twice in the last four years and beaten
semi-finalists in 2017, the Welshmen might, on the face of it, look
good value at 16-1, but strength in depth is a major concern. If
everyone stays fit, particularly seamers Michael Hogan and Marchant
De Lange - both of whom have missed game time with hamstring
injuries - they might be singing in valleys. There aren't many more
destructive batsmen in white-ball cricket than Colin Ingram.
Twenty-year-old Kiran has the potential to emulate Ingram. Plus,
Usman Khawaja heads into the Blast having made hundreds in all three
of his County Championship appearances since taking over from Shaun
Marsh as overseas player.
Surrey clashes: 31 July (Tue) at the Oval and 17 August (Fri) at
Cardiff.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 6 wins for Glamorgan, one no result and 3
victories for the Oval outfit.
Odds: 16-1.
Overseas player(s): Usman Khawaja (Australia) and Shaun Marsh
(Australia).
Best finish: Semi-finalists (2004 and 2017).
Biggest total: 240-3 v Surrey at the Oval 2015.
Highest score: 116* by Ian Thomas v Somerset at Taunton 2004.
Best bowling: 5-14 by Graham Wagg v Worcestershire at Worcester
2013.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
While it is possible to make a case for virtually every team
mounting a challenge, it would be a major surprise if the Glosters
qualified for the knockout phase let alone went on to win their
first T20 title. Other than Australian Andrew Tye, who was the
leading wicket-taker in this year's Indian Premier League (with 24
victims at 18.66) there's a severe lack of quality. In 2017, no
Gloucestershire batsman averaged over 30 in the Blast, and of the
three who recorded half-centuries - Bancroft is serving a ban for
ball-tampering, Mustard has retired and Klinger has seen very little
cricket, due, unfortunately to his wife undergoing treatment for
cancer.
Surrey clash: 12 August (Sun) at Bristol.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 7 wins for the Oval outfit.
Odds: 20-1.
Overseas player(s): Michael Klinger (Australia) and Andrew Tye
(Australia).
Best finish: Runners-up (2007).
Biggest total: 254-3 v Middlesex at Uxbridge 2011.
Highest score: 126* by Michael Klinger v Essex at Bristol 2015.
Best bowling: 5-24 by David Payne v Middlesex at Richmond 2015.
HAMPSHIRE
Like Essex and Surrey, Hampshire appear to have all bases covered.
Since lifting the trophy for a second time in 2012, they have
reached the semi-finals on four occasions. You wouldn't rule out
another appearance at Finals Day, especially if they replicate the
form that carried them to the Royal London One-Day Cup title. Not
even England leg-spinner Mason Crane's on going back issues will be
a problem, with the likes of Liam Dawson and Afghani sensation
Mujeeb Ur-Rahman to call upon in terms of spin. The batting is
particularly strong with James Vince - who holds the record for the
most runs in a T20 Blast season (710 in 2015) - being the pick.
Surrey clash: 15 August (Wed) at the Oval.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 6 wins for Hampshire.
Odds: 7-1 joint favourites.
Overseas player(s): Colin Munro (New Zealand) and Mujeeb Ur-Rahman
(Afghanistan).
Best finish: Winners (2010 and 2012).
Biggest total: 249-8 v Derbyshire at Derby 2017.
Highest score: 124* by Michael Lumb v Essex at Southampton 2009.
Best bowling: 5-14 by Dimitri Mascarenhas v Sussex at Hove 2004.
KENT
If the Spitfires have a weakness it's their lack of spin bowling;
which can be a major factor in Twenty20 cricket, particularly when
it comes to applying the brakes mid-innings. Imran Qayyum, Adam
Riley and James Tredwell have hardly featured this season and only
Qayyum could be said to have played a hand in the hop county
reaching last weekend's 50-over final. The seam department looks
healthier, though, with the likes of Milne, Podmore and Stevens.
With captain and wicketkeeper Sam Billings now freed from his IPL
and England commitments, plus Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Denly and
Heino Kuhn scoring runs for fun in white-ball cricket, Kent's
resurgence could spill over into the Blast.
Surrey clashes: 6 July (Fri) at the Oval and 20 July (Fri) at
Canterbury.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 5 wins apiece.
Odds: 16-1.
Overseas player(s): Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies) and Adam Milne
(New Zealand).
Best finish: Winners (2007).
Biggest total: 231-7 v Surrey at the Oval 2015.
Highest score: 127 by Joe Denly v Essex at Chelmsford 2017.
Best bowling: 5-11 by Adam Milne v Somerset at Taunton 2017.
MIDDLESEX
With Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan and Paul Stirling hitting just one
fifty between them the North Londoners never really got going in
last season's T20 Blast. If they can put that right, Middlesex could
suddenly be a force in Twenty20; as their bowling has all the
ingredients necessary to improve on a record of just one
quarter-final appearance since they lifted the trophy in 2008. Steve
Finn and Tom Helm will seek to dominate the powerplays, backed up by
Dwayne Bravo's wealth of experience and the spin of Ashton Agar and
the under-rated Nathan Sowter. It will be interesting to see how
Middlesex go, following the recent sacking of head coach Richard
Scott.
Surrey clashes: 5 July (Thu) at Lord's and 3 August (Fri) at the
Oval.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 7 wins for the Oval outfit.
Odds: 14-1.
Overseas player(s): Ashton Agar (Australia) and Dwayne Bravo (West
Indies).
Best finish: Winners (2008).
Biggest total: 221-2 v Sussex at Hove 2015.
Highest score: 129 by Dan Christian v Kent at Canterbury 2014.
Best bowling: 5-11 by Tom Helm v Essex at Lord's 2017.
SOMERSET
Matt Renshaw's withdrawal on the eve of the T20, with a broken
finger, has done Somerset's prospects no favours. The Australian
looked set to take the Blast by storm. It leaves the Cidermen with
plenty of big-hitters - Anderson, Davies, Myburgh, Trego and the
like - but no one, other than perhaps James Hildreth, capable of
anchoring the innings. England spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach
rarely feature in Twenty20 cricket, which is a surprise. If that
continues to be Somerset's policy, much will depend on fellow
twirlers Roelof van der Merwe and Max Waller. Keep an eye out for
Tom Banton, the whisper coming out of Taunton is that this will be
the 19-year-old batsman's breakthrough season.
Surrey clashes: 27 July (Fri) at the Oval and 10 August (Fri) at
Taunton.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 7 wins for the Oval outfit.
Odds: 14-1.
Overseas player(s): Corey Anderson (New Zealand).
Best finish: Winners (2005).
Biggest total: 250-3 v Gloucestershire at Taunton 2006.
Highest score: 151* by Chris Gayle v Kent at Taunton 2015.
Best bowling: 6-5 by Arul Suppiah v Glamorgan at Cardiff 2011.
SURREY
With Aaron Finch and Jason Roy at the top of the batting order,
expect some fireworks. Sadly, the pair rarely flourished in tandem
last year, which prevented the Oval outfit from progressing further
than the quarter-finals. Ollie Pope was the pick of the rest with
the bat and has hardly looked back since. Pope is expected to share
the keeping duties with Ben Foakes, who may have to make way for
another up and coming batter in Will Jacks. Jade Dernbach, who will
skipper, Morne Morkel and the Curran brothers will top and tail the
bowling plans, with Gareth Batty's off-spin completing a very tasty
sandwich. Coping with international calls would appear to be
Surrey's biggest issue.
Odds: 9-1.
Overseas player(s): Aaron Finch (Australia) and Nic Maddinson
(Australia).
Best finish: Winners (2003).
Biggest total: 224-5 v Gloucestershire at Bristol 2006.
Highest score: 122* by Jason Roy v Somerset at the Oval 2015.
Best bowling: 6-24 by Tim Murtagh v Middlesex at Lord's 2005.
SUSSEX
Positives first - the bowling is top drawer. The sight of quickies
Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan operating in unison has been a long
time coming, due to their participation in the IPL. If the lightning
quick Tymal Mills stays fit and spinners Will Beer, Danny Briggs and
Rashid Khan forge a productive triumvirate, the Sharks lack of
batting won't be an issue. The departure of Chris Nash (to Notts)
and a knee injury to Stiaan van Zyl means that Luke Wright is the
only player left who made a half-century for Sussex in last summer's
T20 Blast. The hope is the void will be filled by Tom Bruce, who has
a 128.40 strike rate in T20Is for New Zealand.
Surrey clashes: 13 July (Fri) at Hove and 9 August (Thu) at the
Oval.
Last ten T20s v Surrey: 7 wins for the Oval outfit, one no result
and 2 victories for Sussex.
Odds: 10-1.
Overseas player(s): Tom Bruce (New Zealand) and Rashid Khan
(Afghanistan).
Best finish: Winners (2009).
Biggest total: 242-5 v Gloucestershire at Bristol 2016.
Highest score: 153* by Luke Wright v Essex at Chelmsford 2007.
Best bowling: 5-11 by Mushtaq Ahmed v Essex at Hove 2005.
GO TO:
BACK TO:
|