2023 T20 Blast Preview & Betting Tips – 01/06/23
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
THE FACTS
Where can I get tickets for the T20 Blast? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for the T20 Blast
What channel is the T20 Blast on in the UK? Sky Sports have the rights to show the T20 Blast so it is worth checking their schedule here
Where can I stream the T20 Blast in the UK? Matches that are televised on Sky Sports can be streamed live on Sky Go. If not televised on Sky, this match can be streamed live on the official websites and YouTube channels of each competing team
THE FIXTURES
Below is a list of the day’s fixtures:
North Group
Leicestershire Foxes vs Derbyshire Falcons: 18:30pm BST
Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning – 19:00pm BST
South Group
Sussex Sharks vs Essex Eagles – 19:00pm BST
LEICESTERSHIRE FOXES VS DERBYSHIRE FALCONS
THE LOWDOWN
LEICESTERSHIRE FOXES
Leicestershire Foxes’ terrible start to this season’s T20 Blast is yet to abate after they fell to a resounding 33-run defeat last time out against Worcestershire Rapids. The batting in particular, continues to let the Foxes down with no player being able to go on and play a match-defining innings. Rishi Patel top-scored at New Road with 42 off 29 balls before he was stumped, but only him and opener Nick Welch managed a score higher than 20, which tells the story.
Leicestershire will be boosted though by the arrival of overseas pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, who is fresh off the back of a hugely impressive IPL campaign for Lucknow Super Giants. He replaces Naseem Shah and the hosts will desperately be hoping that the sheer presence of Naveen can inspire a turnaround. Having said that, Naveen can’t score the top order’s runs for them and ultimately, it’s up to them and head coach Paul Nixon to find a solution to their recent batting woes.
DERBYSHIRE FALCONS
Like Leicestershire Foxes, Derbyshire Falcons remain without a win in the 2023 T20 Blast so far and this is something that will not please head coach Mickey Arthur, especially when considering that this side reached the quarter-finals back in 2022. They’ve struggled to replace former captain Shan Masood’s runs and are overly reliant on experienced top order batter Wayne Madsen. More players need to contribute as consistently as Madsen does if the Falcons are to kick on.
There are positive signs for Derbyshire to build on at least. One being that overseas bowler Zaman Khan is getting better by the game as he continues to gain priceless experience playing in English conditions. However, his fellow countryman Haider Ali has struggled so far with the bat and him finding form could well prove to be the key that unlocks this slow start to the tournament.
THE PREDICTION
Two teams without a win should make for a nervy affair with the two points on offer a golden prize. Neither have set the world alight so far, but Leicestershire Foxes should be strengthened significantly by the addition of Naveen. To have such a player available with home conditions should give them a key advantage over Derbyshire Falcons and makes backing the hosts to win a shrewd play.
TIP: LEICESTERSHIRE FOXES TO WIN
YORKSHIRE VIKINGS VS LANCASHIRE LIGHTNING
THE LOWDOWN
YORKSHIRE VIKINGS
After a torturous couple of months, Yorkshire have finally won a game of cricket. August 2022 was the last time they had tasted success before their unexpected win on Tuesday away to Notts Outlaws, their first of this year’s T20 Blast. It comes just in time as they now gear up for the big Roses clash at Headingley. They were indebted to their best better in Dawid Malan, who laid the foundations for victory with a magnificent 95 not out. The England white ball regular batted through the innings, hitting 8 fours and 4 sixes to lead the Vikings to a score of 182/7.
Although Notts Outlaws battled to take the run chase right to the last over, Jordan Thompson held his nerve to secure a 7-run win for the visitors, who will now be hoping that home advantage can prove a positive impact for them. Another very good batting surface at Headingley is expected and the top order will need to fire if they are to give themselves the best chance of overcoming the Lightning.
LANCASHIRE LIGHTNING
After winning each of their opening three games in the 2023 T20 Blast, Lancashire Lightning’s 100% record was ended in brutal fashion earlier this week by Birmingham Bears. Playing at Edgbaston for the second time this season, the Red Rose were bundled out batting first for just 98. All ten Lancashire wickets went down to spin with former overseas all-rounder Glenn Maxwell taking one of them. In the end, the Lightning were beaten by a margin of seven wickets, Birmingham reaching their target in 14.2 overs.
If Lancashire needed a boost going into the first Roses T20 of the summer, they’ve been given it through the availability of Jos Buttler. The rarely seen wicket-keeper batter within the Lightning’s ranks has completed his IPL commitments and with no England white ball cricket until September, will play for Lancashire until the T20 Blast’s conclusion in July. To have Buttler available for such a significant period of time is a massive coup for the visitors and he’s likely to replace George Bell in the starting line-up.
THE PREDICTION
The return of Jos Buttler in a Lancashire shirt gives them even extra impetus from the start, as he is expected to open the batting with Luke Wells. With the likes of Daryl Mitchell and Liam Livingstone coming in down the order to name just two, it puts into perspective how frighteningly good Lancashire’s batting line-up is on paper. Yorkshire Vikings themselves aren’t short of runs with players such as Malan and Masood among their ranks, but the overwhelming power of the Lightning should see them claim Roses bragging rights across the pennies.
TIP: LANCASHIRE LIGHTNING TO WIN
SUSSEX SHARKS VS ESSEX EAGLES
THE LOWDOWN
SUSSEX SHARKS
Sussex Sharks were unlucky to come out the wrong end of a closely fought contest against Somerset in their opening match of the competition. But what a response we saw this past weekend, the Sharks firmly underlining their top four credentials in the South Group, overcoming one of the tournament favourites Surrey by five wickets at the Kia Oval. After bowling the hosts out for 148, Sussex recovered really well from 56/4 to eventually make it to 149/5 with a ball to spare. Batter Tom Alsop guided his side home on 51 not out and he was supported brilliantly by a Michael Burgess cameo of 48 from 28 balls.
Burgess is on loan from Warwickshire (Birmingham Bears) and has clearly proved to be a canny bit of business. Captain Ravi Bopara will be chomping at the bit to face his old side here, who did the double over the Sharks last season, winning at both Chelmsford and Hove. Tymal Mills is also a former Essex player and academy graduate, so the fast left-arm bowler may also see this as an opportunity to get one over his old club.
ESSEX EAGLES
Essex Eagles started their T20 Blast campaign later than all the other counties due to their red-ball tour match with Ireland, but that didn’t stop them from getting up and running straight away, securing two points at home to Gloucestershire. They were far from perfect, with rusty bowling and questionable fielding seeing them ultimately give up 195 runs after winning the toss and bowling first. But with such small boundaries at Chelmsford, anything under 200 feels imminently chaseable and the Eagles got ahead of the rate very early on, cashing in on the powerplay and never letting the game slip from there, getting home with five balls and three wickets to spare.
Most impressive about this result was Essex achieving it without two of their best batters. Dan Lawrence is away with England (although could be allowed back to feature here), whilst their 2022 T20 Blast top scorer Michael Pepper missed out with a hand injury. His replacement Robin Das shone with a very impressive 69 to go alongside his maidan first-class century against Ireland last Friday. Should Pepper be passed fit for this one, the Essex think tank have a very tough call to make regarding selection here and potentially dropping a young player in the form of his life.
THE PREDICTION
Although Essex Eagles began with a win, a similar bowling performance will see them punished here against a Sussex Sharks batting line-up which looks stronger than that of Gloucestershire. You also have to factor in the bowlers, with Ravi Bopara, Tymal Mills and George Garton each posing a significant challenge to what is an inexperienced Eagles top three should it remain the same, albeit both Feroze Khushi and Robin Das showed significant promise on Tuesday night. Ultimately though, the more streetwise Sussex Sharks may just do enough to edge this one.
TIP: SUSSEX SHARKS TO WIN
