Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

In five days time, it all starts again. Will the new-look ECB make the international players available to play more? Will county players see it as a chance to break into the England limited overs team at a time of uncertainty following the world cup?

Same format as last season. Two groups of nine. 14 games each. Majority of games played on Friday nights throughout May, June and July. Top four in each group make the QFs. Finals Day again at Edgbaston.

Odds

Hants 6/1
Notts 6/1
Yorks 6/1
Surrey 7/1
Somerset 8/1
Birmingham 9/1
Essex 12/1
Lancs 12/1
Sussex 16/1
Durham 20/1
Glamorgan 25/1
Kent 25/1
Middlesex 25/1
Northants 25/1
Derby 28/1
Gloucs 25/1
Leicester 33/1
Worcs 33/1

I wouldn't be wasting my money on Somerset with those odds.

Overseas players (I might be wrong with one or two, so apologies - note, a lot of the below will only be available for part of the competition)

Hants - Arafat, Bird (when/if he is fit)
Notts - Philander, Sammy, Hilfenhaus
Yorks - Maxwell, Pujara, Williamson, Finch (when/if he is fit)
Surrey - Sangakarra, Henriques
Somerset - Rehman, Gayle, Anderson, Tanvir
Birmingham - Patel, McCullum
Essex - Tait, Ryder
Lancs - Siddle, Faulkner
Sussex - Magoffin, Bailey, Jayawardene
Durham - Hastings
Glamorgan - Rudolph, Parnell
Kent - No-one?
Middlesex - Voges, Burns, Abbott
Northants - Kleinveldt, Afridi
Derby - Guptil, Dilshan, Amla, Rutherford, Rimmington
Gloucs - Klinger
Leicester - McKay, Elliot (and are in talks with Umar Akmal)
Worcs - Senanayake, Ajmal, Munro

Flintoff will not be returning to Lancs this season, and my understanding is that KP's contract with Surrey does not include playing t20 cricket. Veteran t20 players Shah (Hants) and Azhar Mahmood (Surrey) will again be taking to the field. Leicester will be Kevin O'Brien's latest county stint.

For once I have no faith at all in Durham, so no doubt this will be the year where they go and win it!

Umar Akmal completes to short term deal with Leicester (covering for Elliot whilst he plays for NZ).

Sussex, Essex and Middlesex look long odds there, although must just be because it's so hard to get out of the "South" group

We'll be at finals day. Promise.

yorker_129-7 wrote:Sussex, Essex and Middlesex look long odds there, although must just be because it's so hard to get out of the "South" group

Essex also aren't helped starting without Bopara and RTD due to the IPL (and they play twice in the next 48 hours). Their team looks very weak without them.

And actually, to be honest, I'd say this is possibly the weakest south group for a very long time. Gone are the days where Somerset's batting included Trescothick, Kieswetter, Buttler, Trego, Pollard, Compton and Hildreth. Sussex also are not quite what they once were - no Arafat, no Prior, Yardy seemingly past his best, Nash probably not the threat he once was. Throw in that Kent and Middlesex haven't really been that special for a few years now, and I would say that only Hants and Surrey have a realistic chance of winning it this year.

For the first time, I think the north group might contain more heavyweights than the south group. Yorkshire, Notts, Northants for sure, at the very least. Caveat with Yorks and Notts though is how much they're affected by England duty (and short term IPL duty in the case of Hales, as I note he could be about to jet set out to India very shortly).

I stand corrected. RTD is flying back to play in these two games (before presumably flying back out to India again after?).

Wahib Riaz is joining Surrey for the two games on Saturday and Sunday this week.

anyone else joined the ECB t20 blast fantasy league, in a league with a group of mates... good fun

cricketfan90 wrote:anyone else joined the ECB t20 blast fantasy league, in a league with a group of mates... good fun

Just about to enter a team, looks a good format.

Warks 106-4 after 16 overs

Surrey chasing well over 200!

Wahab Riaz just bowled an over for 29!

17 year old Matt Fisher takes 5 wickets on debut!

dan08 wrote:Surrey chasing well over 200!

Good total posted by Glamorgan. Surrey are giving it a go though.