Hampshire vs Essex, VITALITY T20 BLAST 2023, Today Match Prediction

ham vs ess Match Prediction & Analysis

It will be a major showdown in the 109th game of the Vitality T20 Blast 2023, where hosts Hampshire Hawks will take on the Essex Eagles. This game's winner will be almost through to the next round. Hampshire Hawks come into this contest with a loss against Gloucestershire. The Eagles also had a poor outing against Kent Spitfires in the last game and lost by a big margin.  

The Hampshire Hawks have won the last four out of five games against Essex Eagles, including one earlier in the season. They have won three home games this year, making them confident. For the Eagles, it has been consecutive losses for the team, and they must make a strong comeback at this crucial stage of the season.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Hampshire Preview

James Vince's side lost to Gloucestershire in the last game by 8 wickets under the DLS method. They are 4th on the points table and must win this game to book a berth for themselves in the next round. Vince would like the senior players in the team to come up with a strong show in this game and take inspiration from their big win against Essex earlier in the season.   

James Vince must lead from the front and set up a big partnership with Ben McDermott in the game to lay a strong platform. Joe Weatherley, Toby Albert, and Ross Whiteley will look to do well in the middle order. The side has depth in the batting, and they can expect runs from James Fuller, Liam Dawson, and Chris Wood.  

Chris Wood and John Turner need to get early breakthroughs, as the Essex Eagles have good stroke players at the top. Dawson and Benny Howell have a lot of experience, and they must put brakes on the scoring rate in the middle overs. Nathan Ellis has done well this year, and the team will have big expectations from him.

Hampshire Predicted Playing XI:

James Vince (c), Ben McDermott (wk), Toby Albert, Joe Weatherley, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, Benny Howell, Ross Whiteley, Chris Wood, Nathan Ellis, John Turner

Hampshire Actual Playing XI:

James Vince, Benny Howell, Nathan Ellis, Toby Albert, Joe Weatherley, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, John Turner, Ross Whiteley, Ben McDermott, Chris Wood

Essex Preview

Simon Harmer's side bowled poorly in the last game to go down by 7 wickets against the Kent Spitfires. They had 184 runs on the board but failed to defend it due to a lack of discipline from their bowlers. They don't have a good record against Hampshire, and Harmer would look to change it here. A win here will help them book a berth in the next round.  

Daniel Lawrence hasn’t been consistent, and the team will need a strong show from him, along with Feroz Khushi. Michael-Kyle Pepper and Paul Walter have been the best batsmen for the side, and they must make runs in the middle order with Robin Das. Matthew Critchley, William Buttlerman, Daniel Sams, and Harmer add depth to this line-up.  

Daniel Sams has done well with the ball, but he has lacked support. Shane Snater must do well with the new ball, along with Sams. Harmer, Aron Nijjar, and Paul Walter must bowl tight lines as they will face a strong batting line-up. Matthew Critchley leaked runs in the last game, and he must bowl to a plan in the supporting role.

Essex Predicted Playing XI:

Simon Harmer (c), Adam Rossington (wk), Robin Das, Michael-Kyle Pepper, Matthew Critchley, Paul Walter, Daniel Lawrence, Daniel Sams, Shane Snater, Ben Allison, Sam Cook

Essex Actual Playing XI:

Aaron Beard, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Robin Das, Dan Lawrence, Ben Allison, Feroze Khushi, Daniel Sams, William Buttleman, Simon Harmer, Michael Pepper

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The skies over Southampton will be clear on June 23, and we expect to see a high-scoring game here. There would be some early movement for the bowlers, but batsmen can play their strokes freely on this surface. The side batting first would have to target a score of over 180 runs to win here.

Venue Details

The Rose Bowl, Southampton is one of the best batting wickets early on, and batsmen have been able to play their strokes freely. However, the ground is large and offers plenty of scoring opportunities in twos and threes. Fast bowlers do get their assistance when the ball is hard and new. Spinners need to use their variations well here.

Toss: To Bowl

Chasing scores has always been a safe choice at this venue and we have seen three out of four games settling in favor of sides that have chased the score. The wicket has always been a bit challenging early in the game. The side winning the toss shall not hesitate to bowl first in this game.