Yorkshire vs Durham, VITALITY T20 BLAST 2023, Today Match Prediction

yorks vs dur Match Prediction & Analysis

The Yorkshire Vikings are yet to open their account in the 2023 Vitality Blast. They’ve lost both of their matches so far and are 6th on the North Group table with a net run rate of -0.939. They will next take on Durham at Headingley this Sunday. Durham have started their season with a 10-wicket win against Northamptonshire, taking them to 4th place in the table. Yorkshire and Durham have both never won the title before, and will hope this is the season for them.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Yorkshire Preview

Two matches, two losses - the first against Warwickshire by 34 runs and the next against Worcestershire by 2 wickets. The Yorkshire Vikings have to get their act together fast. Their batting hasn’t come together so far. No batter has hit a fifty yet this season, with Dawid Malan’s 43 in the first match being the highest. Malan will have to play the anchor role going forward, while the others can revolve around him.

Adam Lyth may have failed in both matches he’s played, but we are expecting great things from him. He was the highest run-getter for the last season, with 525 runs in 16 innings at an average of 35 at a strike rate of 177.

They might bring in Jonny Bairstow in this game to strengthen their batting. Bairstow has made a return to cricket after a long layoff from injury, so might not be at his best. But even a quick cameo from him will do Yorkshire a world of good. We are also expecting captain Shan Masood to make an impact in this game.

All-rounder David Wiese produced an excellent spell of 3-18 off 4 overs in the match against Worcestershire. He should feature in the next few games for Yorkshire, as they desperately need a good wicket-taking seam bowler at the start. Jordan Thompson has been expensive and may have gone for runs, but he’s a genuine wicket-taker in the middle overs. The fast bowler was the team’s leading wicket-taker last season with 17 scalps at an economy of 10.17.

Yorkshire Predicted Playing XI:

Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan, Shan Masood (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), David Wiese, Matthew Revis, Jordan Thompson, Ben Mike, Dominic Bess, Matthew Fisher, Jafer Chohan

Yorkshire Actual Playing XI:

Shan Masood, Jafer Chohan, Dom Bess, Adam Lyth, Ben Mike, Matthew Fisher, Jonathan Tattersall, Dawid Malan, David Wiese, Matthew Revis, Jordan Thompson

Durham Preview

Durham couldn’t have asked for a better start to their campaign. Playing their first match of the season, they bowled out Northamptonshire for just 137 in the County Ground, Northampton, and then chased the target without losing any wickets in 13.2 overs. Graham Clark stole the show from the bowling unit with a breathtaking 102 off 49 balls.

Earlier it was leg-spinner Nathan Sowter who broke Northamptonshire’s back with a spell of 5-15.

Durham had a forgettable last season, where they finished second from bottom. This win will give them a lot of confidence.

Apart from Clark, Michael Jones is another batter worth keeping an eye out for this season. He was the highest run-getter for Durham last season, scoring 319 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 140. 

Wicket-keeper batter Ollie Robinson has the ability to excel with the gloves and bat. The 24-year-old will give the strike-power to Durham in the middle overs, something they have lacked in the past.

On the bowling front, Durham also have left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis to bank on. He had a solid last season and looked good in the previous match, ending with figures of 28-2 off his 3 overs.

Durham Predicted Playing XI:

Alex Lees (c), Michael Jones, Graham Clark, Oliver Robinson (wk), Ashton Turner, Bas de Leede, Luke Doneathy, Liam Trevaskis, Ben Raine, Nathan Sowter, Brandon Glover

Durham Actual Playing XI:

Brandon Glover, Michael Jones, Luke Doneathy, Alex Lees, Bas de Leede, Ashton Turner, Ollie Robinson, Ben Raine, Graham Clark, Liam Trevaskis, Nathan Sowter

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The Headingley Stadium in Leeds is one of the truest tracks in England, providing assistance to both batters and bowlers. In T20 cricket, the pitch here doesn’t change much, and the ball comes on nicely for the batters. Seam bowlers will get some help when the ball is new, but after that batters are expected to shine.

The weather in Leeds during the game will be cool, with periods of sunshine and a shower in spots.

Venue Details

The average total batting first at Headingley in the Vitality Blast is 162. The highest total posted at the venue is a massive 260-4 by Yorkshire against Northamptonshire. The highest target chased at the venue is 208 by Yorkshire against Durham. This will be first match of the season at the venue and the team batting first will look to post a total in the range of 180-190 runs.

Toss: To Bat

Out of the 64 matches played at Headingley in the Vitality Blast, 52% have been won by the team batting first. The team winning the toss is likely to bat first.