T20 Blast 2023: Kent vs Essex – South Group Match Preview and Updates

Cricket

The 57th game of the T20 Blast 2023 will be played at home between the Kent Spitfires and the Essex Eagles. The Kent Spitfires were defeated by Surrey in their previous game and must now recover. The Essex Eagles will be buoyed by their victory over the Sussex Sharks. Kent Spitfires have lost their last four games, putting them under pressure in this match. Their bowling attack has struggled, which will concern the team. The Eagles will look to capitalize on their momentum and move up the points table. The stakes are high for Spitfires, and we expect them to fight hard.

The South Group Match between Kent vs Essex will take place on June 7th, 2023 at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury.

Match Details to Note

Match: Kent vs Essex, South Group Match, T20 Blast 2023

Date: June 07, 2023 (Wednesday)

Time: 11:00 PM IST

Venue: St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

Kent vs Essex

Kent (Match Odds – 1.77):

Preview:

It is Sam Billings’ last chance to keep his team’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive. The team has lost four games in a row and comes into this game after a five-wicket loss to Surrey. Their bowlers have had a difficult season thus far, and they will need to execute their plans flawlessly in order to recover and regain their confidence. Tawanda Muyeye and Daniel Bell-Drummond must get off to a good start in this game against a strong bowling attack. The side has experienced players in the middle order, and they will look for runs from Billings, Joe Denly, and Jordan Cox. Jack Leaning and Geroge Linde are both capable of hitting the ball, and they will look to score runs quickly in this game. Geroge Linde and Michael Hogan will be crucial in the bowling department. Kane Richardson has failed to deliver despite playing an important role as the team’s most experienced bowler. As they take on a strong batting line-up, they will also expect good spells from Grant Steward and Denly.

Full Squad:

Oliver Robinson, Jordan Cox, Jack Leaning, Sam Billings, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Marcus O’Riordan, Nathan Gilchrist, Hamidullah Qadri, Matthew Quinn, Tawanda Muyeye, Heino Kuhn, Joe Denly, Fred Klaassen, Grant Stewart, Ben Compton, Matt Quinn, Joey Evison, Michael Hogan, George Linde (South Africa), Arshdeep Singh (India – five County Championship matches June-July), Kane Richardson (Australia – Vitality Blast)

Players to watch out for:

Sam Billings

The captain has scored over 5100 T20 runs in his career and will be looking for his 28th half-century in this game.

Joe Denly

The seasoned top-order batsman is also a capable spinner. He scored 27 runs and took 1-23 from four overs against Surrey.

Michael Hogan

Despite going wicketless in the previous game, the 42-year-old has already taken two three-wicket hauls for the Spitfires in this game.

Possible Playing XI:

Sam Billings (c & wk), Tawanda Muyeye, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Denly, Jordan Cox, Jack Leaning, George Linde, Joey Evison, Grant Stewart, Kane Richardson, Michael Hogan

Essex (Match Odds – 2.05):

Preview:

Simon Harmer’s team won its third game of the season last week, snapping a two-match losing streak. They defeated Sussex Sharks by 5 wickets and are currently ranked sixth in the points table. Harmer will be looking for a strong performance from his players in this contest in order to move up the points table. They will need a strong start from Daniel Lawrence and Adam Rossington, who will look to put up a strong fight. Michael-Kyle Pepper performed admirably in the previous two games and must anchor the middle order alongside Paul Walter and Robi Das. They have batting depth and can count on runs from Matthew Critchley, Daniel Sams, and Harmer. Daniel Sams, who will share the new ball with Sam Cook, is in good form with the ball and will look for early breakthroughs. In the middle overs, Shane Snater and Harmer will need to bowl well. In this competition, they will also be looking for a strong performance from Matthew Critchley and Ben Allison.

Full Squad:

Tom Westley, Nick Browne, Sir Alastair Cook, Samuel Cook, James Porter, Shane Snater, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Simon Harmer (South Africa), Doug Bracewell (New Zealand – County Championship, until the end of July), Daniel Sams (Australia – Vitality Blast)

Players to watch out for:

Michael Pepper

The 24-year-old right-hander has hit 111 runs in his last two Vitality T20 Blast 2023 innings. On Tuesday, he hit eight fours and one six.

Matt Critchley

Some Essex fans were disappointed to see Critchley in the side against the Sussex Sharks, but he batted 25 not out and took 2-17.

Sam Cook

On Tuesday, the right-arm medium fast bowler picked up a wicket with his second ball of the game and returned to dismiss two batters in the 19th over of the innings.

Possible 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

Kent vs Essex Batsmen Worth Watching

Batting options for Kent include Sam Billings, Joe Denly, and Daniel Bell-Drummond. Bell-Drummond bats first and has a best score of 112 not out in this format. Denly has five T20 centuries and 32 half-centuries in his career.

Our batting picks for Essex are Michael Pepper, Adam Rossington, and Robin Das. In the win over Sussex Sharks, Rossington hit two fours and four sixes at the top of the order. Das, 21, hit 69 against Gloucestershire earlier in the tournament.

Kent vs Essex Bowlers Worth Watching

Kent’s ball carriers are Michael Hogan, Kane Richardson, and George Linde. Linde, a left-arm spinner, took 2-28 in the loss to Surrey. Richardson has 215 T20 wickets and has played 35 T20Is.

For Essex, we’re rooting for Sam Cook, Daniel Sams, and Simon Harmer. Sams has 153 T20 wickets with the best figures of 4-14. Harmer leads the Eagles and has four four-wicket hauls in his T20 career.

Kent vs Essex Toss Prediction

In the three games played here, we’ve seen a difficult batting surface. At the start of the game, scoring runs has been difficult. The toss would be difficult for both teams, and we expect them to follow the results and bowl first.

Kent vs Essex Pitch Report

Batsmen have had a field day at Canterbury’s St Lawrence Ground in the past, scoring a lot of runs. The surface has bounce and pace, making it ideal for fast bowlers. Spinners have struggled here because the ground is too small for them to attack.

The skies over Canterbury will be clear on June 7, and we anticipate difficult batting conditions in this game. The ball will move around in the early overs, so batsmen must play their strokes with caution. The team batting first will be pleased with 170 runs on the board.

Kent vs Essex Prediction

Kent Spitfires have struggled so far, and there will be a lot of pressure on the team to win this game and keep their hopes of finishing in the Top 4 alive. Their bowling attack has been average, and the team needs a strong performance from its bowlers. The Essex Eagles have the advantage of momentum. It will help them become favorites in this game. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

Essex is the favourite to beat Kent at the odds of 2.05.