T20 Blast 2023: Middlesex vs Surrey – South Group Match Preview and Updates

Cricket

Middlesex and Surrey will kick off their 2023 Vitality Blast campaigns at Lord’s on Thursday evening. Last season, Middlesex won four games and finished eighth in the South Group. Surrey finished first in their group but were defeated in the quarterfinals by Yorkshire Vikings. Middlesex struggled in the 2022 Vitality Blast and had signed Keshav Maharaj prior to this season. However, he has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury, reducing the squad’s quality.

Surrey had the best record of any team in the tournament’s group stage last year. They will aim to perform at a similar level this season and will be confident going into this London derby.

The South Group Match between Middlesex vs Surrey will take place on May 25th, 2023 at Lord’s, London.

Match Details to Note

Match: Middlesex vs Surrey, South Group Match, T20 Blast 2023

Date: May 25, 2023 (Thursday)

Time: 10:45 PM IST

Venue: Lord’s, London

Middlesex vs Surrey

Middlesex (Match Odds – 2.25):

Preview:

Jason Behrendorff, who impressed for the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 Indian Premier League, will not return to Middlesex for this year’s T20 Blast. Pieter Malan, a South African, has been playing in the County Championship and will bat first in this tournament.

Last year, Middlesex lost all four of their final four group stage matches. If they are to be competitive this season, they will need to find a new approach.

Full Squad:

Sam Robson, Jack Davies, Robbie White, Martin Andersson, Blake Cullen, John Simpson, Ethan Bamber, Tim Murtagh, James Harris, Thilan Walallawita, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Helm, Mark Stoneman, Pieter Malan (South Africa), Ryan Higgins

Players to watch out for:

Steve Eskinazi

Steve Eskinazi, 29, hit 65 not out in Middlesex’s final T20 Blast match last year. During the winter, he also played in Australia’s Big Bash League.

Pieter Malan

The 33-year-old South African has a best T20 score of 140 not out and an average of 38.79 in 54 innings.

Martin Andersson

The all-rounder has a best of 3-20 in this format and is a very consistent wicket taker.

Possible Playing XI:

Steve Eskinazi (c), Pieter Malan, Joe Cracknell, John Simpson (wk), Joshua De Caires, Luke Hollman, Martin Andersson, Blake Cullen, Max Harris, Tom Helm, Toby Roland-Jones

Surrey (Match Odds – 1.65):

Preview:

We expect Jason Roy and Sunil Narine to join the team immediately after their IPL campaigns concluded last week. However, captain Chris Jordan is still playing for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and Sam Curran is unlikely to play. Will Jacks is expected to captain the team in the T20 Blast in 2023.

Surrey were a real force in the first half of the group stage last year, but they lost four of their last five T20 Blast matches in 2022, including their quarter-final loss.

Full Squad:

ory Burns, Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope, Jordan Clark, Reece Topley, Amar Virdi, Jamie Overton, Matt Dunn, Gus Atkinson, Daniel Moriarty, Chris Jordan, Cameron Steel, Dan Worrall, Dom Sibley, Kemar Roach, Sean Abbott, Tom Latham, Sunil Narine

Players to watch out for:

Will Jacks

The batting all-rounder has had an impressive 12-18 months. He also hit a century in last year’s Men’s Hundred while batting at the top of the order.

Laurie Evans

The 35-year-old has over 5100 T20 runs to his name, including two centuries. In recent seasons, he has been one of the most attacking players in the T20 Blast.

Sean Abbott

In T20 cricket, the bowling all-rounder poses a threat throughout the innings. He bowls with good pace and movement through the air and off the pitch.

Possible Playing XI:

Will Jacks (c), Jason Roy, Laurie Evans, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wk), Sunil Narine, Jamie Overton, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott, Reece Topley, Gus Atkinson

Middlesex vs Surrey Batsmen Worth Watching

Our batting predictions for Middlesex are Steve Eskinazi, Pieter Malan, and John Simpson. Keeper-batsman Simpson is an experienced and attacking batter who has appeared in three One-Day Internationals for England. During his BBL stint earlier this year, Eskinazi hit a top score of 66 not out.

For Surrey, our batsmen are Ollie Pope, Will Jacks, and Jason Roy. During his time with the Kolkata Knight Riders in this year’s IPL, Jason Roy impressed at times. Ollie Pope has scored over 1000 T20 runs and is an aggressive batter in any format.

Middlesex vs Surrey Bowlers Worth Watching

For Middlesex, we like Martin Andersson, Tom Helm, and Toby Roland-Jones. Roland-Jones has been plagued by injuries in recent years, but his best T20 figures are 5-21. Helm has 86 wickets in this format with good pace and bounce.

Surrey’s selections with the ball are Jamie Overton, Sean Abbott, and Reece Topley. Topley is a fast and accurate bowler with a lot of bounce. Overton bowls with pace and aggression and has represented England at the international level.

Middlesex vs Surrey Head to Head

In this format, Surrey has a very strong head-to-head record against Middlesex. They lead 26-12 and have won the last six meetings.

Middlesex vs Surrey Head to Head Stats in T20s

	Matches Played	MID Won	SUR Won	Tie	NR
Overall	38	12	26	0	0
Last 5	5	0	5	0	0

Middlesex vs Surrey Toss Prediction

Batting first teams have a better record in T20 cricket at this venue than fielding first teams. In this match, we predict that both teams will want to bat first.

Middlesex vs Surrey Pitch Report

Last year’s Vitality Blast at Lord’s saw an average first innings score of 165. Spinners will benefit from surface turn.

The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies throughout the game, with temperatures dropping from 18 degrees to 15 degrees. There will be no rain.

Middlesex vs Surrey Prediction

A large crowd and plenty of entertainment can be expected whenever there is a London derby at Lord’s. Our prediction is for a one-sided match, with Surrey’s squad looking far superior to Middlesex’s. Middlesex’s batting line-up will be strengthened by Pieter Malan, but we do not believe it will be enough to win. Surrey will win, according to our prediction. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

Surrey is the favourite to beat Middlesex at the odds of 1.65.

Middlesex vs Surrey Most Recommended Player for Bet:

Sean Abbott is the Big Bash League’s all-time leading wicket taker, and the pace bowler is a strong contender for Surrey’s top wicket taker in this match.

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