STAR MAN
RAVI BOPARA
PPI RANK:
STAR MAN
USMAN KHAWAJA
PPI RANK:
STAR MAN
BENNY HOWELL
PPI RANK:
BOUNDARY % 11.9% BOUNDARY % 21.1% ECONOMY 6.65
SOUTH DIVISION
Last year was one of the most unsuccessful for
Essex in T20. They fi nished eighth in the South
Group, although their fi ve wins and seven defeats
in what was a tight group was not such a terrible
record. They are a county with a proud history in the
format having made it out of the group stages nine
times in 15 attempts, the last fi ve such occasions in
succession until last year. They will want to improve
this year; and without the imminent distraction
of a Championship title they are poised to do so
following a good showing in the Royal London Cup.
Their changes in the backroom sta are as pertinent
to those on the fi eld, with Dimitri Mascarenhas
- the club’s new assistant coach – bringing in a
wealth of T20 experience, most recently as bowling
coach for Big Bash side Melbourne Renegades.
The Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa, one
of the most e ective T20 bowlers in the middle
overs, has been recruited as an overseas signing for
the whole tournament. He will be complemented
by Neil Wagner in July and Peter Siddle for August,
who returns after a successful Championship stint
in the early part of this season.
Chris Smith
Steve James said last summer it was Glamorgan’s
most dangerous white-ball side ever. In the 2017
Blast they won the South Group, then thrashed
Leicestershire in the quarters. Their semi-fi nal
defeat to Birmingham Bears was a surprise. They
come in to this year’s tournament under a bit of
pressure, though, after an underwhelming Royal
London One-Day Cup campaign, in which they
lost seven out of eight games and fi nished bottom
of the South Group. Their batting should be
decent. White-ball maestro Colin Ingram, the new
T20 captain, had a strong 50-over tournament.
James calls him Glamorgan’s best-ever one-day
player. He will form a dynamic overseas unit
alongside Australian duo Usman Khawaja and
Shaun Marsh. David Lloyd has stepped up a level
this season in both Championship and 50-over,
so I predict a good tournament for him. Andrew
Salter, Aneurin Donald and Chris Cooke all had
their moments last season. Aussie veteran Michael
Hogan leads the attack, with Craig Meschede,
Marchant de Lange, Ingram and Graham Wagg all
well-versed T20 bowlers.
Huw Turbervill
Rock-bottom of the South Division last year,
things can only get better at the Brightside
County Ground. Richard Dawson had yet to
appoint a captain for the competition, with
Chris Dent having taken the fi rst-class and
50-over reins this term. With no Michael
Klinger in the side in 2018 – the Australian
batsman, who hit 281 runs at a strike-rate
of 137 in 2017, is taking an indefi nite break
from cricket to support his wife Lisa through
cancer treatment – run-scorers will be needed
from elsewhere. Can James Bracey, the
talented 20-year-old, take his fi ne County
Championship form into the shortest format?
Will Benny Howell, one of the country’s
most under-rated T20 allrounders, be able
to inspire his team? He made his case for
a national T20 call-up in the pages of The
Cricketer. Will Andrew Tye, the Aussie bowler
with more variations than a Mozart anthology,
benefi t from a month in English conditions
in the Australian one-day team prior to
the tournament getting under way? Lots of
questions. Time for answers. SM
Essex Eagles
Coach Anthony McGrath
Captain Ryan ten Doeschate
Overseas Neil Wagner (NZ), Adam Zampa (A),
Peter Siddle (A) • Last season Group stage
Glamorgan
Coach Robert Croft
Captain Colin Ingram
Overseas Usman Khawaja (A), Shaun Marsh (A)
Last season Semi-fi nals
Gloucestershire
Coach Richard Dawson
Captain TBC
Overseas Andrew Tye (A)
Last season Group stage
Varun Chopra 288
Adam Wheater 392
Tom Westley 350
Ravi Bopara 44
Dan Lawrence 301
Ryan ten Doeschate 229
Matt Coles 318
Ashar Zaidi 183
Peter Siddle 336
Adam Zampa 158
Paul Walter 421
Colin Ingram 39
Usman Khawaja 184
Aneurin Donald 364
Chris Cooke 382
Graham Wagg 278
Andrew Salter 529
David Lloyd 624
Craig Meschede 419
Timm van der Gugten 401
Marchant de Lange 242
Michael Hogan 186
Ian Cockbain 241
Benny Howell 51
Ryan Higgins 334
Graeme van Buuren 641
Kieran Noema-Barnett 612
Tom Smith 283
David Payne 388
Jack Taylor 385
Andrew Tye 20
Matt Taylor 497
Chris Liddle 653
2017 run-rate 8.69 2017 economy 8.59 2017 run-rate 8.82 2017 economy 8.50 2017 run-rate 7.53 2017 economy 7. 8 7
STRONGEST XI STRONGEST XI STRONGEST XI
Team rating
3,020
Team rating
3,648
Team rating
4,105
Prediction: Group stage Prediction: Group stage Prediction: Group stage
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