Nottinghamshire vs Lancashire, VITALITY T20 BLAST 2020, Today Match Prediction 03 Oct 2020

notts vs lancs Match Prediction & Analysis

The second semifinal of the Vitality T20 Blast 2020 features two North group teams who will battle it out for a spot in the final. Table-toppers Nottinghamshire have been ruthless all season but had to really sweat it out in their quarterfinal clash, eventually sneaking through on the basis of having had a better Powerplay.

Lancashire, on the other hand, stunned everyone by convincingly brushing aside Sussex who was billed as one of the tournament’s favourites. Notts and Lancs squared off once at Trent Bridge, and that was a clash that was won by the former in convincing fashion.

On paper, the Notts are way too strong for the Lancs but nobody can afford to underestimate Dane Vilas’ boys, not after the way they knocked Sussex out. And the Notts certainly cannot, after the near escape that they had in their quarterfinal clash. A neutral venue in Edgbaston makes for a fine contest, although the batting conditions should suit the Notts’ power-packed side a bit more.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nottinghamshire Preview

A side filled with stroke players and power hitters, the Notts bat really deep and it’s a no-brainer that they enjoy chasing. They’ve made a mockery of run chases many-a-time, particularly at their fortress Trent Bridge, where they didn’t drop a game all season. They nearly did in the quarterfinal though, and need to thank Joe Clarke for having made the cut, for it was his counterattack that ensured a better Powerplay, the factor which decided the outcome after the game was tied. Samit Patel’s cameo was equally priceless, as the seasoned campaigner used all his experience to take the game deep and eventually ensured that the Notts didn’t lose.

The game was still a wakeup call for the Notts, more for their batting which looked complacent and lethargic in the run chase. Against a wily Lancashire attack, they cannot afford to do that. However, conditions at Edgbaston have been good for batting this season, and that should allow the Notts’ batting unit to do what they love doing best – dominate bowling attacks. What should boost them is that the bowling has started to up their game, and at the business end of the tournament, that’s a massive plus for any team. Especially a side like Notts that already are rich in their batting stocks.

Nottinghamshire Predicted Playing XI:

C Nash, A Hales, J Clarke, B Duckett, T Moores(wk), D Christian(c), S Mullaney, S Patel, I Wasim, M Carter, J Ball

Lancashire Preview

When the Lancs hobbled their way to 140/8 in the quarterfinal clash against Sussex, not many gave them a chance to come back. Even with the pitch being as dry and scuffed up as it was. But as has been the case all season, their bowling unit stood up and dominated an experienced Sussex outfit that was never in the chase at any point. That only opener Luke Wright and no.11 Tymal Mills got to double figures should tell you how clinical Lancashire was. The pitch also helped for sure, as it kept getting trickier by the over with the ball turning all over the place. The leggies in Matt Parkinson and Liam Livingstone spun a web to snuff out Sussex.

Lancashire has thrived on these pitches where their batting has gotten them to respectable or par scores, with the bowling then taking the mantle of sealing the deal. It has also hurt them on better batting pitches and the semifinal could be one of those, despite being at Edgbaston which traditionally has assisted spin. A top-heavy batting unit works against the Lancs but when they’ve clicked, they have often put the team in superb positions.

Lancashire Predicted Playing XI:

A Davies(wk), L Livingstone, K Jennings, R Croft, D Vilas(c), R Jones, D Lamb, L Wood, T Hartley, S Mahmood, M Parkinson

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The forecast is for a largely rainy day in Birmingham and with it being the Finals day, a lot is at stake. Pitches at Edgbaston have been good for batting, particularly in the afternoon and evening games. This being an afternoon game should see the surface settled and possibly, at its relative best for batting.

Venue Details

Edgbaston has been one of England’s iconic venues both in Tests and limited-overs cricket. The highlight has been the euphoric jam-packed crowd, which will be missed this time due to obvious reasons. 

Toss: To Bowl

This will be a tricky affair with rain predicted. With the pitch also expected to play better than SF1, it makes sense for captains to chase. Although the dry nature of Edgbaston is always in your minds.