Surrey vs Essex, VITALITY T20 BLAST 2023, Today Match Prediction 02 July 2023

sur vs ess Match Prediction & Analysis

The Vitality Blast 2023 will host some nail-biting games on the last day of the group stage games. Surrey and Essex will be playing one of them at Kennington Oval, London. The game is scheduled for 2nd July, from 7:00 pm. Surrey have lost their last two games, but are placed in the second place of the South group with 16 points. On the other hand, Essex are in a crunch situation with 14 points in fifth place.

Surrey played table-toppers Somerset in their last game. Batting first, Somerset scored 208 runs for the loss of five wickets. Sunil Narine took two wickets for 38. Matt Henry and Ish Sodhi derailed Surrey’s chances of winning by sharing 7 wickets. Will Jacks scored his fifth half-century of the season, yet Surrey lost the game by 18 runs. With the second consecutive loss, Surrey’s chances to qualify for the playoffs suffered a setback. 

Essex suffered a fourth straight loss of the season against the bottom-placed Middlesex in a crucial game. The dazzling display from the middle-order, especially Daniel Sams (69* off 34) took Essex to 225 for the loss of 6 wickets. In return, Essex couldn’t restrict the runs even after Matthew Critchley took 5 for 28. Middlesex beat Essex by 2 wickets in the final over. 

The equation of playoffs are looking a little easy for Surrey. Winning the game can keep them in second place as they have a far better NRR over Hampshire. If they lose here, they will have to wait for the results of Hampshire and Kent’s game. Essex needs to win this game by a higher margin as well as have to wait on the games of Hampshire and Kent. The chances are very slim. But they have beaten Surrey comfortably in their last two outings. It will be a miracle if they manage to qualify with a 1% chance.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Surrey Preview

Losing three of the last four games has not only slowed down Surrey’s progress to the quarters but also opened the chances for the other three teams to topple them out. The comfortably placed Surrey will not be looking to wait for the outcome of the other games. Will Jacks will be the top batter from the Surrey side. The opener has 518 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 162.89 and five half-centuries. He has hit the maximum number of sixes (30) this season. Jacks have also contributed with the ball for Surrey claiming 10 wickets at an average of 14 - the least amongst the Surrey bowling unit.

Jacks’ opening partner Laurie Evans will be another threat to Essex. Evans has scored 482 runs at a strike rate of 164.62 with a century and three half centuries. Sam Curran in the middle-order is playing like an ideal all-rounder. The left-handed player has 371 runs with the bat and 14 wickets with the ball. Surrey have some big hitters in the bottom order too. Sean Abbott (Strike rate 189.77) and Jamie Overton (Strike rate 173.95) have scored 334 runs collectively.

T20 specialist Sunil Narine is the leading wicket-taker for Surrey. He has 18 wickets in 13 games at an economy of 7.55 - The best among all. Skipper Chris Jordan has taken 11 wickets at an economy below 8. He also has contributed with the bat with 116 runs in 5 innings. 

Key Players: Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Laurie Evans

Surrey Predicted Playing XI:

Will Jacks, Laurie Evans, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Tom Curran, Sunil Narine, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Jordan (c), Sean Abbott, Gus Atkinson, Tom Lawes

Surrey Actual Playing XI:

Jason Roy, Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Tom Curran, Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Sean Abbott, Chris Jordan, Sunil Narine, Laurie Evans

Essex Preview

Essex have struck the axe on their own foot. They were one of the choices to win the league at one point, but 4 consecutive losses after four wins put their efforts into jeopardy. And in all these games, Essex have scored more than 180 runs. So the main hurdle is their underperforming bowling unit. One can’t talk less about the season Daniel Sams is having. The all-rounder is a leading run-scorer as well as the leading wicket-taker for Essex. Sams has 334 runs at a strike rate of 173.95 - the best amongst all & 21 wickets at an economy of 7.84 -again the best amongst all.

Dan Lawrence and Feroze Khushi will open the innings for Essex. The duo has been average so far. Lawrence has scored two half-centuries in the last four games. His form will be crucial in the final game for the Essex. Overall Essex batters are having an average season. Paul Walter will be the choice for the top batter. The top-order batter has scored 86 runs in the last two games at a strike rate above 190.

Matthew Critchley and Simon Harmer will lead the bowling attack with Sams. Critchley took a five-for in the last game. He has 20 wickets so far at an average of 18.20. Whereas Harmer has 17 wickets but gives almost 10 ruins in an over. Critchley and Sams will be the key bowlers in the final game.

Key Players: Paul Walter, Daniel Sams, Matthew Critchley.

Essex Predicted Playing XI:

Daniel Lawrence, Feroze Khushi, Michael-Kyle Pepper, Robin Das, Paul Walter, Matthew Critchley, Daniel Sams, William Buttleman (wk), Simon Harmer (c), Shane Snater, Sam Cook

Essex Actual Playing XI:

Aaron Beard, Adam Rossington, Matt Critchley, Paul Walter, Dan Lawrence, Samuel Cook, Feroze Khushi, Daniel Sams, Michael Pepper, Simon Harmer, Shane Snater

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather will be mostly cloudy. The temperature will range between 22 and 13. The wind will be flowing from the west at 15-25 kmh. The pitch at Kennington Oval is traditionally known to be a batsman's paradise. It offers a firm and true surface, providing a good bounce and carry for the ball. The pitch tends to be well-paced, making stroke-making relatively easier for the batsmen. However, as the match progresses, the pitch might wear down, creating assistance for the spinners and offering some variable bounce. 

Kennington Oval has traditionally been known for its fast outfield and relatively shorter boundaries, particularly on the square side of the wicket. Batsmen with good timing and power can expect to find the fence with regularity. The fast outfield ensures value for shots, rewarding aggressive stroke play.

Venue Details

The 119th T20 of the Vitality Blast 2023 will be played at Kennington Oval, London. The game is scheduled for 2nd July, from 7:00 pm. The venue has a capacity of 23500 spectators and has hosted 106 Tests, 76 ODIs & 17 T20Is. The average score at Chelmsford is low (142). A low-scoring game is expected.

Toss: To Bat

In 17 T20Is, the results have favoured teams defending the target. The team defending the target in the last 9 games. The team winning the toss should bowl first. In this season of the Vitality Blast, 3 out of 6 games have seen teams successfully chasing the target.