Hampshire vs Middlesex Match Prediction

HAM

61%

Chance of Winning

MID

39%

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May 26, 202309:00 PM

T20

Rose Bowl

Hampshire and Middlesex go head to head in the ninth game of the 2023 Vitality T20 Blast. The game is scheduled to be played on May 26 at the Rose Bowl Stadium which would kickstart at 23:30 IST.

Hampshire vs Middlesex Chance of Winning

We believe this game would be a close call, Hampshire enter this game on the back of a humiliating defeat against Somerset and would like to get their season back on track. Middlesex, too, did not have a great start to their season as they succumbed to a 73 run defeat against Surrey. They enter this season of the T20 Blast on the back of defeats against Surrey and Somerset in the County Championship. As per our calculation, Hampshire have a slight edge over Middlesex and should get their season up and running with a win at home.

• Hampshire’s chances of winning - 61%
• Middlesex’s chances of winning - 39%

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Hampshire vs Middlesex Prediction & Betting Tips 2023

Hampshire to have a high opening partnership is one tip that we will always back. James Vince and Ben McDermott had been top batters in the fixture last year. In both games Hampshire managed to have an opening stand of 41 and 132. Considering the fact James Vince is set to open the innings with McDermott for Hampshire, we believe it would be smart to bet on these two batters to have a good game against Middlesex.

Even though we have seen some big scores posted by the defending champions last year, the amount of sixes scored by the Hampshire batsmen had been low. Hampshire averaged 5.94 sixes per game and in only four occasions they have managed to clear rope more than eight times in 17 games. Hence looking into this underlines stat, we believe Hampshire batsmen to fare well but the amount of sixes in the game to be fairly low.

Hampshire vs Middlesex Match Toss Prediction

In the seven games played at the Rose Bowl, five times the team batting first has won the game. Last year when teams went head to head at the venue Hampshire failed to chase down 163. Looking at the past games at the venue we recon both teams would prefer to bat first.

Weather Report

We are expecting to have a sunny day on the south coast with zero possibility of rain. The maximum temperature is expected to be 21C and the minimum might go as low as 8C.

Hampshire News & Player List

Hampshire Player List

James Vince (c), Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan), Kyle Abbott (South Africa), Toby Albert, Keith Barker, Ben Brown, Jack Campbell, Mason Crane, Scott Currie, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, Joseph Eckland, Nathan Ellis (Australia), James Fuller, Nick Gubbins, Ian Holland, Benny Howell, Ben McDermott, Fletcha Middleton, Felix Organ, Harry Petrie, Tom Prest, John Turner, Joe Weatherley, Brad Wheal, Ross Whiteley, Chris Wood

Predicted Playing XI

Hampshire Team Form

Defending champions succumbed to Somerset in the opening round of fixtures. They were outclassed in every department and lost the game by eight wickets. Last year Hampshire managed to lose first four games and went on a run of nine wins in ten games and eventually won the championship

Middlesex News & Player List

Middlesex Player List

Stephen Eskinazi (c), Martin Andersson, Ethan Bamber, Joe Cracknell, Blake Cullen, Jack Davies, Josh De Caires, Nathan Fernandes, Toby Greatwood, Max Harris, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Luke Hollman, Ishaan Kaushal, Pieter Malan (South Africa), Daniel O’Driscoll, Sam Robson, Toby Roland-Jones, John Simpson, Mark Stoneman, Thilan Walallawita, Robbie White

Middlesex squad:

Predicted Playing XI

Middlesex Team Form

Middlesex had a campaign to forget last year as they finished one place above last on the table. In the entire tournament, Middlesex only managed four wins, one of those victories came at the champion’s backyard as they beat Hampshire by ten runs.

Hampshire vs Middlesex Head to Head

Hampshire edge Middlesex in head to head with both teams playing 35 games against each other, Hampshire have won 21 games so far. Both teams shared the spoils when they went head to head in the 2022 Vitality Blast.

T20 played - 35

Hampshire win(s) - 21

Middlesex win(s) - 14

Hampshire vs Middlesex Betting Odds

Hampshire to score low in first six overs

Hampshire have surprisingly struggled in the powerplay at home, Hampshire have posted 45, 39, 56, 39, 32, 41 and 24 runs in the powerplay averaging 39.42. Only once has Hampshire managed to surpass 50 runs in the powerplay making this a very lucrative option to look upon. In the group games last year, only four times Hampshire managed to score over 50 in the powerplay averaging 45.85. Looking at these numbers we sense a sizable opportunity to throw in some money to get a positive return. Apart from the underlined numbers we believe it's logical to think after what happened in the opening fixture against Somerset, Hampshire batters might take a cautious approach at the start of the innings to avoid a similar collapse.

Hampshire vs Middlesex Top Team Batters

James Vince to be Hampshire’s top batter

We believe James Vince to lead the way against Middlesex and get past the finishing line. In the two games against Middlesex last year Vince managed to score 47 and an unbeaten 54. Even though Ben McDermott was the top scorer in the fixture, his inconsistency at the start of the campaign makes James Vince the obvious choice and yes being tournament’s top scorer last year does help the cause.

Stephen Eskinazi to be Middlesex’s top batter

We picked the Middlesex skipper to be the top batter for Middlesex in the game. Stephen Eskinazi was the top run scorer for Middlesex last year, scoring 431 runs with an average of 33.15. Eskinazi was one the few positives from the last campaign as he was the only batter to score multiple 50s in the tournament for his team. Even though he could not manage to score big when these two sides met last term, we believe he is by far the best batsman for Middlesex and his contribution can surmount problems for Hampshire.

Hampshire vs Middlesex Top Team Bowlers

Liam Dawson to be Hampshire’s top bowler

Even though Chris Wood (21) bagged more wickets than Liam Dawson (20), Dawson’s performance against Middlesex last year makes him the top pick. Dawson’s three wickets haul with an economy of 3.5 at the Radlett Cricket Club was the standout performer and we believe Liam Dawson to shine again when these two teams meet on May 26.

Martin Anderson to be Middlesex’s top bowler

Like Stephen Eskinazi, Martin Anderson was the shining light in a lacklustre campaign for Middlesex. Despite his struggles against Hampshire last year we would still pick Anderson as the top bowler for Middlesex heading into his game. Anderson grabbed 17 wickets last year and was the leading wicket taker for his side in the tournament. Looking at the struggles of Hampshire batsmen against pacers in the last game we believe Anderson would have a significant impact in the game.

Our Prediction

Favorites to win: Hampshire

Defending champions Hampshire were humbled in the season opener against Somerset after they were bowled out for mere 74. Hampshire had no answer to the Somerset pacers as they were bowled out in 16.1 overs. Somerset wiped out the target with 63 balls to spare making it a bizarre evening for the Hampshire fans who had high expectations in the opening fixture. Hampshire found themselves in a similar situation last year where they struggled early on and lost their first four games but were able to respond to the setback as they ended up winning nine of the remaining fixtures. While that was enough to get them to the knockouts, Hampshire kept their run going to eventually winning the Championship. Considering it was the first game and still a lot of cricket to be played, we expect Hampshire to get their act together and respond against Middlesex who have struggled for years in the tournament.

Middlesex enter this game with little expectation of making the playoffs. Last year, even with all the struggles they managed to beat Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Middlesex have been perennial strugglers for a number of years and nothing suggests that would change this year. Their performance against Surrey was sub par and a 73 run defeat might actually flatter them. The oddsmakers have seen this and have hoisted Hampshire as the favourites in this game, giving them lucrative odds of 1.64. Middlesex, on the other hand, are labelled as underdogs with Melbet offering odds as high as 2.256. We believe it would be sensible to go with the favourites as Middlesex just don't have enough firepower to over defending champions at home.

• Hampshire to win @ 1.64 (Melbet)
• Middlesex to win @ 2.256 (Melbet)

Shankar Shekh

Sportscafe's author

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