Hampshire vs Worcestershire, Vitality T20 Blast Prediction: Who will win today's Quarter-Final 4?
The fourth quarter-final match of the 2023 T20 Vitality Blast Edition will be played between Hampshire and Worcestershire on July 7 at 11:30 PM IST. The Rose Bowl Cricket Stadium in Southampton will host this blockbuster match.
Hampshire had a decent run in this year’s T20 blast competition with nine out of 14 wins to their name. They have been bamboozled primarily by Sussex, Somerset, Middlesex, Kent, and Gloucestershire.
The team commenced their campaign on a rather precarious note by losing two out of the first three games. However, they managed to turn it around by winning four back-to-back games whilst enduring minor slip-ups.
Their biggest win came in the league stage of the tournament against Essex as they comfortably rolled them over by a gigantic margin of 118 runs. During this game, the skipper James Vince smashed his way to a scintillating century which came in just 48 balls. In the end, the bowlers followed up by skittling Essex for a shambolic score of 96.
Their bowling has been a key strength this season. In Hampshire’s preceding fixture, Chris Wood, John Turner, and Benny Howell inflicted heavy damage with the ball skittling Gloucestershire for a paltry-looking score of 105. In the end, the target was chased down swiftly inside 15 overs which helped Hampshire enter the quarter-final race by a comprehensive NRR margin.
James Vince is in explosive form with the bat this season with one century and seven half centuries under his belt. His average is at a breathtaking high of 70.89 while his strike rate is just under 160. Ben McDermott and Joe Weatherley have also been making useful contributions with the bat averaging 31.5 and 36.38 respectively.
John Turner and Nathan Ellis have been the most successful bowlers for Hamshire in this tournament. They have picked up 18 wickets each at a combined economy rate of just around 7.5 RPO while both of them average below 20.
Worcestershire finished third in the points table with eight wins in 14 games. They have suffered defeats on five occasions this season and managed to tie with Durham in a rain-effected fixture. The team has struggled with consistency and haven't been able to prolong their winning streak for too long. They fared very well in the first four games of the season then lost their spark in the next four games.
Worcestershire later managed to make a timely recovery during the middle phase of the tournament but endured a disappointing outing against Warwickshire where they were comprehensively beaten by 53 runs. Overall, the team has suffered defeat at the hands of Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Warwickshire.
Their up-and-down ride this season makes them the least favorites as they enter this do-or-die contest. However, their convincing victory against Derbyshire in their preceding fixture comfortably helped them book a place in the playoff race.
Worcestershire’s top order blasted their way to a challenging score of 222/5. In the end, the bowlers did a commendable job by restricting Derbyshire to 194. Adam Hose, Mitchell Santner, and Brett D'Oliveira have been in sensational form with the bat this season. Each of them at least has one half-century to their name with a healthy strike rate in excess of 140.
Pat Brown is the highest wicket-taker for Worcestershire in this competition with 24 wickets to his tally which includes his best bowling figures of 4/25. Usama Mir is also in business with 17 wickets to his name averaging 17.11 which also includes his best figures of 4/22.
2023 T20 Vitality Blast: Can Hampshire beat Worcestershire?
Hampshire have secured three consecutive wins in a row and are certainly riding high on confidence as they approach this fixture. They will start as favorites. The team has done well as a unit. James Vince and Ben McDermott have helped the team post big runs while the likes of Chris Wood, Nathan Ellis, and Liam Dawson have done well with the ball.
Worcestershire have blown hot and cold this season but have managed to make a decent recovery towards the end of the tournament. However, they haven’t been able to dominate as successfully as they would have liked and face an uphill challenge as they come head-on with one of the most consistent sides.
Prediction: Hampshire to win this Q4 T20 Blast match.