Vitality T20 Blast 2019: 3rd Quarter-Final, Sussex vs Worcestershire: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 3rd Quarter-Final in the Vitality T20 Blast 2019 will be played between Sussex and Worcestershire at County Ground in Hove.

The match starts at 7:00 PM local time (11:30 PM IST) (6:00 PM GMT).

This game will be live on Sky Sports in England and on the Fancode App in India

Preview:

In a repeat of last year’s final, Sussex and Worcestershire face off against each other in what promises to be a highly entertaining clash at the County Ground in Hove. Sussex has been utterly rampant with 19 points in the league while Worcestershire managed to sneak in with 15 points from their set of games.

The defending champions do not have Hamish Rutherford for this game with the Kiwi joining the national side in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, they have one of the best allrounders in the world in Moeen Ali, whose skill-set is perfectly suited to the nature of the pitch. Sussex’s top order trio of Wright, Salt and Evans has done most of the damage this season and will be expected to continue in the same vein of form come Friday as well.

Weather Condition/Report:

There should be any rain during the course of the match although it should be a chilly day. A cloud covering of 92% at the start of the game according to AccuWeather should play on the minds of both the captains, with a full match being expected without any delays. As far as the temperature is concerned, it will hover between 16-14 degree Celsius and the wind blowing in at 26 km/h.

Pitch Condition/Report:

Hove has generally been a high scoring ground which favours swing bowling upfront. The pitch should offer help to the spinners as the game progresses with scores of 160 and more being the norm at the County Ground in Hove. Teams have preferred to chase here and should be no different on Friday

Average score: 152 (T20 Blast matches in 2019 at the venue)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 4, Lost – 2, Tie – 1

Injury and Availability News:

Hamish Rutherford joined New Zealand T20I squad in Sri Lanka.

Toss Update:

Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Playing XIs:

Sussex:

Luke Wright, Phil Salt, Laurie Evans, Delray Rawlins, David Wiese, Alex Carey, Ollie Robinson, Chris Jordan, Will Beer, Danny Briggs and Reece Topley

Bench: Harry Finch, Ben Brown, George Garton

Worcestershire:

Riki Wessels, Moeen Ali, Tom Fell, Ben Cox, Ross Whiteley, Daryl Mitchell, Charlie Morris, Ed Bernard, Joe Leach, Dillon Pennington and Patrick Brown

Bench: George Rhodes and Wayne Parnell

Top Picks:

In the absence of Hamish Rutherford, Moeen Ali will open the batting for Worcestershire, as he did last year when they won the competition. The south-paw has already scored 191 runs in just four matches, at a strike rate of 161.86 and looks good for more.

After a bright start this season, Phil Salt has tailed off although he has scored 334 runs in 12 games at the top of the Sussex batting order. At his home ground, he should be wary of the overlying conditions and make amends for his previous failures.

Delray Rawlins put in a man-of-the-match performance against Gloucestershire last week and looks in good form as well. His left-arm spin yielded two wickets against Gloucestershire and should come into play against the Worcestershire middle order as well.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Moeen Ali, Phil Salt, Delray Rawlins

Vice-Captain – Riki Wessels, Laurie Evans, Ed Bernard

Both Moeen Ali and Phil Salt are capable of providing whirlwind starts at the top of the order but with his off-spin taken into account, Moeen Ali is the first choice for captaincy.

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Ben Cox

Batsmen – Riki Wessels, Phil Salt (VC), Laurie Evans, Delray Rawlins

All-Rounders – Moeen Ali (C), Daryl Mitchell

Bowlers – Ed Bernard, Reece Topley, Danny Briggs, Pat Brown

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Ben Cox

Batsmen – Luke Wright, Phil Salt (C), Riki Wessels, Delray Rawlins

All-Rounders – Moeen Ali (VC), Daryl Mitchell, David Wiese

Bowlers – Chris Jordan, Pat Brown, Ed Bernard

Expert Advice:

Top-order batsmen will be the key with the surface slowing down as the game progresses.

New-ball bowlers should enjoy some swing with Reece Topley and Pat Brown expected to pick a wicket or two. Their case should be helped by the overcast conditions at the start of the match

Probable Winners:

Sussex has only lost three games in the T20 Blast this year and should get the win against an inconsistent Worcestershire side on Friday.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.