Vitality T20 Blast 2019: South Group, Kent vs Essex: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Kent will host Essex on Friday in the T20 Blast game as they look to keep their winning streak intact. Kent made an interesting start to their campaign winning in both matches. They thumped Somerset at home by a 41-run margin and followed it with a dramatic 2-wicket win against Hampshire. The equation for Kent came down to 12 needed from two deliveries and Alex Blake hit consecutive sixes to finish off with a ball to spare.

Essex, on the other hand, went down to a master-class innings from AB de Villiers in the tournament opener. However, they bounced back quickly in their first home game by trashing Surrey. Cameron Delport starred in the 15-over affair with a sizzling 129-run knock. Essex posted a mammoth total of 226 in only 15 overs and won the game by 52 runs by limiting Surrey to 174/6.

Match Details:

The South Group game in the Vitality T20 Blast 2019 will be played between Kent and Essex at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

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

This game will be streamed live on Kent County Cricket’s YouTube channel.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The scores in the T20 Blast matches at the St Lawrence Ground usually reflect on the weather conditions. If the weather remains dry, a game of two 200+ totals can be expected. There is a possibility of batters failing to clear the fence due to the wind direction. Usually, anything over 175 is considered to be winning score here.

Average first innings score: 176 (T20 Blast matches since 2018)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 2, Lost – 3

Probable Playing XIs:

Kent:

Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond (C), Ollie Robinson (WK), Heino Kuhn, Mohammad Nabi, Alex Blake, Jordan Cox (WK), Hardus Viljoen, Imran Qayyum, Adam Milne, Fred Klaassen.

Bench: Sean Dickson, Matt Milnes, Calum Haggett.

Essex:

Varun Chopra, Cameron Delport, Tom Westley, Ryan ten Doeschate, Daniel Lawrence, Ravi Bopara, Adam Wheater (WK), Simon Harmer (C), Adam Zampa, Shane Snater, Matt Quinn.

Bench: Aaron Beard, Paul Walter.

Injury and Availability News:

Mohammad Amir is not available for this fixture.

Power Picks:

Adam Milne in last 10 Twenty20 matches:

14 wickets in last 10 T20s at an average of 18.93. He took 2 or more wickets in five out of those ten matches.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain Options – Daniel Bell-Drummond, Cameron Delport, Mohammad Nabi, Tom Westley

Vice-captain Options – Alex Blake, Ryan ten Doeschate, Hardus Viljoen, Ravi Bopara

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Ollie Robinson

Batsmen – Daniel Bell-Drummond, Alex Blake, Cameron Delport (VC), Tom Westley, Daniel Lawrence,

All-Rounders – Ryan ten Doeschate, Mohammad Nabi (C)

Bowlers – Adam Zampa, Hardus Viljoen, Adam Milne

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Adam Wheater

Batsmen – Daniel Bell-Drummond, Tom Westley (C), Cameron Delport, Alex Blake

All-Rounders – Mohammad Nabi, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate

Bowlers – Fred Klaassen, Hardus Viljoen (VC), Adam Milne

Expert Advice:

Hardus Viljoen and Adam Milne are a must due to their wicket-taking ability. They should be the first choice selections and should not be overlooked due to a lack of credits.

Probable Winners:

Essex might have an edge against Kent due to an in-form batting unit.

*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.