Vitality Blast 2019, Middlesex v Essex, Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire, Glamorgan v Somerset: Preview, likely XIs, predictions

Vitality Blast 2019 will kickoff with three matches tomorrow, at Lord’s, Trent Bridge, and Sophia Gardens. The second match will feature defending champions Worcestershire Rapids, who had beaten Sussex Sharks by 5 wickets at Edgbaston in the final thanks to a crucial spell by captain Moeen Ali and a blinder from wicketkeeper Ben Cox.

Middlesex vs Essex Eagles, Lord’s

Middlesex had a terrible tournament last season, winning 2 and losing 14 matches and finishing last in the South Division. However, the acquisitions of AB de Villiers and Mujeeb Ur Rahman may change that altogether. They will also have home advantage when they take field – though, if Sunday’s World Cup final is anything to go by, strokeplay is unlikely to be easy.

Essex had a peculiar season, where 3 of their 14 matches were washed out. They won 2, the same as Middlesex, though they obviously lost fewer. While Cameron Delport, Mohammad Amir, and Adam Zampa are excellent sign-ups for the format, they need their domestic cricketers to step up.

Last season: Middlesex 179/6 in 20 overs lost to Essex 181/7 in 19.5 overs by 3 wickets at Chelmsford.

Players to watch: AB de Villiers (Middlesex), Simon Harmer (Essex Eagles)

Prediction: Middlesex to seek revenge for last year.

Nottinghamshire Outlaws vs Worcestershire Rapids, Trent Bridge

2018 champions Worcestershire Rapids will take on 2017 champions Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the second match.

The Rapids had played some superb cricket last year, topping North Division and eventually finishing with a 12-4 margin. Pat Brown, leading wicket taker of Vitality Blast 2018, will have a key role to play, as will Moeen Ali (when available) and Martin Guptill and Calum Ferguson. When the sides had met last year, Ferguson had slammed a 56-ball unbeaten 102 to out the match beyond Notts at the same venue.

Nottinghamshire had finished fourth in North Division before being knocked out by Somerset. Dropped from the World Cup squad on disciplinary grounds, Alex Hales will now have a point to prove – and this is where his journey has to begin. Specialists like Harry Gurney and Dan Christian will have roles to play, while the omnipresent Samit Patel is someone thy can always lean on.

Last season: Worcestershire 206/2 in 20 overs beat Nottinghamshire 134 in 17.2 overs by 72 runs at Trent Bridge.

Players to watch: Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire Outlaws), Pat Brown (Worcestershire Rapids)

Prediction: Worcestershire to carry their superb momentum and win.

Glamorgan vs Somerset, Sophia Gardens

Glamorgan might not have had a great 2018, but a plethora of overseas T20 stars – Colin Ingram, Fakhar Zaman, Mitchell Marsh – may change things. Glamorgan have also unearthed an exciting bunch of youngsters in seamer Kazi Szymanski, big hitter Kiran Carlson, and left-arm spinner Prem Sisodiya, all of whom will be keen on establishing themselves on the big stage.

Somerset, on the other hand, had a terrific start, topping South Division with 10 wins (the most across divisions) and winning the quarterfinal before their title dreams came down with a crash in the semifinal against Sussex Sharks. Keep an eye on Babar Azam, their newest acquisition, and the Overton twins.

Last season: Somerset 190/5 in 20 overs beat Glamorgan 160/9 in 20 overs by 30 runs at Sophia Gardens.

Players to watch: Fakhar Zaman (Glamorgan), Jamie Overton (Somerset)

Prediction: Somerset, the better all-round side, to win.