T20 Blast 2020: South Group, Kent vs Essex – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report and Injury Update

Match Details:

The South group match of the T20 Blast 2020 will be played between Kent and Essex at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury.

The match is scheduled to start at 2:00 PM local time (6:30 PM IST).

Preview:

Kent had lost their previous match against Middlesex by a close margin of 2 runs at the same venue. They are placed second in the south group with 10 points. At the top Zak Crawley and skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond are playing magnificently, with both having scored more than 300 runs each in this competition so far. With the inclusion of Joe Denly, Kent top order looks really formidable. He is also effective with his bowling. In the previous encounter Kent beat Essex convincingly by 29 runs, so they would want to repeat the performance on Friday as well.

On the other side, despite losing 4 matches on trot defending champions Essex made a good come back by winning their last 2 matches. With 2 wins, 4 loses and a tie, they are in 5^th spot in the South Group. Top-order is performing really well, which is a positive note for Essex. Ryan ten Doeschate has been brilliant with the bat, averaging over 50. Bowling department also done well in the last match by defending 168 runs against Hampshire. We can expect a good contest between these two teams on Friday.

Weather Report:

It will be a sunny afternoon in Canterbury with a temperature of 19 °C and there is no chance of precipitation for this match.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The pitch at the St Lawrence ground is good for batting and it offers some assistance for the bowlers as well. Overall, it’s a fairly balanced wicket. Batting first will be a good option on this ground.

Average first innings score: 167 (Last five complete matches played at this venue)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 2, Lost – 3, Tied – 0

Injury and Availability News:

Sam Billings and Tim Groenewald are available for selection for Kent.

Probable Playing XIs:

Kent:

Sam Billings (c & wk), Daniel Bell-Drummond, Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Heino Kuhn, Alex Blake, Jack Leaning, Grant Stewart, Matt Milnes, Imran Qayyum, Fred Klaassen

Bench: Calum Haggett, Marcus O’Riordan, Jordan Cox, Tim Groenewald

Essex:

Tom Westley, Cameron Delport. Daniel Lawrence, Michael Pepper (wk), Ryan ten Doeschate, Paul Walter, Simon Harmer (c), Matthew Quinn, Jack Plom, Aron Nijjar, Samuel Cook.

Bench: Ben Allison, Varun Chopra, Shane Snater

Top Picks:

Daniel Bell-Drummond is in top form in this tournament, having scored 358 runs at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 165.

Zak Crawley is batting well at the top-order,  scoring 305 runs at an average of over 50 and a strike rate of 167.

Joe Denly is performing well both with the bat and bowl. He has scored 84 runs in 3 innings at an average of 28 with a strike rate of 152. He has also picked he has picked up 2 wickets.

Daniel Lawrence found his form in last 2 matches scoring 81 and 49 runs. He is quite handy with the ball, picking up 4 wickets so far in this year’s T20 Blast. He can be a good choice for your Dream11 fantasy team.

Ryan ten Doeschate has been Mr. Consistent for Essex, scoring 203 runs at an average of over 50 with a strike rate of 132.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain Options – Daniel Bell-Drummond, Zak Crawley

Vice-Captain Options – Ryan ten Doeschate, Daniel Lawrence

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Sam Billings

Batters –  Ryan ten Doeschate, Daniel Bell-Drummond (c), Zak Crawley, Tom Westley

All-Rounders – Daniel Lawrence (vc), Joe Denly, Grant Stewart

Bowlers –  Aron Nijjar, Matthew Quinn, Imran Qayyum

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Michael Pepper

Batters – Ryan ten Doeschate (vc), Tom Westley, Daniel Bell- Drummond, Zak Crawley (c)

All-Rounders – Cameron Delport, Daniel Lawrence, Alex Blake

Bowlers – Simon Harmer, Fred Klaassen, Imran Qayyum

Expert Advice:

Top-order has performed really well for both the teams. Hence, it is advisable to have a Dream11 fantasy team with 3 or 4 top-order batsmen.

Probable Winners:

Kent are expected to win this match.

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

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.