Vitality T20 Blast 2023 action resumes on Wednesday 24th May with Northamptonshire and Worcestershire clashing in a North Group duel. The County Ground in Northampton is ready to host this exciting duel between the two teams.

Northamptonshire meets Worcestershire at the Country Cricket Ground in Northampton. This T20 game starts on Wednesday, May 24th at 18:30 local time.

With six wins and six losses remaining and two games without a result last season, the Steelbacks missed the knockout stages by just a point. They point to their lack of results as proof that they were close to a successful season and that they hired new teams well before this campaign.

There is a change of leadership in Worcestershire with Moeen Ali leaving the county to play for the Birmingham Bears at the end of last season. Brett D'Oliveira will captain the side that signed three quality foreign players for this year's tournament.

Match Preview

Northamptonshire are set to take on Worcestershire in game 4 of Vitality Blast 2023 on May 24th at the County Ground, Northampton. Northamptonshire did not fare well last year where they managed to win just six games from their quota of 14 league games. They finished the league stage in seventh place in the North Group and therefore could not qualify further up for the knockout games. The team would be looking forward to improving on those stats this year and aiming to qualify for the knockout rounds as their first goal. They changed their captain from Josh Cobb to David Willey. Their new captain and new pick, Chris Lynn, would be key to their success this season.

Worcestershire would like to forget their performance from last season and move forward. They had won just two games and lost 11 games in their league phase. Of course, this means that they ended up at the bottom of the table in the North Group. They made many changes this season to change the results and their destiny. Adam Hose, who played brilliantly for the Birmingham Bears last season, is joining them this season. They've also signed some impressive foreign all-rounders, including Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, who will be available after their IPL tenure. They also chose Pakistani leggie Usama Mir to stuff their holes. They would look forward to this season as they would have a much better effect and have a more fruitful season this year.

Pitch Report

The pitch at the County Ground is shot-friendly as batsmen take full advantage of their shots. Meanwhile, bowlers must maintain tight lines and lengths to control the flow of the run. Chasing the total would be the preferred option here as the average score in the first inning is 170.

Head to Head

In the T20 matches played so far between Northamptonshire and Worcestershire, the Worcestershire team is ahead 17-15. This is the first time these two teams will meet in Vitality Blast in the 2023 season. The average number of runs scored by Worcestershire is 156, while Northamptonshire scored 153.8 runs per game.

Toss Prediction

The County Ground in Northampton seats 6500 people. Up to 54 domestic T20 matches have been played at this venue. The team to bat first has one win in 31 games, while the team to bat second has won 23 games. So the team that wins the toss will likely to the field first.

Weather Forecast

The temperature in Northampton is expected to range between 9 and 21 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

Match Prediction

Both teams will be aiming for a better start this season after a disappointing season last year.

However, Northamptonshire appear to be a more solid entity with the likes of David Willey, Chris Lynn and Andrew Tye all set to be part of the team for the opening game.

Betting Tips

Worcestershire Rapids endured a miserable season at Vitality Blast last year. They'll try to make amends this year and get off to a fantastic start to the game. However, a number of key players, Moeen Ali and Ed Barnard, have left their ranks for Edgbaston and it's hard to imagine the side achieving such a win against Northamptonshire in this game. The Northamptonshire Steelbacks, on the other hand, would be interested in starting their campaign with the likes of Chris Lynn returning to the top flight. Northamptonshire's batting power will in all likelihood see them win this game.

PROBABLE PLAYING XI

Northamptonshire

Gus Miller, CA Lynn, Alex Russell, Jordan Buckingham, LA Procter, GK Berg, DJ Willey(C), R Vasconcelos(wk), J White, AJ Tye, ORT Sale.

Worcestershire

Azhar Ali, JA Haynes, Michael Bracewell, Ben Gibbon, BL D'Oliveira(C), OB Cox(wk), MJ Waite, Oliver Davidson, AW Finch, Mitchell Stanley, Usama Mir.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediciton

Northamptonshire Key Players

David Willey is a dangerous T20 player with all-round ability who can lead your team. He has recorded 245 wickets and 3407 runs in 248 T20 games.

Chris Lynn is a famous name in this format around the world for his powerful punches. He hit 7,072 runs in 252 games with a batting average of 143.24.

Andrew Tye is a skilled death-throttle bowler who can also hit when needed. He has taken 301 wickets in 215 games and should definitely be on your team.

Worcestershire Key Players

Michael Bracewell is a good player from New Zealand who has scored 2342 runs in 122 games with a batting average of 133.21. He is also a part-time bowler and has headed 46 wickets.

Usama Mir is a young Leggie from Pakistan who is deputizing for Mitch Santner. He has 71 wickets and 223 runs in 78 games in the format.

Azhar Ali  can be another solid choice to lead your squad given his recent form. He has 985 runs and 15 wickets in 49 games.