Derbyshire vs Essex Prediction & Betting Tips - T20 Blast

Prediction published on 20/09/2019, 08:16  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 20/09/2019 at 09:18 in Cricket Predictions

This is the second of the T20 Blast semi-finals. Derbyshire and Essex battle it out and will know when they start this match whether they will be playing Worcestershire or Nottinghamshire in the final due to be played later on. It could be a massive week for Essex as they don't just have the T20 Blast to try and win but also lead the first division of the County Championship with one game to play. T20 first though and Essex finished fourth in the South division to qualify for the last eight. They had four games rained off but squeezed through and defeated Lancashire by six wickets to make it to finals day. Ryan ten Doeschate was their batting hero against Lancashire and will again be a key player for them. Cameron Delport (with one century to his name already) and Dan Lawrence (who has four half-centuries so far) will also be major threats. Ravi Bopara is a handful with both the bat and the ball and Essex have a very strong squad.

Finals day is a whole new experience for Derbyshire. They have made it this far for the first time in the history of the competition. Coached by former England test player Dominic Cork, they finished third in the northern group, four points behind the leaders Lancashire (who then lost in the quarter finals to their opponents in this game). They won seven group games but lost five. The quarter final saw them defeat Gloucestershire with Wayne Madsen scoring 47. Billy Godleman has scored 442 runs for them so far in this competiton at an average of 44.4 with four half centuries. He'll be a key player for them but Essex just look to be too strong for their opponents and can reach their first final.