With the second round of fixtures in this season\'s NatWest T20 Blast set to get underway with Glamorgan\'s visit to Surrey on Thursday night, here\'s a statistical preview of all the matches courtesy of Opta.
SOUTH GROUP
Surrey v Glamorgan
- Glamorgan have claimed victory in all three of their previous visits to the Oval.
14 of Surrey’s last 18 games at The Oval have been won by the chasing team.
- Dean Cosker (Glamorgan) has taken two 4-wicket hauls in his T20 career, both coming against Surrey last year (4/30 & 4/25).
- Sam Curran (Surrey) has the best economy rate of anyone to bowl 3+ overs at the death (16-20) since the start of the 2015 Blast; he’s managed a rate of 6.2 from 30 balls.
- Jason Roy needs six more runs to become the first man to record 2,000 in T20s for Surrey.
Middlesex v Hampshire
- Six of the last seven encounters between these sides have been won by Hampshire.
- The last five meetings have been won by the side to bat first in this fixture.
- Middlesex have the opportunity to win three successive home games for the first time since June 2008.
- Michael Carberry and Owais Shah scored 50+ in both meetings with Middlesex last summer for Hampshire.
- Hampshire will be without the top scorer in the Blast last summer (James Vince, 710) and Middlesex will be without the bowler with the best average (5+ overs) in the previous campaign (Steven Finn, 11.8 off 23 overs); both away on England duty.
NORTH GROUP
Lancashire Lightning v Durham Jets
- Lancashire Lightning have only lost one of their last nine matches against Durham Jets (W7 T1).
- Lancashire Lightning have only tasted defeat twice in their last eight matches heading into this fixture (W5 T1); one of those losses did come in their most recent outing however (v Derbyshire Falcons).
- Five of the last six times these sides have met in Lancashire, the side that has batted first has gone onto win; in fact, the last six encounters played on a Friday between these teams have been won by the side to bat first.
- Mark Stoneman (Durham Jets) recorded half-centuries in both Blast meetings with Lancashire Lightning in 2015.
- Phil Mustard only needs 19 more runs to become only the second man to record 3,000 T20 runs in the English domestic competition (Darren Stevens – 3,045).
Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Derbyshire Falcons
- The Steelbacks have claimed five successive victories over Derbyshire Falcons.
- Northamptonshire Steelbacks have won the toss in their last seven matches; they went onto win five of those games (L2).
- The Falcons have the opportunity to win back-to-back away games for the first time since June 2013.
- Hamish Rutherford’s highest T20 score for the Falcons (71*) helped secure a nine wicket win over Lancashire Lightning in their opening match.
- Wes Durston scored 60+ in both innings versus the Steelbacks in 2015; having previously failed to score more than 24 in 11 attempts against them.
Birmingham Bears v Worcestershire Rapids
- Six of the last seven encounters between these sides have been won by the Bears (L1).
Birmingham Bears have tasted defeat just three times in their last 13 matches at Edgbaston (L3).
- The Rapids come into this match having won six consecutive matches on the road.
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore posted the highest ever T20 score for Worcestershire Rapids in his last appearance (127 v Durham Jets).
- Ross Whiteley (Worcestershire Rapids) has hit more sixes than any other batsman in the Blast since the start of the 2015 campaign (30).
Yorkshire Vikings v Leicestershire Foxes
- Yorkshire Vikings have avoided defeat in five of their last six matches versus the Foxes (W4 T1).
- The Vikings have won three successive matches on their own turf against Leicestershire.
- Leicestershire Foxes have claimed victory in two of their last three away matches played on a Friday (L1).
- Ben Raine (Leicestershire Foxes) has never taken more than three scalps in a T20 innings; two of the four times he’s recorded that many have come against Yorkshire Vikings.
- Umar Akmal (Leicestershire Foxes) has averaged 185 from four appearances in this competition since last summer; the highest rate of anyone to record as many innings as he has in that time.
After their visit to the Kia Oval, Glamorgan entertain Essex Eagles at The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff on Wednesday June 1. Kids can attend the game for £1. Tickets available here.