T20 Blast 2022 | ESS vs HAM | Preview, Prediction, Probable XI, CREX XI

Hampshire will be looking to open their winning account when they take on Essex in the 27th match of the T20 Blast 2022. The clash is scheduled to be played on Tuesday at County Ground, Chelmsford.  

Essex kicked off their tournament campaign with a 4 wicket win over the defending champions Kent. However, they failed to carry on the winning momentum as they suffered a defeat in their subsequent rain-hit encounter against Somerset. 

After putting into bat first, Essex managed only 139 runs in 18 overs. Matthew Critchley was the top scorer for the team, having smashed 60 runs off just 38 balls. The Simon Harmer-led side is currently positioned in the South Group points table at the sixth spot. 

Hampshire, meanwhile, are yet to win a game in the tournament. They were outwitted by Middlesex in their opening encounter and were trounced by Somerset in their following fixture. 

After being asked to bat first, the James Vince-led outfit could post only 123 runs on the board in the scheduled 20 overs, which Tom Abell and Co chased down in 15.5 overs. Hampshire is currently reeling at the bottom of the points table and must be looking to claim their first win when they take on Simon Harmer-led side.

Match Details

Match: Hampshire vs Essex, Match 27

Venue: County Ground, Chelmsford

Date & Time: May 31 at 11:00 PM IST

Live Streaming: FanCode and ECB website.

Pitch Report: Chelmsford's surface at the County Ground seems to be inclined towards the batters. We can expect another high scoring affair on Tuesday. Anything around 170-180 is a competitive total at this venue, with both the teams looking to bowl first after winning the toss. 

Head-To-Head

The two teams have locked horns 28 times in the shortest format, with Hampshire holding an edge with 15 wins. 

Squads 

Hampshire: James Vince (c), Kyle Abbot, Ben McDermott, Nathan Ellis, Nick Gubbins, Ross Whiteley, Ben Brown, Toby Albert, Keith Barker, Mason Crane, Scott Currie, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, James Fuller, Ian Holland, Ben McDermott, Lewis McManus, Fletcha Middleton, Felix Organ, Harry Petrie, Tom Prest, John Turner, Joe Weatherley, Brad Wheal, Chris Wood

Essex: Simon Harmer (c), Daniel Sams, Matt Critchley, Nick Browne, Alistair Cook, Robin Das, Feroze Khushi, Dan Lawrence, Josh Rymell, Tom Westley, Will Buttleman, Michael Pepper, Adam Wheater, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard, Sam Cook, Eshun Kalley, Aron Nijjar, Jack Plom, Jamie Porter, Shane Snater, Paul Walter 

Probable Playing XI 

Hampshire: Ben McDermott (wk), Aneurin Donald, James Vince (c), Joe Weatherley, Liam Dawson, Ross Whiteley, James Fuller, Nathan Ellis, Chris Wood, Mason Crane, Brad Wheal

Essex: William Buttleman, Adam Rossington (wk), Michael-Kyle Pepper, Matthew Critchley, Paul Walter, Daniel Sams, Tom Westley, Simon Harmer (c), Aron Nijjar, Ben Allison, Samuel Cook

CREX XI Suggestion

Wicket-Keeper: Ben McDermott, Adam Rossington

Batters: James Vince, Tom Westley, Paul Walter 

All-Rounders: Simon Harmer, Liam Dawson, Matthew Critchley

Bowlers: Chris Wood, Brad Wheal, Nathan Ellis 

Captain: Ben McDermott

Vice-Captain: Matthew Critchley