The finals day of T20 Blast 2023 is here and all three matches (two semi-finals and a final) will be played at Edgbaston. Some of the top players of England will take the field on Saturday in order to help their respective side win the trophy.
Advertisement
Essex will take on Hampshire in the first semi-final, whereas the second semi-final will be played between Somerset and Surrey. Hampshire won the title last year and are aiming to retain their crown. Somerset, meanwhile, won 12 of their 14 league matches and they are one of the favourites to win the silverware this season.
Surrey’s team is full of superstars as well, but they will miss the services of their star all-rounder Sunil Narine. In line to be available for knockouts, Narine opted out because of his commitment to the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket 2023. Essex and Hampshire, on the other hand, will be the dark horses.
Edgbaston Stadium Pitch Report For Vitality T20 Blast Finals Day
Edgbaston’s surface is one of the best ones to play T20 cricket. It is a competitive track and we have seen some really closely fought games here. The new ball bowlers will be able to move the ball in the initial overs and the batters will have a treat out there in the middle later on.
A total of nine T20 Blast 2023 matches have been played here so far. Five of those nine matches have been won by the team batting first with targets being successfully achieved four times. The average first innings score has been 175 runs. On a couple of occasions, we have had a slow pitch in Birmingham where the spinners ruled the proceedings.
A fresh track should be prepared for the finals. Hence, it wouldn’t be wrong to expect high-scoring affairs. The pitch may get a little slow as three matches will be played on the same day in the presence of rain. The outfield is great, whereas the boundaries are also not that huge. Looking at the overcast conditions, captains are likely to prefer chasing at this venue.
