Recommended Bets: NatWest T20 Blast Friday
2pts Lancashire to beat Yorkshire at 11/10 – Lightning have decent record against their Roses rivals, should probably be favourites here
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Lancashire v Yorkshire (1900 BST)
The first “Game of Roses” clash of this year’s NatWest T20 Blast takes place on Friday night, and these games are always among the best occasions in the group stage.
With a packed Old Trafford and the Sky Sports cameras in place, it’s one of the few English T20 clashes that has the big event feel of an IPL or Big Bash contest.
As far as a bet goes, it’s easy enough to favour Lancashire at odds-against on home turf. Both sides have won one and lost one thus far (Yorkshire also suffering a washout at Northampton). Both sides have matchwinners. But Lancashire have the edge in this fixture.
They’ve won the Old Trafford clash - by decent margins - in each of the last two years and won three of the last four overall.
They have Junaid Khan back for another stint as overseas player - he’s also worth a look at 25/1 in the man of the match betting - and England’s best white-ball batsman, Jos Buttler, in the side as well as the destructive Liam Livingstone.
Yorkshire are, as ever, hit hard by England call-ups and, though they can still call on plenty of quality in all departments, are iffy favourites for me even at only a shade of odds-on.
Best of the rest
Hampshire have a fine record in this event and should probably be clearer favourites than 11/12 quotes suggest at home against Middlesex, while Surrey look like 8/11 good things at home to Kent, who were soundly beaten by unfancied Gloucestershire on Thursday.
The Hampshire-Surrey double pays 2.3/1 at Sky Bet, while throwing Lancashire in to make a treble pays almost 6/1 in a couple of places.
Where to watch on TV: Lancashire v Yorkshire is live on Sky Sports 2
Posted at 1835 BST on 13/07/17.
