Natwest T20 Blast Quarter Finals Preview: Klinger, Ingram primed to succeed

Ravi Bopara Essex
Essex will be looking for yet another strong all-round performance from Ravi Bopara

Gloucestershire vs. Durham

Michael Klinger
Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger is the top run-scorer this season with 530 runs

Last year’s One-Day champion Gloucestershire will host Durham at Bristol on Wednesday for the third quarterfinal. Lying in the middle of the Division 2 County Championship, and having been knocked out of the 50-over format, Gloucestershire’s primary goal will be to make the Finals Day. They enter the quarters after finishing atop the South Group with 10 wins. Captain Michael Klinger is the season’s leading run-scorer, with a phenomenal 530 runs in 13 innings at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 132.

The Aussie who led Gloucestershire to the List A title last year scoring 531 runs in eight matches, has yet again inspired his team from the top, this time in the shortest version. Klinger has even excelled in the longer format, having scored two centuries and two fifties at an average of 86 in five games. With Australia’s woeful performance in Sri Lanka, and Joe Burns’ struggles at the top, could Klinger be an answer to the Kangaroos’ growing problems, at least in the shorter formats?

Well, the selectors, who have overlooked him so far, may not want to take a step back by picking a 36-year-old.

This season, Klinger has hammered a 101 off 71 balls against Somerset in addition to his three fifties, which included an unbeaten 95 and a 78 against Essex. The man occupying the second spot in the overall top run-scorers’ list is Klinger’s teammate Ian Cockbain. The 29-year-old right-hander has accumulated 499 runs at an average of 62.37. With Hamish Marshall also among the runs, Durham will have to make early in-roads to prevent a Gloucestershire assault.

Gloucs all-rounder Benny Howell leads the wicket-takers’ list with 23 scalps. The right-hand medium pacer has an economy of 6.69 and has also added 138 runs with the bat, which includes an important 37 against Middlesex in the early phase of the tournament. Not far behind is Australian Andrew Tye, who has been an important part of Gloucestershire’s success picking up 17 wickets in 13 matches.

One player missing from the Gloucestershire side will be wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Mustard, who has been signed from Durham on loan. Mustard, who has spent 16 years with Durham, will not be eligible for the game as he was signed in the later stages of the tournament after the Gloucs lost their keeper-batsman Gareth Roderick to injury. With Chris Dent also ruled out with injury, 19-year-old Academy wicketkeeper Patrick Grieshaber is all set to make his T20 debut.

The Jets were one of those teams involved in the last-day drama. With Bermingham Bears slipping against last year’s champion Lancashire Lightning in a low-scoring encounter, Durham sealed their berth by defeating Derbyshire by 13 runs in a close encounter that saw two sparkling knocks from Mark Stoneman, who leaves for Surrey next season, and Callum McLeod. Led by Paul Collingwood, Durham will be heavily reliant on its skipper and Stoneman.

In the bowling department, Phil Coughlin has picked 17 wickets this season with a best of 5/42 in a losing cause against Northamptonshire. Scott Borthwick (with 16 wickets) and Keaton Jennings will have to be spot on with their all-round game in Durham’s quest to stop the Gloucestershire juggernaut.

Glamorgan vs. Yorkshire Vikings

Colin Ingram
The southpaw, Colin Ingram, has been in ferocious form this season.

A bowling line-up boasting the likes of Tim Bresnan, Liam Plunkett, and David Willey will have its task cut out as they run into the Glamorgan run-machine, Colin Ingram, who has scored 486 runs at an average of 44.18 and a strike rate of 166.43. The South African is also the top six-hitter, smashing the ball out of the park on 29 occasions.

Nottinghamshire captain Dan Christian has 23 sixes, while Essex’s Ashar Zaidi is seven blows behind the leader. Ingram, who has also scored 367 runs at an average of 61.17 in the 50-over game, has made a serious case for a national call-up.

The Vikings will also be wary of David Lloyd, the 24-year-old opener, who’s piled 382 runs this season, which includes a 97 not out against Kent. Glamorgan’s bowling has been led by Dutch speedster Tim van der Gugten, who’s picked 17 wickets, and Aussie Michael Hogan, who has 16 scalps to his name.

All-rounders Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede have also turned up a few noteworthy performances, indicating that the side is ready to pack a powerful punch.

Yorkshire will be banking on its bowling firepower, with Bresnan leading the way, having taken 18 wickets in the competition. When it comes to batting, the Vikings won’t have the services of Travis Head, who has been called into the national team for the One-Day Series against Sri Lanka.

With Joe Root, Johnny Bairstow and Garry Balance playing for England, it will be up to the likes of Adam Lyth, Jack Leaning and Alex Lees to do the bulk of the scoring.

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Edited by Staff Editor