With the English summer quickly careering into view, T20 fans all over the country are getting hugely excited about the return of the T20 Blast.
Set to start at the end of May and run all the way to September there is set to be plenty of twists and turns as the best T20 sides in the English game try to get their hands on England’s premier T20 trophy.
As is often the case when it comes to the Blast, the betting is tight and there are several teams who look to hold a decent chance of victory. Let’s run through some of the leading contenders.
Surrey
You have to go all the way back to 2003 for when Surrey last tasted success in the T20 Blast, but in the eyes of many, they are the team to beat in this year’s competition.
Looking to have a loaded squad, there is plenty of power and experience in this Surrey squad and Ollie Pope, Will Jacks, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, Sam Curran and Jason Roy all hoping to lead Surrey to overall glory.
The one issue that many teams struggle with is strength in depth but as the list above shows, that shouldn’t be an issue for this Surrey squad.
For too long they have underperformed when it comes to the T20 Blast but with this team looking locked and loaded, they rightly look like the team to beat this year.
Somerset
Hoping to extend Surrey’s drought when it comes to T20 success will be Somerset. Another Goliath of the English game, Somerset have been crowned Blast champions on
two separate occasions, with their latest win coming back in 2023.
They almost repeated their 2023 success last season but fell in the final to Gloucester and they will be hopeful of going one place better this time around.
At the top of the innings Tom Banton will once again lead the way and he will be joined at the top of the order with the exciting James Rew.
With the ball Somerset have once again called on the experience of New Zealand paceman Matt Henry who is without doubt one of the best in the world. Riley Meredith is another overseas player who can do damage and they will be joined by the craft of Shoaib Bashir who has a huge summer ahead of him.
Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton are two of the best all rounders and the pair will add some awesome power down the order.
Like Surrey they have a loaded squad and they should be aiming for a deep run in this year's tournament.
Birmingham Bears
The final for this year’s T20 Blast will be taking place at Edgbaston and the one team that all of the locals will be hoping to reach the final are the Birmingham Bears.
Champions of the tournament back in 2014, Birmingham are fancied to have another great chance of winning their second Blast title.
Fans of the Bears have plenty of players to look out for. Moen Ali who was a winner with Worcester back in 2018 will hope to play a major role in helping the Bears return to former glories. All eyes will also be on Jacob Bethell who will hope his domestic form will be enough to cement his place in the summer Test Series against India and the Ashes that will take place later this year.
Chris Woakes is a Birmingham legend and he will hope to show the England selectors that he can lead the bowling attack this summer. They also have the experience of Tom Latham to call upon at the top of the innings.
Whilst the Bears don’t have the same strength and depth as Somerset and Surrey, the lure of a home final could be enough to see them reach the final once again.
Lancashire
When it comes to who might make the finals from the Northern region, it’s often hard to look past the potential of Lancashire.
Packed with power, the Lancashire line up will include three England heavyweights in the shape of Phil Salt, Joss Buttler and Liam Livingstone.
Excitedly for fans of the team, Rocky Flintoff, the son of England legend Andrew Flintoff has been making waves in the county scene and many believe that he could be a name to really watch this year.
With the ball Lancashire could give playing time to England legend James Anderson, whilst Saqib Mahmood and Tom Hartley will form a great pace and spin duo.
The team contains a great blend of youth and experience and there will be high hopes that Lancashire can go all the way and land a first Blast title since 2015.
Hampshire
If you want to back a team at a price, one team to follow could be Hampshire. Winners of the Blast on three occasions with their latest win coming back in 2022, there will be hopes that the team from the coast can make their way back into another final.
Rehan Ahmed will hope to show exactly why he is regarded as one of England’s greatest talents with the ball and fans of the team will hope that Ahmed will compliment the experienced duo of Liam Dawson and Kyle Abbott.
Once again James Vince will hope to have a big say with the bat and alongside the experienced Mark Stoneman, both openers can leave their mark.
Hampshire have had stronger squads, but this side is still capable of pulling off an upset.
Nottingham Outlaws
Another team at a price that could be worth siding with are the Nottingham Outlaws.
Alex Hales will be missing from action this year, but the Outlaws will hope the overseas duo of Moises Henriques and Daniel Sams can help plug the gaps.
Other players to keep an eye on are Ben Duckett, Olly Stone, Joe Clark, Josh Tongue and Mohammad Abbas.
The Outlaws have long had an affinity with this tournament having been winners in 2017 and 2020. Usually a sure bet to reach the final four, few would be surprised if they reached the business end of proceedings once more.
Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies