Middlesex vs Surrey: June 10, Vitality Blast 2021 Prediction

Match Predictions and Team Previews

Surrey and Middlesex last faced off against each other at Lord’s on 14 September 2020. Batting first in the game, Surrey were off to a great start when their openers Will Jacks and Hashim Amla put on 101 for the first wicket. Building on the platform, they managed to reach 218/5 in their allotted overs. Jacks (55 off 30 balls) and Amla (67 in 49 balls) scored most of the runs, while Laurie Evans (26), Rory Burns (25) and Jamie Overton (29) also contributed useful runs. For Middlesex, Tom Helm (2/44), Tim Murtagh (1/35) and Nathan Sowter (1/42) took the wickets.

Middlesex began well and despite the early departure of Max Holden, were comfortably placed at 86 for 2 after 10 overs. But despite a substantial partnership between Eskinazi and Simpson, Middlesex were behind the required rate at 151/2 in the 16th over. An attempt to accelerate caused a flurry of wickets to fall and at 163 for 5 in 18 overs, the match was all but over. Atkinson, Batty and Moriarty were the wicket-takers for Surrey as Middlesex ended up at 188/5 to hand Surrey a 33-run victory. Eskinazi (77 off 44 balls) was the most impressive batsman for Middlesex, with supporting cameos from Cracknell (28) and Simpson (31).

Unfortunately for Surrey, an injury has forced Sean Abbott to return home after just one match against Gloucestershire, in which he scored 40 to contribute to a team total of 473 and took 2/5 with the ball to help his side to an innings win. He will probably be replaced by J Clark. Surrey will also miss their in-form batsmen Burns and Pope who are away on national duty, playing for England against New Zealand. There will consequently be greater reliance on Amla and Stoneman. In the bowling department, Virdi and Topley have been very consistently among the wickets this county season.

Robson, Gubbins and White have scored plenty of runs this season, while overseas import Handscomb is due for a big one. Bamber and Anderson have taken plenty of wickets.

Surrey: Mark Stoneman, Ryan Patel, Hashim Amla, Jamie Smith, Laurie Evans, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, J Clark, Rikki Clarke, Dan Moriarty, Amar Virdi.