*THE HUNDRED MENS COMPETITION 2023- MATCH 1: TRENT ROCKETS VS SOUTHERN BRAVE PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
An exciting tournament that the local folks found to be extremely entertaining hit the scenes two seasons ago and as the third season approaches, we can’t thank the ECB enough for their attempts to keep this sport alive and kicking. The English crowd have been electric not just in test matches but also T20 competitions, enjoying it thoroughly and supporting all its players.
In the third instalment of this competition, the defending champions Trent Rockets are all set to clash with Southern Brave, with the latter coming on the back of a poor last season where they failed to gain much. They won only three out of eight games in the league stage and finished seventh.
The Nottingham track should offer a fair contest between bat and ball and owning to the demand of all players and fans, the new-ball bowlers may get some lateral movement off the surface, which becomes good for batting as the game progresses.
*SOUTHERN BRAVE PROBABLE XI:*
James Vince (c), Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Alex Davies (wk), Leus du Plooy, Rehan Ahmed, Tim David, George Garton, Chris Jordan, Craig Overton, Tymal Mills
Brave’s top 3 is all pedigree. They have the correct stroke makers and the aggressors in their top order which allows them to take the game deep in order to keep their finishers for designated roles. Can’t wait to watch the left right combination at the top with Conway hitting the right gears and in top form. However the batting tends to get weaker as the position decreases and the Brave would hope for their top order to keep the fight going for long otherwise a collapse could be on the cards at any time.
The involvement of Tim David does give them the benefit at the slog overs. He has long levers and can hit the long ball, a skill that is required specially in England if the boundary is to be cleared.
Finishing it with the variety in their bowling lineup with two left armers in Garton and Mills. Both lack pace but if the talk is about their variations, this duo has been nailing it pretty effortlessly. The presence of Jordan at the death gives 50:50 confidence. On his day, he can send even the best packing but his day hardly comes these days, making him a less threatening option and also somebody that the Rockets would look to target.
*ROCKETS PROBABLE XI:*
Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Colin Munro, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sam Hain, Samit Patel, Imad Wasim, Lewis Gregory, Daniel Sams, Luke Wood, Sam Cook
Rashid, their ace player and a gun allrounder could miss out which makes the spin bowling light but with the presence of powerplay specialist in Imad, the left armer, we could see Rockets make up for the loss just right. His partnership with Samit Patel in the middle vs a fragile middle order of Brave could well decide the fate of this game and go onto have a big say.
Trent Rockets have one of the most explosive and experienced opening partnerships in the competition. In Alex Hales and Dawid Malan they boast two batsmen who have been crucial for England's white-ball teams at various points in their career. They complement each other nicely with Hales showing intent and Malan looking to take it deep and the Southern havea stern task ahead of them if they have to start on the right note.
I saw Luke Wood in the leagues and in Pakistan and his raw pace and the ability to rattle batters with it was phenomenal to watch. The pitch has something in it for the speedsters and if given the new ball, he could see through the batting lineup of the Braves and wreck havoc. Excited to see him trouble the opposition with his pace and accuracy.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR BRAVES:*
Highest run getter- Devon Conway/James Vince
Highest wicket taker- Chris Jordan/Tymal Mills
*FOR ROCKETS:*
Highest run getter- Alex Hales/Kohler Cadmore
Highest wicket taker- Luke Wood/Imad Wasim
*FOR THE GAME:*
Rockets to win and start on the right note.