Friday 7 July 2017 22:54, UK
The year 2020 is going to be a momentous one for English cricket. After much wrangling we finally have a start date for the new jazzed up, city based T20 competition and for many it can't come soon enough.
It will undoubtedly have a different feel to the NatWest T20 Blast but there are also a few things that will seem very similar. Make no mistake, the Blast is a pretty good product in itself.
The new season kicks off on Friday and there is much to look forward to…
After years of being thought of as the weaker group, last season the North dominated with no southern teams making Finals Day.
Having lifted the trophy twice in four years Northants can no longer claim to be plucky underdogs. They are genuine heavyweights of the competition and having kept their squad largely intact will be top contenders again.
Durham on the other hand, who pushed them close in the final, may struggle to match their feats of last year. Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick are big losses and they probably won't see much of Mark Wood or Ben Stokes. Having said that, there is an incredible conveyor belt of talent in the north east and it would be no surprise if one or two new prospects emerged.
The Jets beat a full strength Yorkshire in last year's semis with the Vikings still on the hunt for their first T20 title. Could this be their year? Once again they will have an extremely strong team on paper and the players to cope with any international call-ups.
Nottinghamshire were the other beaten semi-finalists, and it is just as surprising that they have also never got their hands on the Blast trophy. They will hope that a full season of Alex Hales could make the difference.
Similarly, Lancashire will hope to see a fair amount of Jos Buttler and have made a canny overseas signing in Junaid Khan. The Pakistani returns to Old Trafford for his third stint with the county and on the previous two occasions Lancashire reached Finals Day.
The Birmingham Bears look an ageing side that has passed its peak. But if they can get more runs on the board they will have a chance of making the knockout stage as the bowling attack when on song is of top quality.
I expect Worcestershire to be much more of a threat than last year, when they were very disappointing.
Predicted Quarter Finalists - Northants, Notts, Yorkshire and Lancashire
Gloucestershire were the dominant force of the group stage before underperforming against Durham in the quarter-finals. They have a good crop of young yet seasoned campaigners and one of the best T20 batsmen in the world in Michael Klinger. How well the attack copes without the excellent Andrew Tye could go a long way to deciding their season.
Glamorgan surprised a few people to comfortably finish second, thanks largely to the most economical group of bowlers in the tournament.
Middlesex were another team who defied recent history to make it to the quarter-finals and they have appointed a specialist T20 coach in Daniel Vettori as they attempt to prolong their revival in the shortest format.
With an explosive top order featuring Brendon McCullum, runs shouldn't be too hard to come by and their issue may be a bowling attack that has traditionally been better suited to first-class cricket.
Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex all missed out on the knockout stage in 2016 but all three should be a real threat to the rest this season.
Former T20 kings Hampshire did not qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time since 2009 but after a year in transition, when a few youngsters were blooded, the side has a strong look to it once again.
Kolpak players Rilee Roussouw and Kyle Abbott have beefed up a team that will also feature James Vince, George Bailey, Shahid Afridi, Liam Dawson, Reece Topley and Mason Crane amongst others.
On the evidence of the Royal London Cup, Surrey have a very well-drilled white-ball side with most bases covered. Aaron Finch, Kevin Pietersen and Moises Henriques come into the T20 squad.
Sussex finished just behind Surrey in sixth last year despite being the fastest scoring side in the competition. If they repeat that form I can't see them missing out on the last eight this time as the bowling line-up looks extremely tasty, led by Tymal Mills, Chris Jordan and Joffra Archer.
Essex and Kent will also fancy their chances in the group and it will be fascinating to see if the Eagles form in the County Championship has an impact on their Blast campaign.
Predicted Quarter Finalists - Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Surrey and Sussex
Watch Essex take on Surrey in the first game of the 2017 NatWest T20 Blast from 6.45pm on Friday, Sky Sports 2 HD.
