NatWest T20 Blast: Nick Knight makes his quarter-final predictions

Sky Sports' Nick Knight runs the rule over the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals. It doesn't make happy reading for the away sides...

You can always make the argument with the T20 Blast that it could be shortened or go in a slightly different direction but this year’s tournament has been excellent so far.

The quality of cricket has been high, the games have been really fun and there have been good atmospheres at the grounds, things we should see again in the quarter-finals.

Here’s my guide to the games…

Sussex v Northamptonshire (6.15pm, Wed, Sky Sports Ashes)

Luke Wright has taken over as Sussex’s one-day captain and things couldn’t have gone much better in the Blast, with his team playing well and him being bang in the runs. Luke has been a fine one-day player for some time but perhaps, with the new responsibility, we are seeing the best of him.

Wright has led the way with the bat but Sussex also have plenty of bowling options, despite Chris Jordan missing much of the campaign with injury. For that reason, I make them slight favourites to pip Northants, though I do think it will be close with David Willey fit for the visitors.

Willey has been back from injury long enough now to be ready for a big quarter-final and if you add his bowling, batting and fielding to Mohammad Azharullah’s death bowling and the all-round skills of Josh Cobb, Northants have a chance, but I think Sussex may be too strong on this occasion.

NICK’S PICK: Sussex

Birmingham v Essex (6.15pm, Thu, Sky Sports Ashes)

Birmingham are so hard to score runs against with Rikki Clarke doing an incredible job with the new ball and Jeetan Patel fantastic in the middle overs, but I think my old team will be most pleased with the partnership Recordo Gordon and Oliver Hannon-Dalby have formed in the death overs.

Varun Chopra’s side also have plenty of batting – there will be no Brendon McCullum for them in this game but Ian Bell will play – and I just feel that home conditions will swing this match Birmingham’s way, though you write off Essex and their overseas pros, Jesse Ryder and Shaun Tait, at your peril.

If Ryder and Tait fire, Essex could have a great night but they will also be looking to Ravi Bopara, who has impressed with bat and ball in the Blast so far. Ravi’s England days may be over for now but he will want to prove a point and is a seasoned campaigner in important matches like this.

NICK’S PICK: Birmingham

Worcestershire v Hampshire (5.15pm, Fri, Sky Sports Ashes)

I put Worcestershire’s success this year down to using their limited resources extremely well. They don’t have a big squad but that means there are fewer changes and everybody in the Rapids’ side knows exactly what their role is. Worcestershire’s team spirit is also there for all to see.

I do, though, think it is crucial to their chances that captain Daryl Mitchell – who does a great job with bat, ball and in the field – is fully fit as they are tackling a team that know who to get to Finals Day perhaps better than anyone, Hampshire having done so for the last five seasons.

The visitors haven’t been at their consistent best in all forms this term but with Michael Carberry and James Vince at the top of the order and Jimmy Adams finding some form, they will post a score, while their bowling attack has lots of variations. Yasir Arafat, in particular, is brilliant in this format.

NICK’S PICK: Worcestershire

Kent v Lancashire (2pm, Sat, Sky Sports Ashes)

Kent’s appearance at this stage is a lovely story; with no overseas players in their ranks, it has been all about the local young lads. Sam Northeast has done a brilliant job as captain in addition to piling on the runs, while Alex Blake has won games for them in the middle order.

The Lightning have the ever-reliable Ashwell Prince and a quality skipper in Steven Croft and I’m sure James Faulkner, one of the best death bowlers in world cricket, would love to have a say. Karl Brown has also been more than useful with the bat this year, scoring three fifties.

But Kent are an incredibly tough side to beat – they only lost four of their 14 group games to top the South Group – and I am going to go for them to beat a power-packed Lancashire side. It wouldn’t surprise me if the game was an absolute nail-biter, though!

NICK’S PICK: Kent

Watch the T20 Blast quarter-finals live on Sky Sports Ashes, starting with Sussex versus Northamptonshire from 6.15pm on Wednesday.