Lancashire v Essex predictions & free T20 cricket betting tips: Sams the man

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for Lancashire v Essex in Friday's T20 Blast quarter-final at Old Trafford.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Cricket, Mix & Main Event, 6.30pm Friday

Best bets

Daniel Sams to be man of the match
1pt 12-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Match preview

Lancashire have a proud home record in the T20 Blast, going unbeaten in 14 games over the past two seasons, but they are only slight favourites for a quarter-final victory over in-form Essex at Old Trafford.

The clash with England's Twenty20 series against India has severely depleted Lancashire, who have lost five players – Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Matt Parkinson and impressive seamer Richard Gleeson – to the T20 squad.

Salt and Gleeson featured in last weekend's two-wicket victory over North Group winners Birmingham Bears, when number nine Tom Hartley slammed two sixes to get them over the line, but Lancashire will need their less celebrated players to stand up if they are to reach Finals Day for the ninth time in 20 years.

Essex, who lifted the trophy in 2019 before group-stage exits in 2020 and 2021, have a more settled side and they signed off their South Group campaign with a crushing win over Glamorgan at Chelmsford, where they racked up 254-5.

Simon Harmer's men can expect a tighter contest at Old Trafford and Essex's Australia all-rounder Daniel Sams could have a crucial role to play.

Sams, who has played seven T20 internationals for the Aussies, took 3-20 and 3-45 in his last two Blast outings, also hitting three sixes from the ten deliveries he faced against Glamorgan.

He is capable of devastating hitting, scoring 71 off 24 balls against Sussex in June and slamming an unbeaten 98 from 44 for Sydney Thunder in this year's Big Bash, so he poses a significant threat to Lancashire in both innings.

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