The Vitality Blast South Group is approaching an extraordinary finale, with Thursday’s fixture at The Cloud County Ground having huge ramifications for Essex even though the Eagles aren’t featuring.
At 6:15pm on Thursday 18 July, Middlesex host qualification-contenders Gloucestershire in Chelmsford with the outcome of the match potentially sealing Essex’s place in the Vitality Blast quarter finals.
Essex will be guaranteed a knockout spot if Gloucestershire fail to beat Middlesex. However, if Gloucestershire win at Chelmsford then Essex will require a victory against Hampshire Hawks the following night.
With qualification at stake, Essex fans can see one more group stage fixture at The Cloud County Ground in 2024 from £25 for Adults and £10 for Juniors.
The state of play
The equation for Essex is simple, any points against Hampshire Hawks on Friday night will mean a place in the quarter-finals is confirmed. If Middlesex beat Gloucestershire at Chelmsford, Essex will progress to the quarter finals.
However, if Gloucestershire win and Essex lose it will come down to net run rate. After Gloucestershire’s record-breaking victory over Glamorgan on Sunday their net run rate has risen to +0.502, exceeding Essex’s +0.253.
Essex still have an outside chance of securing a home quarter final, however that would require multiple favours from other sides and a big swing in the net run rate.
