Click here for Manchester Super Giants v Trent Rockets odds
Sunday 16 August, 18:00
TV: Sky Sports
Manchester Super Giants v Trent Rockets team news
Rockets are worrying about the fitness of Mohammad Amir. He has a hamstring injury and has missed the last two group games. As a local player, Amir offers depth and balance to the bowling attack. Ben Sanderson has deputised although he's not like-for-like as Amir is a southpaw.
Not surprisingly, the table toppers season has been based on doing both disciplines well. They are second and third respectively on bowling economy and batting strike rate.
Their top three is all about power with ben Duckett, Finn Allen and Aneurin Donald extremely dangerous. Given they have lost only tice it is probably churlish to point out that Sam Billings at No 4 and Mitch Santner at Np 6 both feel a spot too high.
Probable XI: Duckett, Allen, Donald, Billings, David, Santner, Gregory, C Overton, Harrison, Henry, Amir/Sanderson
The Super Giants won their last three group games in knockout circumstances. They then made it four-in-a-row with an impressive defeat of Leeds in the eliminator. They busted the bat-second chase at The Oval, too.
Perhaps most impressive was they did it without Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler dominating with the bat. Instead Paul Walter and Heinrich Klaasen kept hitting when they were is something of a hole early on.
MSG have switched focus from the all-action pace attack. It's still there with Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Sonny Baker all at the top of the wicket charts. But there's some added nous with Michael Bracewell's spin joining Noor Ahmad and Liam Dawson.
Probable XI: Seifert, Walter, Buttler, Klaasen, Du Plooy, Bracewell, Dawson, Atkinson, Noor, Tongue, Baker
Manchester Super Giants v Trent Rockets pitch report
Lord's has had a reputation as being a stodgy pitch and a bat-first venue. But both trends have suffered. It's been tricky to call. Even Spirit coach Andy Flower has been dumbfounded. He called it as a surface which gave his side no assistance whatsoever. Sour grapes maybe.
It does feel like a pace off venue. Both sides are equipped for that. Extreme unders is not the worst idea. The confusion could also continue for the side batting first, unclear about what a good score might be.
Manchester Super Giants v Trent Rockets match predictions
This is a cracker of a contest involving the best sides in the tournament. Rockets lost twice all season while MSG surged back impressively and have won their last four. The latter almost mirror Rockets on the disciplines at third and second for bowling economy and batting strike rate.
On the head-to-head, Rockets won comfortably. That they did it at Old Trafford suggests they are a team for all conditions. They restricted MSG to 137 and got home with 13 balls to spare.
This might not be as attritional in first-innings as that game. And although it also may not be as high-scoring as the eliminator, we have this one going to the wire.
In what should probably be a choice affair we will take the chunkier odds of the two teams. So MSG to win from 2.1411/10 is the play.
Back MSG batting 2nd from
Manchester Super Giants v Trent Rockets player tips
Returning to a reliable performers might make sense for the big contest. Jos Buttler has been a strong option on top bats and he has form in the previous meeting, when he hit 55 from 37. The offer is 13/53.60 from Betfair Sportsbook.
Craig Overton is the bowler to be keen on. He claimed three wickets in that game to snare top bowler. We have to factor in the possible absence of Amir on that market too. Betfair Sportsbook go 7/24.50.