Check out all the Preview Stats and AI Predictive Form Guide for the Vitality Blast 2026 – Central & West Group matches – Gloucestershire vs Birmingham Bears, Northamptonshire Steelbacks vs Glamorgan and Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks to be played on the 22nd of May, 2026 including preplay and live inplay prediction widgets.
Points Table
Match Prediction – Gloucestershire v Warwickshire Bears
Gloucestershire vs Warwickshire Bears
To be played on the 22nd of May, 2026 at Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
Match Details:
Date: Friday, 22nd May 2026.
Venue: Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
Start Time: 06:00 PM GMT | 11:30 PM IST | 07:00 PM Local.
Current Form:
Gloucestershire:
It was a tough season for Gloucestershire, who saw D’Arcy Short dominate once more, but the others failed to contribute as they ended seventh in the South Group.
D’Arcy Short was the pick of the batters for the Gloucesteshire side with contributions coming from Jack Taylor, Ben Charlesworth and Miles Hammond too while the bowling was led by David Payne and Josh Shaw.
Warwickshire Bears:
The Bears just about made it through to the playoffs last season, ending fourth in the North Group, with their batting having carried their misfiring bowling attack.
Sam Hain, Dan Mousley, Alex Davies and Ed Barnard were excellent with the bat while their bowling was led by Hasan Ali and Danny Briggs.
Players to Watch:
Gloucestershire:
David Payne – the left-arm quick has enjoyed a fine last twelve months across the globe, striking 57 times in his 39 games, where he averaged 19.59 and has struck once every 15 balls.
D’Arcy Short – he was the leading run-scorer for Gloucestershire last season and is set to go once more, having piled on 551 runs in fourteen games at 42.38 the last time he was playing in the Blast.
Jack Taylor – the captain was a handy contributor with the bat and with the ball last season, scoring 303 runs in 14 games at 25.25 while striking at 134.07 and he picked up four wickets at just 13.25.
Warwickshire Bears:
Sam Hain – he was the leading run-scorer for the Bears in the previous season, where he scored 460 runs in fourteen games, averaging a shade under 42 while striking at 146.03.
Ed Barnard – the newly appointed skipper of the Warwickshire Bears in the T20 format, Ed Barnard enjoyed a fine run last year, scoring 335 runs at 27.91 while striking at 158.76 and picked up five wickets with the ball.
Usman Tariq – in the last twelve months, Usman Tariq has enjoyed quite a lot of success with the ball, taking 59 wickets in 34 games at an average of 16.23 and has struck once every 13.4 balls.
Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches):
Even though Gloucestershire have had a torrid time of it lately, they have the lead over their rivals in the Warwickshire Bears, having won all last three of their encounters.
Venue Stats – Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (2023-2026):
Average 1st Innings Score:
2023 – 155.7
2024 – 165.3
2025 – 178.4
Bowling Averages and Economy Rates:
Wickets Percentage based on Innings:
Wickets Per Innings:
Wickets per Phase:
Powerplay (Overs 1–6): 1.61 wickets
Middle Overs (Overs 7–15): 2.57 wickets
Death Overs (Overs 16–20): 2.36 wickets
It has become easier to bat at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol as time has passed, with the average first innings score having shot up to 178.4 in 2025. There is a reason to chase here, with 67% of the games here won by sides batting second.
There is not a lot that separates the spin bowlers from the fast bowlers here, they have both been successful, and have similar averages, economies and strike rates.
Squads:
Gloucestershire:
Jack Taylor ©, Cameron Bancroft (WK), James Bracey (WK), Dawid Malan, Graeme van Buuren, James Phillips, D’Arcy Short, Ben Charlesworth, Karam Dhaliwal, Miles Hammond, Will Williams, David Payne, Liam Charlesworth, Ahmed Syed, Craig Miles, Marchant de Lange, Matt Taylor, Liam Scott, Aman Rao, Ed Middleton, Oliver Price, Duan Jansen and Tommy Boorman.
Warwickshire Bears:
Ed Barnard ©, Kai Smith (WK), Alex Davies (WK), Theo Wylie, Hamza Shaikh, Rob Yates, Jacob Bethell, Michael Booth, Beau Webster, Zen Malik, Dan Mousley, Chris Woakes, Jordan Thompson, Ethan Bamber, Keith Barker, Richard Gleeson, Nathan Gilchrist, Olly Hannon-Dalby, Usman Tariq and Che Simmons.
Cricket Match Predictions – PrePlay
Who will win the toss? — Warwickshire Bears
Who will win the match? — Warwickshire Bears
Top Batter (Runs Scored) — D’Arcy Short (Gloucestershire), Sam Hain (Warwickshire Bears)
Top Bowler (Wickets Taken) — Josh Shaw (Gloucestershire), Usman Tariq (Warwickshire Bears)
Most Sixes — Jack Taylor (Gloucestershire), Sam Hain (Warwickshire Bears)
Player of the Match — Sam Hain (Warwickshire Bears)
Team Scores Batting First — Gloucestershire 160+, Warwickshire Bears 170+
Match Prediction – Northamptonshire v Glamorgan
Northamptonshire Steelbacks vs Glamorgan
To be played on the 22nd of May, 2026 at County Ground, Northampton.
Match Details:
Date: Friday, 22nd May 2026.
Venue: County Ground, Northampton.
Start Time: 05:30 PM GMT | 11:00 PM IST | 06:30 PM Local.
Current Form:
Northamptonshire Steelbacks:
The Steelbacks enjoyed a successful run previous season, but this season will miss out on the services of Ravi Bopara who has now retired from the English game.
David Willey, Ravi Bopara and Matthew Breetzke were the pick of their batters, while the bowling unit saw David Willey, George Scrimshaw and Ben Sanderson combine to produce excellent results.
Glamorgan:
They were off to a poor start the previous season, but did just enough until the back end to stay in contention, even though they missed out on a spot in the playoffs by just two points, their Championship performances should give them a lot of confidence.
Asa Tribe, Kiran Carlson, Colin Ingram and Will Smale all contributed to a great run for the Welshmen, while their bowling was led by Ned Leonard, Mason Crane and Daniel Douthwaite.
Players to Watch:
Northamptonshire Steelbacks:
David Willey – the captain was leading from the front as he enjoyed a fine all-round year, having picked up twenty wickets at 24.5 with the ball and he scored 452 runs at 28.25 while striking at 138.65.
Ben Sanderson – he enjoyed his most successful year in the Vitality Blast, having picked up 26 wickets in his sixteen games, averaging 17.61 and struck once every 13.1 balls.
Chris Lynn – the Australian will be back with the Steelbacks after a season at Hampshire, and he has enjoyed a wonderful run in the Blast, having made 1102 runs so far, at an average of 47.91 while striking at 154.99, including four hundreds and seven fifties.
Glamorgan:
Nathan McAndrew – the Australian has been tormentor in chief against Glamorgan and they have now brought him to his side after his most successful season in the Blast and will hope he delivers.
Ned Leonard – the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers previous season, Ned Leonard took twenty wickets in just ten games, averaging just 13.9 while he struck once every 10.8 balls.
Ben Kellaway – he got quick starts, but failed to kick on, scoring 262 runs at 20.15 even though he struck at 150.57, but his bowling was excellent, with ten wickets in 19.4 overs at 17.1, having struck once every 11.8 balls.
Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches):
It has been a tough time for the Welsh County when they go up against the Steelbacks, who have managed four wins in their last five games, but Glamorgan did win the most recent outing between these sides.
Venue Stats – County Ground, Northampton (2023-2026):
Average 1st Innings Score:
2023 – 176.6
2024 – 182.4
2025 – 170.4
Bowling Averages and Economy Rates:
Wickets Percentage based on Innings:
Wickets Per Innings:
Wickets per Phase:
Powerplay (Overs 1–6): 2.02 wickets
Middle Overs (Overs 7–15): 2.38 wickets
Death Overs (Overs 16–20): 2.08 wickets
The County Ground in Northampton has been a relatively batter friendly venue, with the average first innings score over the last three years having been above 170 in each of the seasons. It is ideal to bat first here, with 60% of the games held here won by sides batting first.
The conditions on offer here have been more helpful for the fast bowlers, who average 23.98 runs per dismissal while striking once every 16.7, the spinners average 28.75 and have needed four more balls per dismissal.
Squads:
Northamptonshire Steelbacks:
David Willey ©, Ricardo Vasconcelos (WK), Lewis McManus (WK), George Bartlett, Justin Broad, Arush Buchake, Liam Guthrie, Calvin Harrison, Rob Keogh, Louis Kimber, Dom Leech, Tiaan Louw, Chris Lynn, Gus Miller, Luke Proctor, Nirvan Ramesh, James Sales, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw, Aadi Sharma, Stuart van der Merwe, Raphael Weatherall and Saif Zaib.
Glamorgan:
Kiran Carlson (WK), Chris Cooke (WK), Will Smale (WK), Henry Hurle (WK), Lewis Popple (WK), Alex Horton (WK), Eddie Byrom, Mason Crane, Sean Dickson, Dan Douthwaite, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Romano Franco, Andy Gorvin, Nathan McAndrew, James Harris, Jack Hope-Bell, Colin Ingram, Ben Kellaway, Ned Leonard, Jamie McIlroy, Ben Morris, Callum Nicholls, Tom Norton, Billy Root, Asa Tribe, Zain ul-Hassan and Timm van der Gugten.
Cricket Match Predictions – PrePlay
Who will win the toss? — Glamorgan
Who will win the match? — Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Top Batter (Runs Scored) — Chris Lynn (Northamptonshire Steelbacks), Kiran Carlson (Glamorgan)
Top Bowler (Wickets Taken) — George Scrimshaw (Northamptonshire Steelbacks), Mason Crane (Glamorgan)
Most Sixes — Chris Lynn (Northamptonshire Steelbacks), Kiran Carlson (Glamorgan)
Player of the Match — Chris Lynn (Northamptonshire Steelbacks)
Team Scores Batting First — Northamptonshire Steelbacks 170+, Glamorgan 160+
Match Prediction – Surrey v Lancashire
Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks, to be played on the 22nd of May, 2026 at The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Match Details:
Date: Friday, 22nd May 2026.
Venue: The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
Start Time: 05:30 PM GMT | 11:00 PM IST | 06:30 PM Local.
Current Form:
Somerset:
Somerset continue to remain one of the strongest T20 sides in county cricket and once again head into the season with a destructive batting lineup backed by experienced seam bowling options.
Tom Banton, Will Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore give them one of the most explosive top-orders in the competition, while the presence of Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton and Dan Sams adds immense depth with both bat and ball.
Their bowling attack also looks balanced with Riley Meredith bringing raw pace, Jack Leach controlling the middle overs and Migael Pretorius offering consistency across phases.
Hampshire Hawks:
The Hawks once again possess a highly experienced T20 squad led by James Vince, with a batting unit packed with stroke-makers and all-rounders.
James Vince, Tristan Stubbs, Hilton Cartwright and Joe Weatherley provide quality in the batting department, while Liam Dawson remains their key all-round option capable of influencing games with both bat and ball.
Their bowling attack looks strong as well with Kyle Abbott, Chris Wood and Brad Wheal bringing experience, while Sonny Baker and Eddie Jack add youthful pace options.
Players to Watch:
Somerset:
Tom Banton – one of the most dangerous white-ball batters in county cricket, Banton had a rather modest outing in 2025 with 165 runs in 9 innings. But nonetheless, he remains a genuine match-winner at Taunton.
Will Smeed– the explosive top order batter brings excellent starts to the side with his power-hitting, and his 2025 season is proof of it- where he piled up 620 runs at 41.3, striking at nearly 145.
Riley Meredith – the fast bowler’s pace can trouble any batting lineup, especially on surfaces offering bounce and carry, making him a major threat in the powerplay. He had a stellar 2025 season, picking up 28 wickets at an average of 16.3 and striking every 11 balls.
Hampshire Hawks:
James Vince – the Hampshire captain continues to be one of the most elegant and reliable batters in the Blast, capable of anchoring innings while maintaining a high strike rate. These claims are validated by his 2025 season, where he scored 527 runs at a strike rate of 152.
Liam Dawson – a crucial all-rounder for Hampshire, Dawson contributes in all departments and remains especially effective with the ball during the middle overs. Dawson picked up 13 wickets at a healthy economy rate of 7.22, in 2025.
Toby Albert – Explosiveness at its finest- Albert played a monumental role in the Hawks’ 2025 runners up season, accumulating 637 runs at an average of nearly 49, and a strike rate of 150.
Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches):
Recent contests between these two sides have been absolutely dominated by Somerset, with the defending champions being on top in all of their last 5 games.
Venue Stats – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton (2023-2026):
Average 1st Innings Score:
2023 – 159.12
2024 – 173.71
2025 – 195.87
Bowling Averages and Economy Rates:
Wickets Percentage based on Innings:
Wickets Per Innings:
Wickets per Phase:
Powerplay (Overs 1–6): 2.02 wickets
Middle Overs (Overs 7–15): 2.38 wickets
Death Overs (Overs 16–20): 2.08 wickets
The County Ground in Somerset has been a batter friendly venue, with the average first innings score over the last three years having been exponentially rising, with nearly 196 in 2025 It is close here, with 52% of the games won here won by teams batting second.
The conditions here have been more helpful for the pace bowlers, who average 25.07 runs per dismissal while striking once every 16.5 balls, the spinners average 31.4 and have needed four more balls per wicket.
Squads:
Somerset:
Lewis Gregory ©, Tom Banton (WK), James Rew (WK), Thomas Rew (WK), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (WK), Will Smeed, Josh Shaw, Riley Meredith, Jack Leach, Tom Lammonby, Craig Overton, Lewis Goldsworthy, Migael Pretorius, Alfie Ogborne, Daniel Sams and Jordan Hermann.
Hampshire Hawks:
James Vince ©, Toby Albert (WK), Ben Brown (WK), Nick Gubbins, Jack Lehmann, Ben Mayes, Fletcha Middleton, Felix Organ, Ali Orr, Tristan Stubbs, Joe Weatherley, Kyle Abbott, Sonny Baker, John Turner, Brad Wheal, Chris Wood, Hilton Cartwright, Scott Currie, Liam Dawson, James Fuller, Eddie Jack, Dominic Kelly and Tom Prest.
Cricket Match Predictions – PrePlay
Who will win the toss? — Somerset
Who will win the match? — Somerset
Top Batter (Runs Scored) — Will Smeed (Somerset), Toby Albert (Hampshire Hawks)
Top Bowler (Wickets Taken) — Riley Meredith (Somerset), Liam Dawson (Hampshire Hawks)
Most Sixes — Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Toby Albert (Hampshire Hawks)
Player of the Match — Riley Meredith (Somerset)
Team Scores Batting First — Somerset 190+, Hampshire Hawks 180+
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*NB these predictions may be changed nearer the start of the match once the final starting teams have been announced and we will be running ‘In-Play’ features, so stay tuned.
Also, the predictions and picks are formulated from the stats and information sourced and compiled from AI and Stats experts – Always remember, when the fun stops… STOP
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