The One Day Cup quarter-finals will take place tomorrow (August 16), with the winners of each game advancing to join the table-toppers from the group stage in the semi-finals. Here's Wisden's choice to make the cut.
The One Day Cup quarter-finals aren't really quarter-finals at all, but more akin to a franchise-tournament style eliminator. The two sides who topped the initial groups have already qualified for the semi-finals, leaving the two teams who finished below them in each group to contest the final two spots. In each match, the second placed team from one group will play the third placed team from the other. Thus, there are only two matches played in the quarter-final stage.
In this vain, Leicestershire will play Hampshire and Worcestershire will play Warwickshire, with the winner from each match facing either Somerset or Glamorgan in the semis.
Who will reach the One Day Cup play-offs?
Leicestershire v Hampshire
Defending champions Leicestershire finished second in Group B after beating Gloucestershire in a rain-affected final round. That win was secured mostly off the back of a 120-run partnership between overseas players Peter Handscomb and Ajinkya Rahane. They will face third-placed Group A side Hampshire, who lost heavily to Worcestershire in their final group game to slide down the places. It's tough to call a winner from the two sides, with the bookies split between favourites. The pick of the odds, however, would have to be on Stake and GGBet, who put Leicestershire at an even 2 to win per pound betted.
Worcestershire v Warwickshire
Worcestershire put in a late challenge to finish in second place of Group A. They bowled Hampshire out for 164 in their final group game, with a stellar performance coming from 18-year-old Jack Home, who took three wickets in the innings. Warwickshire, by comparison, almost had a disastrous run in the final stages of the group, after a washout against Glamorgan was followed by losses to Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. While most odds have them as favourites to win the clash, given their run of losses, a smart bet would be one placed on Worcestershire to win, with the best odds on Stake and Rajabet at 2.15.
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