Hampshire vs Kent match prediction 17 Jun 2022

HAM vs KEN Match 78 South Group Predictions & Betting Tips

Teams are set to return after a week-long break and it's time for match number 78 of the Vitality Blast 2022 between Hampshire and Kent at the The Rose Bowl, Southampton on Friday, June 17 from 11:30 PM IST. After playing eight matches, Hampshire have won and lost four matches each, while defending champions Kent have managed just two wins.

In the previous season, Kent had won the title after beating Somerset by 25 runs. Hampshire on the other hand, had lost their semi-final match by two against Somerset.

In the Vitality Blast 2022, Hampshire are placed fifth in the 9-team South Group table. Kent after losing as many as six matches are reeling at the bottom spot. As we gear up for match 78 of the English T20 league, I have brought you the best three betting tips from the HAM vs KEN match 78 head-to-head encounter.

HAM vs KEN Team Bet:

Mentioned below is the top team bet from the HAM vs KEN head-to-head contest.

Hampshire to win

Hampshire will enter the match as favourites against a struggling Kent side, The James Vince-led side has won their last four matches and would surely put their best forward to finish in the top-two of the South Group table. Kent, on the other hand, lost five consecutive matches to start with, before winning their first match. They again lost their seventh match before winning the eight. Lack of consistency is blatantly evident.

Kent have won four of their last five matches against Hampshire, but their current form is worrisome. Joe Denly (268) and Jordan Cox (231) are the only two players who have scored the runs for the team. GF Linde, who has scored 151 runs, is the next highest run-scorer form the team. The bowling unit consisting of left-arm pacer Fred Klaassen (9), right-arm pacer Grant Stewart (8) and left-arm spinner George Linde (8) have done comparatively well.

For Hampshire Brad Wheal, Chris Wood, Liam Dawson and James Fuller have taken 13, 10, 9 and 10 wickets respectively. In the batting department, James Vince had led from the front with 269 runs at an average of 44.83. Ben McDermott has scored 247 runs, while Joe Weatherley and James Fuller have chipped in with 152 and 139 runs respectively. In their second-last match before the break, the team beat third placed Essex by 32 runs. Kent lost their second-last match to the same opponent by 7 wickets and 27 balls remaining.

Overall, the two teams have played 32 matches against each other. Kent have won 16 matches, while Hampshire have emerged victorious on 14 occasions. At The Rose Bowl, Southampton - Hampshire have won seven times, one less than Kent's tally of eight. However, on Friday, Hampshire look set to make it 8-all at the venue. If you feel the same, head over to Pari Match to grab the odds of 1.67 and place your bet on Hampshire from the HAM vs KEN head-to-head encounter.

HAM vs KEN Player Bet:

James Vince and Sam Billings are my top two player betting tips for the HAM vs KEN match 78. Have a look at it for reaping the best returns.

James Vince to score over 23.5 runs

James Vince led from the front and scored 47 off 38 balls while chasing 164 during his team Hampshire's first match of the Vitality Blast 2022 against Middlesex. He has not stopped since then and led from the front for the team with 269 runs in eight matches at an average of 44.83. Vince is the highest run-scorer from Hampshire in the Vitality Blast 2022 so far. He has also hit two fifties this season. James Vince's last four outings in the tournament has seen him score 44. 44, 54* and 65. Hoping him to score over 23.5 runs against Kent on Friday is very obvious.

Days before entering the competition, Vince scored a hundred and a few fifties in the County Championship 2022. The right-hander was also part of Pakistan Super League 2021-22 where he scored 107 runs in six matches at an average of 21.40. In January, the Hampshire captain was part of the England T20I squad which travelled to the Caribbean. Vince scored 14, 4, and 16 in the first three matches before scoring 34 and 55 in the final two games. He finished the tournament as the fourth-highest run-scorer.

Vince has played a total of 20 innings against Kent. The top-order batsman has managed 555 runs at 30.83 in it. He has scored 34 and 48 and in his last two innings against the opposition. At Rose Bowl, he averages 30.50 from 79 matches which has seen him score 2135 runs. Overall, James Vince has played 294 T20 matches and scored 7794 at an average of 30.20. He has hit two hundreds and 47 fifties in the format. The 31-year-old looks set to score over 23.5 runs against Kent. If you feel the same, proceed to Pari Match and pick the best for James Vince to score over 23.5 runs from the HAM vs KEN head-to-head encounter.

Sam Billings to score under 21.5 runs

Kent captain Sam Billings has struggled in the Vitality Blast 2022 lately. The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 143 runs in eight matches at an average of 20.4. After scoring 5, 48*, 31, 22 in the first four innings, the 30-year-old scored 16, 5, 8 and 8 runs in his next four outings. He returned to play in the County Championship 2022 during the week-long break and scored 43 runs in the first innings as Kent won by eight wickets. The team definitely won but Billings, who wasn't picked in the England white-ball squad for the Netherlands tour, was not very impressive in the match.

Ahead of the Vitality Blast 2022, Sam Billings featured in the IPL 2022 where he got the opportunity to feature in eight matches for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He scored 169 runs at an average of 24.14. Overall, the right-hander has the experience of 231 T20 matches from which he has scored 4464 runs at an average of 24.12. Billings have scored 24 fifties in the format.

Billings has played 13 innings against Hampshire to score 316 runs at 28.73. His average at the Rose Bowl in Southampton is 9.60 from 10 innings. He has scored only 96 runs at the venue. The going might get tougher for Sam Billing on Friday. Our affiliate partner Pari Match is offering the odds of 1.87 for Sam Billings to score under 21.5 runs. So waste no time and head to the Pari Match website to place your bet on Sam Billings from the HAM vs KEN head-to-head encounter.

My Picks:

Hampshire to win @ 1.67 (Pari Match)

James Vince to score over 23.5 runs @ 1.87 (Pari Match)

Sam Billings to score under 21.5 runs @ 1.87 (Pari Match)