Warwickshire vs Essex, CCDO_2024, Today Match Prediction 17 September 2024

warks vs ESS Match Prediction & Analysis

Warwickshire will take on Essex in the 65th match of County Championship Division One 2024 starting 17th September 2024 at Edgbaston, Birmingham at 3:00 pm. They have each played 12 games so far this season. Essex are in fourth place with 160 points, while Warwickshire are in seventh place with 143 points.

In the recent 5 games, Essex and Warwickshire have won a game each. This season, the previous encounter between the two teams resulted in a win for Essex by 4 wickets. It was a coming from behind victory for Essex, who successfully chased the big 4th innings target. Can Essex do it again, or will Warwickshire have their revenge?

TEAMS PREVIEW

Warwickshire Preview

Warwickshire have established themselves as a tough team to beat. This is evident from their 8 draws in 12 matches, the most among all the teams. They haven’t won much, either. They have 1 win and 3 losses in the remaining 4 games.

Their first and only win so far came in the 11th match against Kent. Warwickshire bundled out Kent for 156 in the first innings - Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Chris Rushworth, and Michael Booth took 3 wickets each. In response, on the back of a scintillating double century by Will Rhodes  (201 runs), Warwickshire scored 420 runs in their first innings. With a lead of 264, Warwickshire went for an innings win and got it by dismissing Kent for 243, winning the match by an innings and 21 runs. Oliver Hannon-Dalby upped his performance by taking 6 wickets in Kent’s second innings.

Unsurprisingly, OJ Hannon-Dalby is the highest wicket-taker of the season with 46 wickets. Alex Davies (1089 runs), second in the list of top run scorers this season, and Will Rhodes (954 Runs) are the top run scorers for Warwickshire. The previous encounter against Essex was a heartbreak for Warwickshire. They let the game slip from a commanding position. They will believe they can win here and their second win of the season.

Key players: Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Alex Davies, Will Rhodes, Ed Barnard

Warwickshire Predicted Playing XI:

Robert Yates, Alex Davies (c), Will Rhodes, Sam Hain, Hamza Shaikh, Ed Barnard, Michael Burgess (wk), Danny Briggs, Michael Rae, Chris Rushworth, Oliver Hannon-Dalby

Essex Preview

Essex were on a roll in the first half of the season. They ed four wins in the first seven games, losing just one and drawing the remaining two. However, their performances have not been up to the mark in the last few games. Looking at the innings victory against Nottinghamshire in their last game, it looks like Essex are back into winning form.

Batting first against Nottinghamshire, Essex scored 457 runs. The captain and wicketkeeper duo of Tom Westley and Michael Pepper scored a century each. In Nottinghamshire’s first innings, Jamie Porter took 5 wickets for 35 runs, and Simon Harper took 4 wickets for 16 runs to restrict Nottinghamshire to a meagre 93 runs. Following on, despite Haseeb Hameed’s century, Nottinghamshire could not make Essex bat again and lost the match by an innings and 83 runs. Simon Harmer took 4 wickets in the second innings, making it 8 wickets in a game. 

Jamie Porter is tied with Oliver Hannon-Dalby as the top wicket-taker with 46 wickets. Simon Harmer has 42 so far. Dean Elgar has the highest (945) runs so far for Essex. With this bunch of players, Essex would feel confident against Warwickshire in this game.

Key players: Jamie Porter, Simon Harmer, Dean Elgar, Tom Westley

Essex Predicted Playing XI:

Dean Elgar, Robin Das, Tom Westley (c), Matthew Critchley, Luc Benkenstein, Paul Walter, Michael-Kyle Pepper (wk), Simon Harmer, Shane Snater, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter

Weather Conditions

The weather on the match day at Edgebaston is expected to be a mix of light rain and cloudy skies. The day is likely to start with some rain, but it will likely clear up in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be around 16-21°C. Expect the first day of the match to be a rain-hit day.

warks vs ESS Pitch Report

The venue of the match is Edgbaston, Birmingham.  Established in 1882, it is one of the most iconic stadiums in the World. The stadium has witnessed many international and first-class matches. It has a seating capacity of 25,000 spectators. The venue is known for assisting the bowlers early on in the game.

Toss: To Bowl

Out of the 41 tests that yielded a result at Edgbaston, the team bowling first have won 23 while the team batting first has won 18 matches. There is some help on offer for the seam bowlers early on in the game. The team winning the toss should bowl first here.