This Saturday sees the final of the Friends Provident Trophy, between two sides we’re pretty much sick of seeing on TV i reckon, Essex and Kent. Due to their success in the various formats of the game, everyone is pretty well used to the two teams that will be lining up at Lords, and these two also met on Twenty20 finals day when Kent came out winners – and I can’t see any reason why this Final will be any different. Kent’s powerful team will be too much for the teamwork but not big names of Essex, if they survive the rain that is expected to come in (who’d expect any different in the middle of August?!)

So if I’m not going to waste any time talking about the winner (it will be Kent), lets start to make things interesting and start looking for the top batsman, and help someone out there win some money on my tips! In the Kent side, Joe Denly hasn’t looked in fantastic nick in the past couple of weeks, and although he’ll undoubtedly put some runs on the board early, I don’t think he is in the running. Jones, Mahmood, Kemp et all all have the potential to score some big runs, but it is more likely to be a cameo at the end of an innings rather than the match winning score. On the Essex balcony, Napier has been a revelation this season, but on a middle strip at Lords he’ll find those sixes rather harder to hit than at Chelmsford. Skipper Pettini will be under pressure to get his side off to a good start at the top of the order, but beneath that I don’t see them scoring the must have big runs despite Cook and Ravi Bop being available.

So there are two players I havn’t mentioned yet and that is because I think it will be between them, and my money will go where the best value odds are – and that is Key and Van Jaarsveld. Yes, Key may be the obvious option, but he’s playing fantastic cricket at the moment, and earlier this week he played a really smart innings against Leicestershire when he had to battle a bit which shows he can read the situation well. If his odds are too low, then I’ll be looking for Van Jaarsveld to come in at number three and be top scorer – this guy is a class bat and is fully capable of doing that.

So a Kent win and Rob Key top scorer bets, I’ve placed my bets at the bookies! If you’re having a bet let me know what you’re backing as I’d love to know!