Birmingham Bears v Gloucestershire: Prediction, Tips and Odds

T20 Blast North Group winners Birmingham Bears host Gloucestershire in Friday's quarter-final at Edgbaston, which is also the venue for Finals Day on Saturday 14th September.

Birmingham Bears v Gloucestershire betting tips and predictions

Danny Briggs to be Birmingham Bears top bowler - 10/3

Birmingham Bears finished top of the North Group standings, earning a home T20 Blast quarter-final for the third year running, and they are 8/15 to beat 6/4 visitors Gloucestershire.

The Bears are blessed with an array of spin threats, including Jake Lintott and all-rounders Moeen Ali, Jacob Bethell and Dan Mousley, but Briggs is undoubtedly the leader of their slow-bowling attack.

No bowler in T20 Blast history has taken more wickets than the 33-year-old Briggs's haul of 246 and he also topped the bowling chart in this season's group stage.

The left-arm spinner's tally of 27 wickets included six in his last two home appearances, against Derbyshire and Leicestershire, and he is worth backing to be Birmingham's top bowler on Friday evening.

Briggs should be fresh after playing only four games for Southern Brave in The Hundred, claiming 3-14 against Welsh Fire and 2-16 against Trent Rockets, and he could put Gloucestershire's batsmen in a spin at Edgbaston.   

Birmingham Bears highest individual score - over 55.5 - 5/6

Birmingham Bears also have plenty of in-form batters in their top order and at least one of them should make a significant runscoring contribution on Friday evening.

Only Sussex's Daniel Hughes scored more runs than Birmingham middle-order maestro Sam Hain's tally of 554 in the group stage.

Hain has passed 50 in six of his 12 Blast innings this season, while Moeen scored 59 against Derbyshire and 103 against Leicestershire in his two North Group appearances at Edgbaston.

Moeen's opening partner, Alex Davies, is the leading runscorer in Division One of the County Championship this season, and he could also deliver for backers of any Bears batter to score over 55.5.

That would have been a winning bet in five of their last six group games. The exception came when they bowled out Nottinghamshire for just 57 and opener Rob Yates made 35 not out to seal a nine-wicket victory.

Mousley's last four Blast innings included scores of 68 and 60 not out, and youngster Bethell has made four half-centuries in 11 knocks this season.

Birmingham batters racked up 16 scores of 50 or more in their 14 North Group matches, so Gloucestershire's bowlers may struggle to contain them at a venue where runs have flowed freely this summer. 

Jack Taylor to be Gloucestershire top batter - 15/2

Gloucestershire will be hoping for big things from Australian opener Cameron Bancroft, whose 54-ball 87 powered them to a crucial win over Middlesex in their final South Group fixture.

However, skipper Taylor is arguably their most dangerous hitter and he should be backed to lead by example at Edgbaston.

Taylor slammed an unbeaten 80 from just 35 deliveries in their penultimate group match against Glamorgan at Cheltenham, hitting seven sixes and four fours in a brutal innings.

He has had limited time in the middle since then but cracked 139 not out off 115 balls in last month's One-Day Cup clash with Warwickshire and will be facing several of the same players on Friday.

Coming in at 43-4, the right-hander dragged his side to a total of 267, clearing the ropes eight times, and the Birmingham bowlers will be wary of Taylor's ball-striking ability.          

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Birmingham Bears v Gloucestershire odds

Birmingham Bears - 8/15
Gloucestershire - 6/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.