South Group rivals Sussex Sharks and Middlesex meet in a T20 Blast showdown at Hove on Saturday night with the home county firm favourites.
The Sharks are a 1/2 chance despite a less-than-perfect start to the season, a price that says as much about Middlesex.
The Lord's team have suffered two poor losses so far and probably fear the worst against a Sharks team who they have not beaten in this format since 2021.
Sussex Sharks v Middlesex Tips Summary
Best Bet - Sussex Opening Partnership Over 22.5 Runs @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Sussex Over 6.5 Sixes @ 8/11
Bet Builder - Sussex To Win, Sussex to Make Highest 6 Overs Score, James Coles 1+ Wicket, Noah Cornwell 1+ Wicket @ 11/2
Sussex Sharks v Middlesex Prediction
Best Bet: Sussex Opening Partnership Over 22.5 Runs @ 10/11
Sussex's openers, Dan Hughes and Tom Clark, have hit the ground running this season and should be taken to get their side off to a flier against Middlesex.
Hughes and Clark smashed 35 off 17 balls against Essex before the latter fell for 12.
And the two men trumped that, smashing 98 off seven overs in a loss to Kent before Clark was the first to go after an astonishing 29-ball 79.
Middlesex's bowling attack is not the sharpest and on a Hove shirtfront the Sussex top two can fill their boots.
Alternative Bet: Sussex Over 6.5 Sixes @ 8/11
Sussex know where the Hove ropes are better than anyone and they can be backed to clear them at least seven times on Saturday.
The Sharks between them clattered 11 sixes against Essex and added another eight against Kent.
Sussex Sharks v Middlesex Bet Builder Tip
- Sussex To Win
- Sussex to Make Highest 6 Overs Score
- James Coles 1+ Wicket
- Noah Cornwell 1+ Wicket
Pays 11/2
Middlesex have lost both their T20 Blast games over the past week and four in a row against Sussex.
Make a Sharks win the first leg of your Hove Bet Builder.
Sussex's two opening powerplays so far have yielded 79 and 92 runs, explosions that Middlesex simply cannot match. They have thus far managed 65 and 39 runs in their first two six-over powerplays.
Again, take the Sharks to boss a first six overs matchbet before adding a couple of bowlers into the Bet Builder.
For Sussex, you have to fancy all-rounder James Coles gets a wicket - he took two against Essex.
For Middlesex, Noah Cornwell has struck in all four T20 games played this spring so can keep that run going.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
- Sussex are on two points after two games in the South Group while Middlesex are on nought
- Middlesex have lost their last five T20 Blast matches, three at the back end of last term and both games so far this season
- Sussex have won their last four T20 Blast fixtures against Middlesex
- Middlesex seamer Noah Cornwell has played four T20 matches in 2026 - two in the Blast, two for Middlesex II - and taken at least a wicket in each of them
- Sussex all-rounder James Coles was his county's top runscorer last season with 397 runs
- Middlesex paceman Tom Helm, his side's leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets last summer, has struck in both games this season with figures of 1-34 and 2-24
Tactics, Form and Team News
Sussex have won one and lost one so far, beating Essex by six wickets at Chelmsford before succumbing to Kent by seven wickets at Canterbury.
Seamer Henry Crocombe is away with the England Lions.
Predicted Sussex Sharks XI: Hughes, Clark, Coles, Simpson (wkt), Alsop, Leaning, Lamb, Hudson-Prentice, Briggs, Mills, Currie.
Middlesex have played two, lost two, beaten by 27 runs by Kent and six wickets by Surrey.
They are once again without Ben Geddes and Naavya Sharma, who are on England Lions duty. They hope to give New Zealand left-hander Matt Boyle a debut after a registration delay.
Predicted Middlesex XI: Holden, Rossington (wkt), Boyle, Du Plooy (cap), Falconer, Higgins, Holman, Bosch, Helm, Gohar, Cornwell.
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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.
