Worcestershire vs Kent Preview – T20 Blast 2026 | Statz
2nd July 2026
Worcestershire welcome Kent to New Road on Friday evening in a T20 Blast 2026 clash with major quarter-final implications. Both sides are locked on 16 points from eight matches – Kent 8th and Worcestershire 10th in a congested table where five teams share the same points tally between 7th and 11th. First ball is at 22:00 IST (17:30 BST). Check out the full match data on the Worcestershire vs Kent fixture page.
The Venue – New Road
New Road has been a reliable batting ground in T20 cricket. Across 19 matches since 2022, the average first-innings score is 174.4 with an overall match average of 321.9 runs. Batting first wins 56% of decided matches here, giving a meaningful toss advantage.
Pace bowlers claim 66.4% of wickets but go at 8.86 per over, while spinners are more economical at 7.74 and account for 31.6% of scalps. The pitch is tagged as a balanced surface. In the most recent T20 here, Worcestershire posted 180/5 and restricted Somerset to 144/9 for a comfortable 36-run win on 28 June.
Form and Table
Worcestershire sit 10th with 16 points from 8 matches (W4 L4). Their last five results show a streaky run – WLLLW.
- Beat Somerset by 36 runs – WOR 180/5 vs SOM 144/9 (28 Jun, home)
- Lost to Warwickshire – WOR 165/7 vs WAR 224/10 (26 Jun, away)
- Lost to Northamptonshire – WOR 154/5 vs NOR 162/4 (9 Jun, away)
- Lost to Gloucestershire – WOR 145/10 vs GLO 148/7 (7 Jun, away)
- Beat Glamorgan by 27 runs – WOR 168/8 vs GLA 141/10 (5 Jun, home)
Kent sit 8th on 16 points from 8 matches (W4 L4). Remarkably, their last five tell the same story – WLLLW.
- Beat Hampshire by 7 wickets – KEN 177/3 vs HAM 176/6 (28 Jun, home)
- Lost to Nottinghamshire – KEN 184/7 vs NOT 187/6 (26 Jun, home)
- Lost to Essex – KEN 184/9 vs ESS 187/6 (9 Jun, away)
- Lost to Sussex by 7 wickets – KEN 133/8 vs SUS 135/3 (7 Jun, away)
- Beat Surrey by 8 wickets – KEN 118/2 vs SUR 116/10 (31 May, away)
T20 Blast 2026 Standings (top 4 and both teams):
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northamptonshire | 8 | 8 | 0 | 32 |
| 2 | Hampshire | 8 | 6 | 2 | 24 |
| 3 | Surrey | 8 | 5 | 3 | 20 |
| 4 | Gloucestershire | 8 | 5 | 3 | 20 |
| … | |||||
| 8 | Kent | 8 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| 10 | Worcestershire | 8 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
The top eight qualify for the quarter-finals. Both teams have six group matches remaining and sit right on the qualifying bubble. A win here could prove decisive in the shake-up between 7th and 11th.
Head-to-Head
There are no T20 meetings between Worcestershire and Kent in the Statz database, making this a fresh head-to-head encounter with no prior data to draw on.
Worcestershire do have an established record at New Road, with 10 wins and 8 losses from 20 T20 matches since 2021. Brett D’Oliveira is the venue’s all-time leading run scorer with 607 T20 runs, while Tom Taylor leads the wicket column with 13. Kent have no recorded T20 matches at this ground in the Statz data.
Statz Projections
The Statz model favours Worcestershire regardless of the toss outcome. In the batting-first scenario, Worcestershire hold a 54.3% win probability against Kent’s 43.7%. If Kent bat first, Worcestershire are still projected at 52.9%.
Worcestershire bat first:
- Projected 1st innings total: 177.6 (P10: 149 | P90: 206)
- Projected match total: 339.4 (P10: 286 | P90: 388)
Kent bat first:
- Projected 1st innings total: 172.6 (P10: 137 | P90: 204)
- Projected match total: 334.9 (P10: 273 | P90: 387)
Both projected match totals sit above the New Road venue average of 321.9 runs. The projected first innings of 177.6 for Worcestershire batting first aligns closely with the venue average of 174.4. Expect a competitive, high-scoring match with plenty of runs on offer. View the full projections breakdown.
Competition Season Leaders
Leading Run Scorers – T20 Blast 2026:
- Beau Webster (Warwickshire) – 427 runs in 8 innings
- George Munsey (Nottinghamshire) – 408 runs in 8 innings
- James Rew (Somerset) – 342 runs in 6 innings
- Sam Billings (Kent) – 338 runs in 8 innings
- Chris Lynn (Northamptonshire) – 320 runs in 7 innings
Leading Wicket-Takers – T20 Blast 2026:
- James Sales (Northamptonshire) – 18 wickets in 8 innings
- Mohammad Ali (Nottinghamshire) – 17 wickets in 8 innings
- Reece Topley (Surrey) – 16 wickets in 8 innings
- Duan Jansen (Gloucestershire) – 16 wickets in 6 innings
- Hasan Ali (Lancashire) – 15 wickets in 7 innings
Kent’s Sam Billings sits 4th in the overall run charts and is the standout batter in this fixture.
Worcestershire Season Leaders:
- Runs: Sikandar Raza – 215 runs, avg 26.88, HS 47 (8 matches) | Adam Hose – 174 runs, avg 21.75, HS 50 (8 matches)
- Wickets: Matthew Waite – 13 wickets, best 3 (8 matches) | Usama Mir – 12 wickets, best 3 (8 matches)
Kent Season Leaders:
- Runs: Sam Billings – 338 runs, avg 42.25, HS 84 (8 matches) | Zak Crawley – 172 runs, avg 21.50, HS 75 (8 matches)
- Wickets: Matt Milnes – 11 wickets, best 3 (8 matches) | Keith Dudgeon – 6 wickets, best 2 (8 matches)
Predicted XIs
Worcestershire (based on XI vs Somerset, 28 Jun 2026):
- Kashif Ali
- Isaac Mohammed
- Gareth Roderick (WK)
- Adam Hose (C)
- Sikandar Raza
- Brett D’Oliveira
- Henry Cullen
- Matthew Waite
- Usama Mir
- Tom Taylor
- Ben Allison
Kent (based on XI vs Hampshire, 28 Jun 2026):
- Harry Finch
- Daniel Bell-Drummond
- Zak Crawley
- Sam Billings (C, WK)
- Chris Benjamin
- Joe Denly
- Grant Stewart
- Jake Lintott
- Keith Dudgeon
- Matt Milnes
- Frederick Klaassen
These predicted XIs are based on the most recent match lineups. Check the fixture page closer to the toss for confirmed teams.
Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain
Projected Dream11 points for players in the predicted XI (averaged across both batting scenarios):
Captain: Sikandar Raza – 90.8 projected Dream11 points. The Worcestershire all-rounder’s dual contribution with bat and ball makes him the standout pick. Projected for around 23 runs with the bat and useful overs of off-spin.
Vice Captain: Tom Taylor – 88.4 projected Dream11 points. The experienced seamer is projected for 1.47 wickets at an economy of 8.25, plus handy lower-order contributions.
Also consider:
- Matthew Waite – 84.9 points (projected 1.45 wickets plus lower-order runs)
- Grant Stewart – 78.5 points (all-rounder value with bat and ball)
- Matt Milnes – 76.6 points (Kent’s leading wicket-taker, projected 1.35 wickets)
Key Players
Sam Billings (Kent) – The Kent captain is in sensational form with 338 runs at 42.25 this season, placing him 4th in the overall competition run charts. His last three scores read 62, 64 and 50. Billings has scored 20+ runs in 75% of his T20 Blast innings this season and 30+ in 62.5%. He is the most reliable batting option in this fixture and a strong pick on the Statz Bet Builder.
Sikandar Raza (Worcestershire) – The experienced Zimbabwean all-rounder leads Worcestershire’s run charts with 215 runs at 26.88 and chips in with the ball too. His 20+ run hit rate sits at 62.5% this season and he takes 1+ wickets in 50% of matches. Last three scores of 36, 12 and 42 show solid consistency. The dual contribution makes him a genuine match-winner at both ends.
Matthew Waite (Worcestershire) – Worcestershire’s leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps in 8 matches. Waite has taken 1+ wickets in a remarkable 85.7% of his T20 Blast innings this season and 2+ in 71.4%. He has been one of the most consistent wicket-taking threats in the entire competition. Last three wicket hauls: 2, 2 and 3.
Usama Mir (Worcestershire) – The Pakistani leg-spinner provides the spin-bowling threat at a ground where spinners go at just 7.74 per over. Mir has 12 wickets in 8 matches and takes 1+ wickets in 87.5% of his T20 Blast outings. At a venue that rewards economical spin, he could be decisive.
Conditions
Partly cloudy skies with 24 degrees expected at the start, 39% humidity and no rain forecast – ideal conditions for an uninterrupted T20 match at New Road.
Verdict and Betting Angles
The Statz model backs Worcestershire at 54.3%, and so do we. Home advantage at New Road is significant – 56% bat-first win rate and a ground where they have won 10 of 20 T20s since 2021. Their bowling attack is deeper and more consistent than Kent’s, with Waite, Usama Mir, Tom Taylor and Ben Allison all offering wicket-taking options. Kent’s batting relies heavily on Sam Billings, and while he has been superb, the lack of consistent support from the rest of the lineup is a concern. Worcestershire at 1.68 with bet365 look fair value.
Betting angles via the Statz Bet Builder:
- Sam Billings 20+ runs – 75% season hit rate. Even in a losing Kent side, Billings keeps scoring. Hard to oppose at this rate.
- Matthew Waite 1+ wicket – 85.7% season hit rate. Worcestershire’s most reliable wicket-taker has delivered in nearly every match.
- Usama Mir 1+ wicket – 87.5% season hit rate. The leg-spinner has been phenomenally consistent and operates at the venue’s most economical bowling type.
- Match total over 320 – Both Statz projections land between 335 and 339, well above the New Road venue average of 321.9. Runs are expected.