Worcestershire vs Warwickshire Preview – T20 Blast 2026 | Statz

28th May 2026

Worcestershire host Warwickshire at New Road on Thursday in a T20 Blast 2026 derby between two sides searching for consistency in the early weeks of the campaign.

First ball is at 22:00 IST (17:30 BST) on 29 May 2026. Worcestershire sit 12th in the table (P2 W1 L1, 4 pts) after a mixed start, while Warwickshire are 15th (P2 W0 L2, 0 pts) and desperately need to get off the mark. For full fixture data, head to the Statz match page.

The Venue – New Road, Worcester

New Road has hosted 17 T20s since 2022 and is tagged as a balanced pitch by Statz. The average first-innings score is 176.1, with a bat-first win rate of 56%. Pace bowlers go at 8.97 an over versus 7.79 for spin – so spinners do have value here, but it is not a turning minefield.

The most recent T20 at this ground saw Northamptonshire post 191/10 before bowling Worcestershire out for just 91 on 24 May 2026 – a 100-run hammering that will still sting the hosts. Highest total here is 217, lowest is 139, so there is range in conditions.

Form and Table

Worcestershire (12th – P2 W1 L1, 4 pts)

A tale of two matches. The win over Leicestershire was comprehensive, but being bowled out for 91 against Northamptonshire at home is alarming. They will want a response on their own patch.

Warwickshire (15th – P2 W0 L2, 0 pts)

Two defeats and no points. Being bowled out for 74 against Gloucestershire is the headline, though the Somerset loss was tighter – 189/5 just was not enough in a chase. Warwickshire need a win badly here.

At the top of the table, seven teams share first place on 8 points from two wins, including Northamptonshire, Hampshire, Durham, Somerset, Yorkshire, Surrey and Gloucestershire.

Head-to-Head

These two have met 8 times since 2022 (Statz data), and Warwickshire dominate the record 6-2. The last meeting was on 11 July 2025 at New Road, where Warwickshire won by 23 runs (176/10 vs 153/10).

Worcestershire’s only win came at Edgbaston in July 2024, a 55-run demolition where they posted 187/6 and bowled Warwickshire out for 132. At New Road specifically, Worcestershire have won 8 and lost 8 from 18 T20s (2 NR), while Warwickshire have just one visit here in recent data – a loss.

Statz Projections

In the batting-first scenario (Worcestershire bat first), Statz projections give this as a coin-flip: Worcestershire 49%, Warwickshire 49%, tie/no result 2%.

The projected first-innings total is 178.5 – almost bang in line with the venue average of 176.1. The projected match total is 345.9, slightly above the venue context average of 334. Expect a competitive total if conditions hold.

Competition Season Leaders

Orange Cap – Top Run Scorers (T20 Blast 2026)

  1. Martin Andersson (Derbyshire) – 156 runs (3 inns)
  2. James Rew (Somerset) – 140 runs (2 inns)
  3. Matthew Montgomery (Derbyshire) – 137 runs (3 inns)
  4. Sam Billings (Surrey) – 112 runs (2 inns)
  5. Zak Crawley (Surrey) – 111 runs (2 inns)

Purple Cap – Top Wicket Takers (T20 Blast 2026)

  1. Jack Morley (Derbyshire) – 8 wkts (3 inns)
  2. Duan Jansen (Yorkshire) – 7 wkts (2 inns)
  3. Fazalhaq Farooqi (Kent) – 6 wkts (2 inns)
  4. Martin Andersson (Derbyshire) – 6 wkts (3 inns)
  5. Scott Currie (Essex) – 6 wkts (2 inns)

Worcestershire Season Leaders: Kashif Ali leads the runs (66 at avg 33, HS 38), while Adam Finch tops the wickets (5 at avg 2.5, best 3).

Warwickshire Season Leaders: Sam Hain leads with the bat (61 at avg 30.5, HS 52), while Tazeem Ali has 4 wickets (avg 2, best 4).

Predicted XIs

Based on the most recent confirmed lineups from Statz.

Worcestershire (based on XI vs Northamptonshire, 24 May 2026): Isaac Mohammed, Brett D’Oliveira, Kashif Ali, Adam Hose, Ethan Brookes, Sikandar Raza, Gareth Roderick (wk), Matthew Waite, Usama Mir, Tom Taylor, Adam Finch

Warwickshire (based on XI vs Somerset, 24 May 2026): Alex Davies (wk), Robert Yates, Beau Webster, Sam Hain, Ed Barnard, Vansh Jani, Chris Woakes, Jordan Thompson, Tazeem Ali, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Usman Tariq

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Based on projected Dream11 points from Statz (in-recent-XI players only, batting-first scenario):

Captain: Tom Taylor – 90 projected D11 pts. The Worcestershire all-rounder is projected for 1.53 wickets and handy lower-order runs at a strike rate of 115.2.

Vice Captain: Jordan Thompson – 87.4 projected D11 pts. Warwickshire’s all-rounder offers dual value with projected runs of 14 at SR 158.3 plus 1.32 projected wickets.

Also consider:

Key Players

Tom Taylor (Worcestershire) – The seam-bowling all-rounder tops the Dream11 projections for good reason. He has taken 7 wickets in 3 H2H meetings against Warwickshire and projects for 1.53 wickets here. At a venue where pace goes at 8.97 an over, his accuracy at the death could be decisive.

Sikandar Raza (Worcestershire) – The Zimbabwe international brings experience and versatility. Projected for 19.1 runs at SR 138.3 plus 0.7 wickets with his off-spin, Raza is the kind of player who can swing a T20 in a single over. He has 43 runs in two innings this Blast at avg 21.5.

Jordan Thompson (Warwickshire) – The all-rounder projects as Warwickshire’s most valuable asset with 87.4 Dream11 points. His dual threat of 14 projected runs at SR 158.3 and 1.32 projected wickets makes him the visitor’s key man in this derby.

Sam Hain (Warwickshire) – Warwickshire’s leading run scorer this season (61 runs at avg 30.5 with a high of 52) and their most experienced T20 batter. He also has 217 runs across 6 H2H meetings against Worcestershire. If Warwickshire are to chase successfully, Hain is likely at the centre of it.

Conditions

Forecast for match time shows 23°C with fair skies, 29% cloud cover and just 3.4 m/s of wind. Humidity at 42% and zero precipitation expected. Perfect conditions for cricket – no weather interruptions anticipated. The dry conditions should suit batting, though the evening dew could be a minor factor for the team bowling second.

Verdict and Betting Angles

Statz projects this as a genuine 50-50 contest, and the market agrees – bet365 have Worcestershire at 1.68 and Warwickshire at 2.05. The home advantage and the 56% bat-first win rate at New Road tip the scales slightly towards Worcestershire, despite their recent 91 all out. That was an aberration against a quality Northamptonshire attack, and Worcestershire’s home record here (8W 8L) is solid enough.

Warwickshire at 2.05 is not without appeal – they have the better H2H record (6-2) and the deeper squad on paper with Woakes, Webster and Thompson. But two defeats including being bowled out for 74 is poor momentum.

Pick: Worcestershire at home, marginal edge.

Bet Builder Angles (explore more at the Statz Bet Builder):