Kent vs Nottinghamshire Preview – T20 Blast 2026 | Statz

Kent host Nottinghamshire at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury on Friday in the T20 Blast 2026. Both teams sit on 12 points from six matches and need wins to stay in contention for the quarter-finals. First ball is at 23:30 IST (19:00 BST) on 26 June. Full projections and match data are available on the Statz match page.

The Venue

The St Lawrence Ground has hosted 29 T20s since May 2022. The average first-innings score is 174.2, with an average match total of 329.8. Teams batting first have won just 38% of decided matches here, meaning chasing sides hold the edge. Pace bowlers take 68.1% of wickets at an economy of 9.06, while spinners are more economical at 7.98. The pitch is tagged as balanced. The highest total recorded is 228, with the lowest being 113.

Form and Table

Kent are 8th in the table with 12 points (P6 W3 L3). Their last five results read W W L L L – two defeats to Essex and Sussex in their most recent outings have stalled momentum. Key results:

• vs ESS – 184/9 vs 187/6 – Lost (09 Jun, away)
• vs SUS – 133/8 vs 135/3 – Lost (07 Jun, away)
• vs SUR – 118/2 vs 116/10 – Won (31 May, away)
• vs ESS – 129/9 vs 130/1 – Lost (29 May, home)
• vs SUS – 199/3 vs 197/6 – Won (25 May, home)

Nottinghamshire are 9th with 12 points (P6 W3 L3). They arrive on the back of three consecutive home wins against Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Durham, though their away record is concerning with two heavy defeats.

• vs DER – 183/6 vs 173/9 – Won (07 Jun, home)
• vs WAR – 143/7 vs 139/10 – Won (05 Jun, home)
• vs DUR – 157/4 vs 156/8 – Won (31 May, home)
• vs DER – 211/6 vs 234/4 – Lost (29 May, away)
• vs NOT – 169/9 vs 208/4 – Lost (25 May, away)

The top four currently stands as: 1st (24 pts, P6 W6), 2nd (20 pts, P6 W5), 3rd (20 pts, P6 W5), 4th (16 pts, P6 W4). Both Kent and Nottinghamshire sit outside the qualification places but remain in touch with eight group matches still to play.

Head-to-Head

Kent and Nottinghamshire have no T20 meetings in the Statz database. This will be their first T20 Blast encounter tracked on the platform, adding an element of uncertainty to predictions.

Statz Projections

The Statz projections make this a tight contest. If Kent bat first, they are projected to post 164.5 with a match total of 316.1 – Nottinghamshire are favoured at 52.5% to Kent’s 45.5%. If Nottinghamshire bat first, Kent are slight favourites at 53.5% to 44.5% with a projected first-innings total of 162.5 and match total of 314.2.

The P10-P90 range for match totals sits between 262-360 across both scenarios, below the venue average of 329.8. The toss could be significant given the venue’s 38% bat-first win rate.

Competition Season Leaders

Orange Cap – Top 5 Run Scorers (T20 Blast 2026):

1. Beau Webster – 288 runs (6 innings)
2. George Munsey – 251 runs (6 innings)
3. Jonny Bairstow – 250 runs (6 innings)
4. Chris Lynn – 245 runs (6 innings)
5. Martin Andersson – 237 runs (6 innings)

Purple Cap – Top 5 Wicket Takers (T20 Blast 2026):

1. Duan Jansen – 16 wickets (6 innings)
2. James Sales – 16 wickets (6 innings)
3. Adam Finch – 12 wickets (6 innings)
4. Scott Currie – 12 wickets (6 innings)
5. Mohammad Ali – 12 wickets (6 innings)

Kent season leaders: Sam Billings leads the runs with 224 at an average of 37.33 (HS 84). Matt Milnes is the top wicket-taker with 8 wickets in 6 matches.

Nottinghamshire season leaders: George Munsey tops the batting charts with 251 runs at 41.83 (HS 88) – second in the overall competition. Mohammad Ali has been outstanding with 12 wickets in 6 matches, joint-third in the Purple Cap standings.

Predicted XIs

Based on lineups from Kent’s match vs Essex on 09 Jun and Nottinghamshire’s match vs Derbyshire on 07 Jun. Check the fixture page for confirmed XIs after the toss.

Kent Predicted XI: Daniel Bell-Drummond, Harry Finch, Zak Crawley, Sam Billings (c)(wk), Chris Benjamin, Jake Lintott, Grant Stewart, Matt Milnes, Keith Dudgeon, Frederick Klaassen, Joe Denly, Jaydn Denly

Nottinghamshire Predicted XI: Joe Clarke (c), George Munsey, Jack Haynes, Freddie McCann, Tom Moores (wk), George Linde, Benny Howell, Liam Patterson-White, Olly Stone, Mohammad Ali, Dillon Pennington

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: Keith Dudgeon (KEN) – projected 88.8 Dream11 points. The pace bowler has taken a wicket in all three of his matches this season and chips in with lower-order runs.

Vice Captain: Mohammad Ali (NOT) – projected 85.6 Dream11 points. The tournament’s joint-third highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps in 6 matches at a 100% hit rate for 1+ wickets.

Other picks to consider:

• Matt Milnes (KEN) – 75.8 pts
• Benny Howell (NOT) – 72.4 pts
• Frederick Klaassen (KEN) – 71.2 pts

Key Players

George Munsey (NOT): The competition’s second-highest run scorer with 251 runs at 41.83. His 20+ runs hit rate is 83.3% this season and 80% in his last five innings. He scored 88 in his most recent outing against Derbyshire. Munsey could be a strong bet builder pick for over 20.5 runs.

Sam Billings (KEN): Kent’s leading run scorer with 224 runs at 37.33 including a high score of 84. His 20+ runs hit rate is 66.7% this season. As captain and wicketkeeper, he offers multi-point scoring potential in Dream11.

Mohammad Ali (NOT): The standout bowler in this fixture with 12 wickets in 6 matches. His 1+ wicket hit rate is a perfect 100% this season, and he has taken 2+ wickets in 66.7% of matches. A banker for the over 0.5 wickets market.

Matt Milnes (KEN): Kent’s leading wicket-taker with 8 scalps in 6 matches at an 83.3% hit rate for 1+ wickets. His pace will test the Nottinghamshire middle order.

Conditions

Clear skies and 32 degrees in Canterbury with light winds at 4.6 km/h and 41% humidity – perfect conditions for an uninterrupted evening of cricket.

Verdict and Betting Angles

This is a close contest between two teams on identical records. Nottinghamshire’s three-match winning streak and superior run scoring (averaging 171.7 this season vs Kent’s 161.8) give them a slight edge, and the bookmakers agree – Nottinghamshire are 1.76 on Bet365 with Kent at 1.96. Statz projections back Nottinghamshire at 52.5% if Kent bat first. With the venue favouring chasing sides (38% bat-first win rate), winning the toss could prove decisive.

Bet builder angles (check live odds on Statz Bet Builder):

• George Munsey over 20.5 runs – 83.3% season hit rate for 20+ runs
• Mohammad Ali 1+ wickets – 100% season hit rate
• Sam Billings over 19.5 runs – 66.7% season hit rate for 20+ runs
• Keith Dudgeon 1+ wickets – 100% season hit rate (3 matches)