Warwickshire Bears host Sussex Sharks in the 69th Match of the Vitality Blast 2026 at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Wednesday, July 1 at 11:30 PM IST (7:00 PM local).
Warwickshire have found MOMENTUM with back-to-back wins after FIVE consecutive losses. Beau Webster is the LEADING run-scorer in the entire Blast (367 runs in 7 games, avg 52.42, SR 152.28, 1 hundred + 2 fifties).
Sussex sit 5th in the South Group with just 2 wins from 7 and are in TROUBLE. Daniel Hughes and Harrison Ward have batted well for Sussex but inconsistency has cost them.
Edgbaston has been a BATTING PARADISE this season with an average 1st innings score of 207. This is a cross-group fixture with BOTH teams needing a win to push for quarter-final qualification.
Warwickshire vs Sussex Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Warwickshire Bears vs Sussex Sharks, 69th Match (Cross-Group) |
| Series | Vitality Blast 2026 (24th edition). WAS: Central Group (2 wins in a row after 5 losses). SUS: South Group (2 wins from 7, 5th). |
| Date | Wednesday, 1 July 2026 (Evening) |
| Time | 11:30 PM IST / 7:00 PM local (BST); toss 30 minutes earlier |
| Venue | Edgbaston, Birmingham. Home of T20 cricket in England. Avg 1st innings score 207 this season! |
| Format | 20 overs per side |
| Captains | Warwickshire (TBC), Sussex (TBC) |
| Form | WAS: Won 2 in a row after 5 consecutive losses. Webster 367 runs (BLAST LEADING, avg 52.42, SR 152.28, 100+2×50). Usman Tariq leading bowler. Woakes adds pace. Bethell UNAVAILABLE (with England). SUS: 2 wins from 7. 5th in South Group. Hughes + Ward key batters. Mills impressive bowling. Struggling for consistency. Archer may not be available (England squad). |
Dream11 Team For WAS vs SUS, 69th Match
Top Picks for WAS vs SUS, 69th Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Hughes | SUS | Captain / Batter | Captain pick. SUS’s consistent batter. Australian. Anchor role. At 2x on Edgbaston (avg 207). Must-pick. |
| Beau Webster | WAS | VC / AR | Vice-Captain pick. 367 runs, BLAST LEADING. Avg 52.42, SR 152.28. 100+2×50. Medium pace + batting. At 1.5x. BEST batter in the tournament. |
| Chris Woakes | WAS | All-Rounder | England international. Pace AR. Bowling + lower-order batting at HOME ground Edgbaston. Two-way points. Experienced. |
| Tymal Mills | SUS | Bowler | SUS’s leading pace bowler. Express pace. T20 specialist. Impressive figures this Blast. Key SUS wicket-taker. |
| Dan Mousley | WAS | All-Rounder | WAS young AR. Batting + off-spin. Knows Edgbaston conditions. Home advantage. Two-way points. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Edgbaston, Birmingham. Home of T20 Finals Day. 14th consecutive year hosting Finals Day. |
| Pitch Type | BATTING PARADISE. Excellent batting wicket with even bounce and good pace. Short boundaries. Once batters settle, stroke-making is easy. Some movement for seamers with the new ball early. |
| Avg 1st Innings Score | 207 this season! Highest average of any Blast venue. 165–180 is the MINIMUM competitive total. 200+ is achievable. The chasing team won 53% of games here. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE: Avg 22.96, eco 8.79, wkt every 15.6 balls. SPIN: Avg 24.46, eco 8.29, wkt every 17.7 balls. Pace has a slight edge. Woakes + Unadkat + Mills + Gleeson all effective. Spinners (Lintott, Tariq) control middle overs. |
| Toss Factor | Bowl first PREFERRED. The chasing team won 53%. Seam movement early. Batting conditions ease later. Both captains will bowl first. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 17–21°C (63–70°F). Pleasant Birmingham evening. |
| Sky | Light cloud cover. Overcast periods possible. |
| Rain Chance | Low. Small chance of brief showers but full match expected. |
| Humidity | Moderate. Cloud cover may assist swing bowlers early. |
| Overall | Good conditions for evening T20 cricket. Full match expected. Overcast skies may help seamers in the powerplay. |
WAS vs SUS 69th Match Toss Prediction
The chasing team has won 53% of matches at Edgbaston this season. Seam movement early. The toss winner will bowl first and chase under lights.
If Warwickshire win, they bowl first. Deploy Woakes (England international) + Unadkat (Indian left-arm swing) with the new ball against Hughes + Ward under overcast Edgbaston skies. Then Lintott (left-arm wrist-spin) + Tariq (off-spin) through the middle overs. Restrict Sussex below 175. Then Webster (367 runs, BLAST LEADING) + Zen Malik + Mousley chase at HOME on a batting paradise.
If Sussex win, they bowl first. Deploy Mills (express pace) + Gleeson with the new ball against Webster + WAS openers. Then Coles + spin options through the middle overs. Restrict Warwickshire below 180. Then Hughes + Ward + Simpson chase at Edgbaston where avg 1st innings score is 207. Sussex need their batting to click.
Injury and Team News
Warwickshire Bears:
Back-to-back WINS after 5 consecutive losses. Webster is the LEADING run-scorer in the entire Blast (367 runs, avg 52.42, SR 152.28, 1 hundred + 2 fifties). Jacob Bethell is UNAVAILABLE (with England for the IND T20I series).
Usman Tariq leads the bowling attack with economical off-spin. Chris Woakes adds international quality with pace + batting. Jaydev Unadkat (Indian left-arm pacer) provides swing. Jake Lintott’s left-arm wrist-spin is a unique weapon.
Sussex Sharks:
2 wins from 7 matches. 5th in South Group. STRUGGLING. Daniel Hughes has been their most consistent batter alongside Harrison Ward’s explosive opening. Tymal Mills has been impressive with the ball (T20 specialist, express pace).
Richard Gleeson adds pace depth. Jofra Archer may NOT be available (in England’s T20I squad, rested from 1st T20I but could be released). Jack Coles provides all-round value with batting + pace. Sussex have shown flashes but need CONSISTENCY to push for qualification.
