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Glos v Somerset | Match Preview

1 July 2021

The first West Country Derby in the season’s Vitality Blast comes with just five group matches to play and plenty riding on the outcome.

Gloucestershire could regain top spot in the Vitality Blast South Group with a win over Somerset at the Bristol County Ground. A win would also open up a four-point gap between The Shire and the fifth placed team, meaning just two wins from the final four games would all but secure a place in the quarterfinal.

Somerset, on the other hand, looked set to be the in-form team in the group destined to finish in the top four before Simon Harmer and Essex put an end to their win streak on Tuesday.  

Gloucestershire v Somerset | Live on the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE | 6:30pm Start

Ian Harvey’s side, who began the season with two losses in the opening three fixtures, have not lost a match since and are on a four-game win streak of their own.

Led by overseas star Glenn Phillips, Gloucestershire smashed their way to victory against Kent Spitfires and Glamorgan in Bristol last week and have shown grit and determination to come away from Hove with two points.

Phillips has struck two consecutive unbeaten 94s propelling him to the top of Gloucestershire’s stat lines in runs, batting average and strike rate. Benny Howell has shown his ability to bat at number three in the absence of Ian Cockbain, making an unbeaten 53 against Glamorgan whilst Jack Taylor played a captain’s knock alongside Phillips to drag Gloucestershire from 35/4 to 159/5 against the Sharks.

Ian Cockbain will be on the sidelines for the time being after suffering ligament damage in his ankle following an accidental collision with Kent bowler Qais Ahmad. He has already begun a rehabilitation programme.

David Payne, who made his 100th T20 appearance for the Club against Sussex took 2/25 in his four over allocation, starting with a wicket-maiden in his first over of the match.

Benny Howell returned to his miserly best on the south coast, giving up just 15 runs against a Sussex line-up that normally has no trouble amassing big totals. He took the wicket of experienced opener Luke Wright before cleaning up the dangerous middle order of Wiese, Rawlins and Garton.

Gloucestershire's 14-man squad:

Somerset’s T20 talisman Tom Banton will miss tonight’s match having been called up to England ODI squad. Gloucestershire’s bowlers will be glad they don’t have to deal with the 22-year-old opener who recently struck a 47-ball hundred as Somerset crushed Kent by ten wickets.

The visitors will also be without Tom Abell and Roelof van der Merwe but welcome back James Hildreth who returns following a hip injury. Aside from Banton, Hildreth has been the county’s top scorer in this year’s Blast averaging 43 opening the batting.

Another in-form New Zealander, Devon Conway, will likely open the batting alongside the wiley veteran. Conway has made two half-centuries in his last two outings for Somerset after dazzling for his country in Test matches against England and India.

South African Marchant de Lange has bowled the most overs for tonight’s opponents and has taken the most wickets (nine) at a strike rate of 15.3. Josh Davey has taken eight wickets at a rate of 11.1 and Jack Leach, who could feature against The Shire this evening, has only been involved in one T20 match this season but was able to take 3/28 against Surrey.

Somerset’s 14-man squad for tonight’s match:

Lewis Gregory (c), George Bartlett, Jack Brooks, Eddie Byrom, Devon Conway, Marchant de Lange, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, James Hildreth, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Will Smeed and Max Waller.

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