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Gloucestershire v Somerset match preview: Klinger v Gayle

17 June 2016

More than 11,000 people will pack into the Brightside Ground, Bristol for tonight’s NatWest T20 Blast derby game with Somerset.

Gloucestershire are currently fourth in the table with three wins from five matches while the visitors are sixth with two wins, two losses and one game abandoned.

And while the rivalry is as old as the clubs themselves, each year brings a fresh battle on the pitch.

For many of the fans attending tonight’s game the big match-up is Somerset’s self-styled “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle – on Cider Derby debut - versus Gloucestershire’s talismanic skipper Michael Klinger.

Two undoubted masters of their craft the two batsmen will be looking to light up the Brightside Ground in their own very different ways.

Home favourite Klinger is the understated, cool thinking, master technician whereas Gayle is pure showmanship, swagger and sixes.

In terms of their numbers, on the face of it few can compare to Somerset’s West Indian hero with nearly  10,000 career runs in domestic T20 leagues at an average of over 40 and a colossal 666 sixes .

He also holds the records for joint-fastest T20 50 (12 balls) and highest individual score (175*).

But in recent years there have been few more consistent run scorers than Gloucestershire and Perth Scorchers’ Michael Klinger.

He holds the record for the most Big Bash League runs (1230) and was MVP in last year’s NatWest T20 Blast with 651 runs at 81.7.

And on current form he is the player to watch after scoring 78 v Essex in the T20 Blast and making an unbeaten 166 v Hampshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup a few days earlier.

Gayle has managed 85 runs at 28.3 so far this season for Somerset whereas Klinger has 152 at 38.

However individual performance and numbers only tell so much, when it comes to the West Country derby it is all about being on the winning side.

Will that be Klinger or Gayle? With thousands of Glos fans set to get behind their captain, the quiet man of T20 cricket may just upstage one of its most colourful, head-line grabbing characters.

Let battle commence!

Gloucestershire Squad: Klinger (c), Marshall, Cockbain, Dent, Howell, Noema-Barnett, Roderick (w), J Taylor, Smith, Van Buuren, Tye, Miles, Norwell, M Taylor

Somerset Squad: Allenby (c), Chris Gayle, Trego, Jayawardene, Myburgh, Hildreth, van der Merwe, Gregory, C Overton, J Overton, Waller, Groenewald, Davies (w), Arafat

What They Say

Speaking to Somerset’s official website, director of cricket Matt Maynard said: “Gloucestershire are a tough side and a number of their batsmen are in good form with Michael Klinger coming back with 160 not out in the week.

“They are a well-drilled unit and we are going to have to be on top of our game.

Pete Trego added: “Somerset v Glouestershire in the NatWest T20 Blast is always one of the first fixtures I look for.

“Going to Bristol you know that there is going to be a very big, nosy crowd and there is that extra little bit of edge to things.”

“It is always exciting to play in front of a full house at Bristol and this year it’s under lights so it should be fantastic.”

Last Time We Met (NatWest T20 Blast)

June 19 2015, The Brightside Ground, Bristol

Gloucestershire 165-8 (20 overs) (Klinger 44, Gregory 2-37)

Somerset 166-5 (19.4 overs) (Myburgh 63, Smith 2-23)

Somerset won by 5 wickets

July 3 2015, The County Ground, Taunton

Somerset 174-6 (20 overs) (Ronchi 49, Howell 2-34)

Gloucestershire 178-2 (19.2 overs) (Marshall 93, J Overton 1-35)

Gloucestershire won by 8 wickets

 Opta Facts

• Five of the last six meetings between these counties have been won by Somerset (L1).
• Gloucestershire have only been able to win once in their last seven attempts at home to Somerset (L6).
• Gloucestershire are without a win in five matches in Bristol (L5), having won five in a row prior to that.
• Lewis Gregory (Somerset) took his best ever innings figures (4/15) versus Gloucestershire in 2011.

Head-to-Head

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