Match Preview - Gloucestershire v Somerset
22 August 2019
With both Clubs battling it out for a place in the knockout stages of the 2019 Vitality Blast, there will be much more than just bragging rights on the line when Gloucestershire take on local rivals Somerset.
Last Friday night’s matches, including the reverse fixture at Cooper Associates County Ground, were all called off due to heavy rainfall throughout the country meaning less room for error for those in the hunt for qualification.
Dawson noted the importance of the fixture:
“It’s a tight table with not many games left in the group stages so for both counties it’s an opportunity to solidify a place in the top four. It’s a local derby that everybody enjoys and there’s always a good atmosphere whether it’s played in Taunton or Bristol. With a lot riding on the game, it should be special.”
Gloucestershire will go into the game brimming with confidence after another Specsavers County Championship game went down to the wire with The Shire coming out on top. Ryan Higgins, Chris Dent and James Bracey all made centuries and helped the team to what ended up being a comfortable 263 run chase.
Their last Vitalty Blast match was victory against Hampshire at The Bristol County Ground led by Bracey, who made a T20 career best 64 and Chris Liddle who continued his fine form this season with three more wickets.
Gloucestershire’s 13-man squad to face Somerset:
Klinger, Hammond, Bracey, Cockbain, Higgins, J Taylor, van Buuren, Tye, Smith, Payne, Liddle, Dent, Shaw.
Loan signing Zak Chappell has been recalled by Nottinghamshire which means he will no longer be available to play for Gloucestershire.
Since 2015, Gloucestershire and Somerset have faced each other seven times in T20 competition. Gloucestershire have won six, Somerset have won one and one match was abandoned in 2017.
Somerset opening batsmen Babar Azam and Tom Banton have been in scintillating form in this year’s Vitality Blast topping the competition run scorers list with 434 and 396 respectively. Not allowing them to develop a partnership appears to be the best route to success against this Somerset team. In three of their four losses, either Banton or Azam have been out within the first ten balls they’ve face. Beyond their two stars, only Tom Abell has shown himself as a formidable force on a regular basis.
Bowling-wise, Somerset have four players in double figures for wickets taken; Waller, van der Merwe, Overton and Taylor. Their issue has not been taking wickets but allowing to many runs. Waller has been their best economical bowler but even he has allowed 7.57 runs per over.
Richard Dawson had this to say about Somerset’s team:
“We’ve watched a lot of footage and we look at what Somerset do and what individual players do, but we have our own way of playing and we can’t forget what we do well. We’ve won two of the last three completed T20 games away at Somerset so I’d be hoping that they will be asking questions about what we do."
Tomorrow’s match against Somerset is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm. Gates will open at 4:30pm. For more visitor information CLICK HERE
