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Match Preview - Somerset v Gloucestershire

15 August 2019

Gloucestershire travel south to Taunton to take on Somerset in what will be the first of two crucial derby matches that could well decide each teams Vitality Blast fate.

With both teams in form and battling for a playoff berth, Friday night’s matchup at Cooper Associates County Ground will have much more on the line than bragging rights.

Richard Dawson’s men have won three of their last four games in the competition, beating Kent, Surrey and Hampshire to lift themselves back into the top four in the South Group. Somerset, who are on the tails of The Shire with a game in hand, have been in similar form having won four of their last five games to recover from a poor start to the competition.

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 its 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.”

The Shire are coming into the game off the back of a comfortable victory over Hampshire at The Bristol County Ground in which James Bracey made a career best 64 in a Player of the Match performance. Chris Liddle continued his form in the Vitality Blast adding three more wickets to his total, bringing him to nine for the season and 97 career wickets in T20 competition.

Loan signing Zak Chappell looked sharp in his first game in a Gloucestershire shirt, taking the first of Hampshire’s wickets to stem the flow of early runs.

Dawson was quick to praise Zak after joining the Club just two days ago:

 “He’s fit in beautifully around the lads on such short notice. I thought he showed excellent skill and finished very well against Hampshire. It’s only been two days but it’s been great to have him on board helping us out.

Our derby with Somerset is one of the biggest and it’s well known for having a great atmosphere but I know Zak has played in some big games as well. It will be a terrific experience for the young guys who are going to get their first taste of the derby.”

Gloucestershire’s 13-man squad to face Somerset:

Klinger, Hammond, Bracey, Cockbain, Higgins, J Taylor, Chappell, Tye, Smith, Payne, Liddle, Dent, van Buuren.

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.

They’ve got a few very good players in very good form. Their opening batsmen have laid a platform for their team to make big scores. From a bowling point of view, they have some good wicket-takers with pace. They’re a very good one-day side, they had success in the 50-over competition so I don’t think we can single out just one player because they have a squad of very good players.”

Tomorrow’s game against Somerset is scheduled to begin at 18:30 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

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