T20 Blast 2022 | SOM vs HAM | Preview, Prediction, Probable XI, CREX XI

Tom Abell-led Somerset will be up against Hampshire in the upcoming South Group fixture. The match is scheduled to be played on Thursday (June 23) at The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton. 

Somerset is having a terrific T20 Blast season, winning 7 out of 10 games. With 14 points to their credit, the team is placed second in the South Group points tally. However, they lost their most recent fixture against the league leader, Surrey, by three wickets. 

Opting to bat first, the Tom Abell-led side could only manage 144 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the scheduled 20 overs. None of their batters except Tom Banton (39) could go past the 30-run mark. 

Somerset bowlers, however, were impressive as they took the game deep and didn't let Surrey bag an easy win. Conor Mckerr hit the last ball boundary to take his side past the finish line. 

Peter Siddle and Lewis Gregory were the picks of the bowlers for Somerset, having scalped three wickets each. However, the Tom Abell-led side will look to bounce back and win their upcoming clash to claim the spot for the quarter-finals. 

Speaking of Hampshire, they currently occupy the sixth spot in the South Group points table with five wins and as many losses from ten games. However, their five-match winning streak finally came to an end in their last outing when Surrey outplayed them by four wickets.  

After putting to bat first, Hampshire posted 151/7 on board, courtesy of skipper Vince's 20-ball 30 and James Fuller's 22-ball 39. Surrey, in reply, hunted down the target in 19.1 overs with four wickets in hand. 

As they advance into the tournament, Hampshire must win their remaining games to stay in the hunt for the quarter-finals berth. 

Match Details

Match: Somerset vs Hampshire, Match 99

Venue: The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton 

Date & Time: June 23 at 11:00 PM IST

Live Streaming: FanCode and ECB website.

Pitch Report: The pitch at the Cooper Associates County Ground is a batting-friendly surface. The ball comes nicely onto the bat, while the bowlers must be cautious with their line and lengths to pick wickets here. Anything around 170-180 will be a competitive total at this venue.  

Head-To-Head

Matches Played: 22

Somerset Won: 15

Hampshire Won: 7

Squads

Somerset: Tom Abell (c), Kasey Aldridge, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton (wk), George Bartlett, Jack Brooks, Josh Davey, Steven Davies, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, Lewis Gregory, James Hildreth, Tom Lammonby, Marchan De Lange, Jack Leach, Ned Leonard, Craig Overton, Matt Renshaw, Ollie Sale, Peter Siddle, Will Smeed, Roelof Van der Merwe, Max Waller

Hampshire: James Vince (c), Kyle Abbot, Ben McDermott, Nathan Ellis, Nick Gubbins, Ross Whiteley, Ben Brown, Toby Albert, Keith Barker, Mason Crane, Scott Currie, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, James Fuller, Ian Holland, Ben McDermott, Lewis McManus, Fletcha Middleton, Felix Organ, Harry Petrie, Tom Prest, John Turner, Joe Weatherley, Brad Wheal, Chris Wood

Probable Playing XI

Somerset: Will Smeed, Tom Banton (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Tom Abell (c), Tom Lammonby, Lewis Gregory, Ben Green, Roelof van der Merwe, Lewis Goldsworthy, Peter Siddle, Jack Brooks

Hampshire: Ben McDermott (wk), James Vince (c), Tom Prest, Joe Weatherley, Ross Whiteley, Toby Albert, James Fuller, Liam Dawson, Nathan Ellis, Chris Wood, Mason Crane

CREX XI Suggestion 

Wicket-Keeper: Ben McDermott, Tom Banton

Batters: Rilee Rossouw, James Vince, Will Smeed

All-Rounders: Lewis Gregory, Liam Dawson, James Fuller 

Bowlers: Tom Lammonby, Peter Siddle, Chris Wood

Captain: James Vince

Vice-Captain: Rilee Rossouw