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Men’s Vitality Blast Preview: Glamorgan v Somerset
THE MATCHES
Somerset take on Glamorgan in the Vitality Blast at Sophia Gardens tomorrow, Friday June 20th.
Play is due to get underway at 6:30pm.
Tickets for this match are still available:
Somerset are currently top of the South Group with 24 points from seven matches whilst Glamorgan are fourth with 16 points from the same number of fixtures.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
You can keep up to date using the dedicated Match Centre on this website which will feature a live stream of the action courtesy of Glamorgan CCC.
In-play updates will also appear on our X feed (formerly Twitter).
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
GLAMORGAN
Captain: Kiran Carlson
Overseas Players: Colin Ingram (South Africa, full competition), Hayden Kerr (Australia, full competition)
Finals day appearances: Two (2004, 2017)
Titles: None
2024 finish: Sixth (South Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Kiran Carlson (380)
2024 leading wicket-taker: Mason Crane (19)
Key winter moves: Glamorgan’s biggest miss for the T20 campaign this season will be Marnus Labuschagne. The all-action Australian joined for a couple of Rothesay County Championship matches, but international duties mean he’s not available for the Blast. But Glammy have made a smart move to bring in Aussie all-rounder Hayden Kerr who has been a mainstay with the Sydney Sixers and offers flexibility in the batting as well as a left-arm option.
The big question: Can interim head coach Richard Dawson bring his Midas Touch in white-ball cricket to Glamorgan? He led Gloucestershire to 50-over success in his first season across the Severn Bridge and the club reached the knockout stages of the Blast in four of his finals five seasons. He coached England U19s to a World Cup final and was on the England staff when the men’s team won the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Wildcard watch: Mason Crane is currently the only Glamorgan player in a The Hundred squad where he’ll continue to work with Dawson at Welsh Fire. Ben Kellaway will have eyes on him after his breakout white-ball campaign in 2023 and enters the tournament with solid red-ball form which could propel the ambidextrous 21-year-old’s hopes.
Final thought: After securing a white-ball title last year when winning the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Glamorgan will feel as though they underperformed in the Vitality Blast. They did show their quality in the final group game with a record-breaking win over eventual runners-up Somerset by 120 runs. They have players who will push at the door with Alex Horton, a potential replacement for veteran wicket-keeper Chris Cooke, and all-rounders Tom Bevan and Dan Douthwaite ensuring plenty of selection headaches.
TEAM NEWS
Craig Overton is rested for this match.
Somerset have named the following squad:
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “I thought we were very good against Hampshire last night. We batted first and therefore had to approach it in a different way to how we have for the majority of the competition so far. The way we played demonstrated the confidence that we’ve got in the group and in each other.
“We had contrasting fixtures against Glamorgan last year and they’ll certainly be bringing their A Game tonight. We will need to dig deep into our resources because we’ve played a lot of cricket in the last few weeks. We still need to bring as much energy as we always do and end on a high. We’ve had a fantastic start to the competition and hopefully we can get another win tonight.”
TRADE NATION STATS
CLASSIC MATCH
We go back to 2020 for our classic T20 match between the two sides at Sophia Gardens.
It was a clash that Somerset won by 66 runs thanks to a stunning century from Babar Azam.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Glamorgan CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset’s next match will see us take on Warwickshire at Edgbaston in the Rothesay County Championship.
Day one of this fixture is Sunday June 22nd.
Tickets for this match are still available and can be purchased now!
