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Vitality Blast Double Header Preview: Somerset v Essex
THE MATCHES
Somerset Men and Somerset Women are both in action in the Vitality Blast when they take on their Essex counterparts at the Cooper Associates County Ground tomorrow (Tuesday July 8th).
Somerset Women will get the action underway at 2:30pm with Somerset Men taking to the field at 6:30pm.
Tickets for this match are still available.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Gates will open at 1:30pm.
Please note that double headers are not included in 2025 Somerset Women Membership.
Please note that there will be no re-admittance after 5:30pm.
Information on everything that you will need for a matchday at SCCC, including how to download your e-tickets and how to use the SCCC Ticket App can all be found in our Visiting Guide.
Bag searches will be in operation and spectators are reminded that no glass or sharp implements will be permitted within the Cooper Associates County Ground.
For full Ground Regulations please visit the link below:
Ticket buyers can download their online tickets via their SCCC account. All ticket or Membership collections or queries will be managed at the Jack White Gates (St James Street).
The Club Reception Desk is now permanently based in the Reception of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion and not in the Andrew Caddick Pavilion.
Due to the busy nature of a matchday, our telephone lines will reopen at 10am on Wednesday July 9th.
Scorecards will be available from Reception in the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion. Completed scorecards can be downloaded after the match via the Membership section of this website.
FAN VILLAGE & CATERING
We will once again be staging our fan village in the St James Street side of the Cooper Associates County Ground.
The fan village features a wide range of food and drink plus live music from The Haus Band between fixtures and during the men’s interval.
Matchday food and drink will also be available from the SCCC concessions and bars around the ground.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
Both of the matches will be fully broadcast live on Sky Sports and will therefore not be available on the SCCC live stream.
You can also keep up to date by using our dedicated matchday blog via this website’s Match Centre and on our X feed.
A report on the day’s play will also be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
ESSEX WOMEN
Captain: Grace Scrivens
Overseas players: Maddie Penna (Australia, full competition)
Key winter moves: Seasoned opener and wicketkeeper Lauren Winfield-Hill has moved to Chelmsford on a loan deal from Yorkshire for the duration of the Blast. The arrival of Penna – part of the Adelaide Strikers squad that won successive Women’s Big Bash League titles – will strengthen Essex’s options in the middle-order batting and leg-spin departments.
The big question: How do Essex reshuffle their bowling attack to compensate for Sophie Munro’s absence? The seamer caught the eye during Sunrisers’ T20 campaign last year, finishing as their leading wicket-taker, but is currently out with a back injury. Despite their potent spin line-up, Essex will need alternatives to fill Munro’s role at the back end of the innings.
Wildcard watch: Esmae MacGregor. The 20-year-old can vary her pace and bowled well in the powerplay overs during Essex’s recent T20 County Cup defeat to Yorkshire. Although she featured more prominently in 50-over cricket last season, Munro’s injury could mean that MacGregor finds herself shouldering greater responsibility in the shorter format over the coming weeks.
Final thought: Essex should be capable of posting challenging totals in this tournament. As well as Winfield-Hill and Grace Scrivens at the top of the order, they can expect runs from the likes of Cordelia Griffith, Jodi Grewcock and Sophia Smale – while Jo Gardner, who begins the Blast in impressive form with the bat, could take on the finisher’s role. But they will also need to develop a ruthless streak that has so far been lacking in their 50-over campaign.
ESSEX MEN
Captain:Â Simon Harmer
Overseas players:Â Simon Harmer (South Africa, full competition), Mohammad Amir (Pakistan, full competition).
Finals Day appearances:Â Six (2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2023)
Titles:Â One (2019)
2024 finish:Â Fifth (South Group)
2024 highest run-scorer:Â Michael Pepper (535)
2024 highest wicket-taker:Â Paul Walter (17)
Key winter moves:Â With Sam Cook likely to be requisitioned by England for much of the summer, Essex reacted by re-signing Mohammad Amir to replenish their seam-bowling stocks. The experienced Pakistan international left-armer returns after taking 24 wickets across two Blast spells in 2017 and 2019, the latter helping Essex along the road towards their only success in the competition.
The big question:Â Can Essex shrug off their perennial enigmatic form in T20 cricket? Their entire history in the short format has been littered with fits and starts, false dawns and letdowns. Now, will the new management axis of (coach) Chris Silverwood and (captain) Simon Harmer align to produce something more concrete and significant?
Wildcard watch: Matt Critchley has played in all four iterations of The Hundred – for Welsh Fire (2021-2022) and London Spirit (2023-24) – but was overlooked in the 2025 Draft. The golden-arm all-rounder was Essex’s second-highest wicket-taker in last season’s Blast with 14, evidence that leg-spinners are more than worth their weight in white-ball cricket. What’s more, he’s also an explosive bat.
Final thought: Michael Pepper has established himself as one of the most exciting of big-hitting gunslingers. In a personal 2024 Blast campaign that included two centuries, he peppered the stands and terraces of South Group venues with 32 sixes – seven more than anyone else and that during a season in which Essex failed to qualify for the latter stages. He toured West Indies with England’s white-ball team in the winter; is he ready to step into the first XI at international level?
TEAM NEWS
Somerset Women will be without Heather Knight (hamstring), Dani Gibson (back), Emma Corney (knee), Charlie Dean (international duty) and Amelie Munday (knee).
A starting XI will be named from the following squad:
Somerset Men have named the following squad for this fixture.
A starting XI will be named from the list below:
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Women’s Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “The players deserve credit for the way they performed yesterday at Hampshire. We competed to the end against a very strong side and took it down to the wire.
“We need to keep doing what we’ve been doing in the last few games. We had no extra deliveries up at Durham and the way we bowled at the back end of that game was outstanding. There were also lots of positives to take from yesterday.
“There’s a lot of frustration in the dressing room because they’re all desperate to get that win on the board. We’re so close to achieving that and there’s a great sense of togetherness in the group. That’s a testament to the character and professionalism in the group.”
On the eve of Somerset Men’s clash with Essex, Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “It was a really good performance against Hampshire and it once again demonstrated the depth and confidence that we have in the group. We will continue to take one game at a time and Essex are coming off the back of a win so that will give them confidence. We need to make sure that we’re switched on and ready to go again.
“The reality is that there’s still room for improvement. What’s really exciting about this group is that we’re finding ways to win games when we’re not playing at our best.”
TRADE NATION STAT
CLASSIC MATCH
To get you in the mood for tomorrow’s men’s match let’s go back to 2023 and the final at Edgbaston that saw Somerset overcome Essex to lift the trophy.
MATCH SPONSOR – WOLLENS
Wollens are one of SCCC’s Preferred Legal Partners.
With offices across Devon, the award-winning and carbon-neutral organisation has teams who specialise in their field of law, and with a mantra of ‘Full Spectrum Law’ they are able to offer a comprehensive and full array of legal services, including a Sports Law Division.
Wollens have strong links to the region and are one of the largest independent law firms in the South West, with exceptional specialists across private client matters as well as company and commercial law.
THE VERTU MOTORS CROWD CATCH!
As well as enjoying the spectacular action of this season’s Blast, you can be a part of it with the Vertu Crowd Catch!
If you take a clean catch in the crowd during any of our Home Vitality Blast matches, you will win hospitality for two to our Metro Bank One Day Cup match against Durham on Friday August 8th.
In order to qualify for the prize, the official in-play match ball must be caught by the winner straight from the air without having touched any object or person before being caught by the winner. Evidence of identity, ticket and age may be required.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset Women’s next match is on Friday July 11th when we take on Birmingham Bears at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
Tickets for this match are available now:
Somerset Men are next in action on the same day when we take on Kent Spitfires at The Spitfire Ground, Canturbury.
Tickets for this match are still available.
