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Vitality Blast Preview: Somerset v Sussex Sharks
THE MATCH
Somerset welcome Sussex Sharks to the Cooper Associates County Ground in the Vitality Blast tomorrow (Thursday July 18th).
Gates open at 4:30pm with play due to start at 6:30pm.
Tickets for this match are available and can be purchased below:
Somerset are currently third in the South Group table with 15 points from 12 matches and need just one point to secure a quarter final birth. The visitors are currently in second position with one more point from the same number of matches.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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:
Members and supporters are not permitted to bring alcohol into Vitality Blast fixtures.
Ticket buyers can download their online tickets via their SCCC account.
All ticket or Membership collections will be from the Jack White Gates (St James Street).
The Club Enquiries Desk will be based in the Reception of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion and not in the Andrew Caddick Pavilion on matchdays.
Due to the busy nature of a matchday, our telephone lines will reopen at 10am on Friday July 19th.
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.
Scorecards will be available from Reception in the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion. Completed scorecards can now be downloaded after the match via the Membership section of this website.
FAN VILLAGE & CATERING
We will once again be hosting our fan village in the St James Street side of the Cooper Associates County Ground.
The fan village will once again feature a wide range of food and drink plus live music before the match and during the interval.
Matchday food and drink will be available from the SCCC concessions and bars around the ground.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
Our live stream will once again be available for fans to watch via this website and at our YouTube channel.
You can also keep up to date using our dedicated matchday blog via this website’s Match Centre and on our X feed.
In association with Vertu Motors, Somerset County Cricket Club will be providing radio ear pieces to enable Members and supporters to enjoy our live ball-by-ball match commentary. These will be available to purchase from Reception in the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion at a cost of £12 and these will last all season.
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
Captain: Tymal Mills
Overseas players: Daniel Hughes (Australia), Nathan McAndrew (Australia)
Finals Day appearances: Five (2007, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2021)
Titles: One (2009)
2023 finish: Sixth (South Group)
2023 leading run-scorer: Ravi Bopara (408)
2023 leading wicket-taker: Tymal Mills & Ravi Bopara (12)
Key winter moves: Tymal Mills, one of only three players who took part at Finals Day in 2021 still at Sussex, takes over as captain. Daniel Hughes, the experienced Australian left-hander who has played 105 Big Bash games, will be joined by compatriot Nathan McAndrew, who played seven Blast matches for Sussex in 2023.
The big question: Neither of Sussex’s two top scorers in 2023 – Ravi Bopara and Michael Burgess – are around this year so who is going to fire the batting? A lot depends on Daniel Hughes, who is experiencing the Blast for the first time, while Danny Lamb will look to take on Bopara’s all-rounder role.
Wildcard watch: James Coles played 11 games last year without producing a match-winning performance but with that experience under his belt the 20-year-old could be crucial this season, as a tempo-setting batter in the top four and with his improving left-arm spin in the middle overs.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset are still without Will Smeed (hamstring) and Roelof van der Merwe (back).
The following squad has been named for the fixture: Lewis Gregory, Tom Banton, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Sean Dickson, Tom Lammonby, George Thomas, Ben Green, Migael Pretorius, Craig Overton, Riley Meredith, Jake Ball and Jack Leach.
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “We’ve had two comprehensive wins in the last two games against Surrey and Hampshire with lots of contributions from across the whole team. Confidence is therefore incredibly high and we’re looking forward to playing our last home group game against Sussex tomorrow.
“Sussex are playing some good cricket at the moment and you can see that from where they sit in the table. They will be high on confidence too, but we know that Taunton is a difficult place for teams to come and play.
“Hopefully we can put in a performance to entertain what will be another great crowd and play like we have done in the last two games. We have to make sure that we get to a quarter final. The perfect scenario would be to play that at home but first and foremost we need to secure a place in the knockout stages to ensure that we can defend our title. Hopefully, we can secure that tomorrow. If not, then we need to make sure that we do it on Friday.”
TRADE NATION STATS
KEY PLAYER MATCHUP – BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPER ASSOCIATES
CLASSIC MATCH
We head back to 2018 for the classic match between the two sides.
It was a rollercoaster of a match that eventually saw Somerset come out on top by three wickets with just three balls to spare.
MATCH SPONSOR – PUMP SUPPLIES
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THE VERTU MOTORS CROWD CATCH!
In partnership with Vertu Motors, we have launched a new competition for the 2024 Vitality Blast season.
As well as enjoying the spectacular action of this season’s Blast, you can be a part of it with the Vertu Motors 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 Kent Spitfires at the Cooper Associates County Ground on Friday July 26th.
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
Our next match is tomorrow (Friday July 19th) when we take on Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff in the Vitality Blast.
Tickets for this match are available now:
