There is just the one NatWest T20 Blast match on Sunday before the short break for a spell of County Championship matches and it comes from the South Group where Somerset host Surrey in what is another crucial fixture in this very tight section.
Both these sides go into the match on the fringes of a top four spot but a win for either will lift them to at least third heading into the final quarter of the group stage. The losers will be under pressure to win out so this is a key game.
Somerset
I guess you could argue that inconsistency has hampered Somerset but after their start to the campaign they have done well to elevate themselves into the top five. After picking up just one point in their opening three matches, a point they would not have got but for the rain, they have returned nine points from their last seven.
In effect that is six matches really because they lost their previous game on Friday night due to being stuck in traffic getting to Bristol. I’m prepared to allow them that one because the traffic in that part of the country was a nightmare. I would imagine that defeat will have fired them up to come out all guns blazing here.
Surrey
Since seeing off Middlesex, Surrey have picked up just two points from four matches which includes losing their last two games so they really need a result to arrest the slide they have fallen into. In among that run they have lost their third highest run scorer in the competition too so Surrey have a bit to think about right now.
We know how good Surrey can be. We saw that in the 50 over competition in particular however in that tournament their bowling attack was their strength and in this one it has turned into a bit of a weakness. Their attack has been carted everywhere in the last two matches and that is a very worrying sign.
Team News
Somerset remain without an overseas player for this match as Fakhar Zaman still hasn’t received a visa so they could be unchanged from the other night in Bristol.
Surrey are still without Kevin Pietersen who went lame in that Middlesex match recently. Kumar Sangakkara is now in the Caribbean so Moises Henriques is the second overseas player. Rikki Clarke is in the squad.
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Betting
Given the respective form of these two sides if I could bring myself to bet on the match outcome before the toss at Taunton I may well have taken Somerset but I can’t so I will leave that market alone and head to the total runs one where the line looks a little low.
It is set at 333.5 but these two have already been involved in one pretty high scoring match which would have seen that line covered albeit at The Oval. The four matches on this ground have all contained runs. There was a 16 over game where both sides went at 10 an over and the only full match saw Somerset post 205 against Hampshire.
This is historically a fast scoring ground and with the Surrey attack low on confidence having been mullered to all parts in their last two matches but having plenty of power in their batting I’m expecting this to follow all of the high scoring trends. It is the over for me.
Tips
Back Over 333.5 runs for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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