There is one place left at the Vitality Blast finals day next weekend and it will be filled on Saturday evening when the beaten finalists of a year ago, Somerset, host Derbyshire in the first meeting between the two in this competition.
Somerset are regulars at finals day and with home advantage they will be eager to get back there again as they attempt to go one better than last year. Derbyshire have only been there once before and would love another taste of the big party.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Cricket channel with the build-up beginning after the international game at 6.30pm and the start time at Taunton is 7pm.
Somerset
Had it not been for the incredible side that Surrey put together prior to England hitting them hard, Somerset would have cruised to top spot in the South Group with their 10 wins from 14 matches but that record was only good enough for second spot. They won’t mind not topping the table because they still get a home quarter final and that is important given the unique nature of the Taunton wicket and ground dimensions.
Although Somerset should be much better in their own environment, only four of those 10 wins came on home soil so that might be something to consider here. Somerset have put up some big totals in the Blast this season but it still concerns me that only their top four have more than 160 runs this term. We saw against Hampshire in a TV game earlier in the campaign that when those who haven’t seen much time at the crease are needed to win a game it isn’t as easy to smash the ball to all parts.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire were pushing very hard for a top two finish in the North Group themselves although even had they achieved that they would have been on the road for the quarter final having stupidly scheduled a Michael Buble concert for this week on their home ground. Despite that, Derbyshire go into this contest in fantastic form having won seven of their last eight matches and if confidence and momentum means anything they will be carrying plenty of it on the road to Taunton.
The immediate concern for Derbyshire is that their influential high scoring captain Shan Masood has left for international duty now. They have replaced him in the overseas department with Hilton Cartwright which looks like a good addition but Masood is going to be missed not just for his 547 runs but also his calm captaincy. If Derbyshire are going to win this match they need to get everything out of their bowlers in the field because this is an attack which has gone the distance on a number of occasions.
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Key Players
Rilee Rossouw has over 500 runs in the tournament this season with six 50s to his name but he has only made double figures in one of his last five innings so he might have come off the top of his form at the wrong time. Somerset could do with their explosive batter catching fire again here.
Wayne Madsen is a stalwart of Derbyshire cricket and in the absence of Shan Masood he is going to need to lead the way both with the bat and in the field. His last two innings in the Blast have been 70 and 100* and Derbyshire need something similar from him here to have any chance.
Betting
I am struggling to see how this isn’t going to be a high scoring match. We know the dimensions of this ground and the conditions are going to be gorgeous for cricket as the English summer is truly flourishing at the minute. Somerset have a case for carrying the most powerful batting order in the competition and you have to fear a little for this Derbyshire attack which has conceded 180 eight times in 13 full matches and 175 in another.
That is not to say that Derbyshire can’t score big themselves. They did win nine matches in the group stage after all and posted totals in excess of 190 on four occasions with two more efforts above 175. Both these teams look a lot stronger with the bat than the ball, although to be fair Somerset do carry a threat with the ball. Even in saying that, Somerset have gone for more than 180 on four occasions. This just looks a high scoring game and with the players on show and the tiny boundaries I’m expecting a lot more than 12.5 sixes.
Tips
Back Over 12.5 sixes for a 5/10 stake at 1.73 with Coral
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