Match Preview: Hampshire v Somerset - NatWest T20 Blast

Hampshire will qualify for a seventh consecutive NatWest T20 Blast Quarter-Final if they beat Somerset in their must-win game on Thursday evening in at the The Ageas Bowl.

Hampshire recorded their seventh T20 win of the season last Friday, when they beat local rivals Sussex by four runs at Hove. If Dale Benkenstein’s side beat Somerset, they will qualify the quarter-finals stage for a record seventh consecutive time.

Hampshire Squad:

Hampshire name an unchanged 14-man squad to the one named for last week’s victory over Sussex.

Jimmy Adams, Sean Terry and Gareth Berg are all included once again, with the trio featuring in addition to the final eleven selected at Hove.  

The Opposition:

Somerset have endured a disappointing T20 Blast campaign this season, and are out of contention for a quarter-finals place following their loss against Surrey last Friday. Overseas signing Chris Gayle had proved to be the danger-man for the away-side during his early-season three-match stay, however he has since left for the Caribbean Premier League.

In the reverse fixture played between the two sides earlier this year, the destructive Gayle (85*) again looked in scintillating form as he hit eight sixes as his side won by eight wickets at Taunton in early June, but he is unavailable on Thursday due to his CPL commitments.

Jim Allenby is likely to instead be the key-man for the hosts with the all-rounder proving to be a key figure in this format for his side this season after joining the county this winter. Allenby has scored 280 runs at an average of more than 30 whilst also having taken eight wickets at an impressive average of 25.88.

Former Second XI player Adam Hose is set to return to the The Ageas Bowl after being named in Someset's 13-man squad, whilst wicket-keeper Michael Bates is also included and returns to potentially face his former club for the second time in 2015.

Did You Know?

• Hampshire were crowned 2010 T20 Champions following a nail-biting victory over Somerset in the final played at the The Ageas Bowl, whilst Somerset were also Hampshire’s semi-final opponents in the 2012 T20 Finals Day with Hampshire again victorious to claim a second T20 crown.
• Yasir Arafat needs one wicket to become the first player to take 150 wickets in English domestic T20s.
• All-rounder Will Smith needs 14 more runs to reach 1,000 T20 runs in his career.

What The Team Say:

Hampshire all-rounder Will Smith: ‘We’ve been in this situation before so we’re well versed in it and we’ll know what to expect and how to handle it so I’m sure we’ll give it everything we’ve got.

‘Obviously having your home fans behind you is a huge factor. I think wherever we are, and if we have a home quarter-final if we win on Thursday, it won’t matter – we know we’re a unit that can win any game against any team in any conditions.’

Hampshire Squad:

Michael Carberry, James Vince (c), Adam Wheater, Owais Shah, Joe Gatting, Jimmy Adams, Sean Terry, Will Smith, Gareth Berg, Chris Wood, Yasir Arafat, Danny Briggs, Jackson Bird, Mason Crane.

Coverage:

Live text commentary will be available via the Hampshire Cricket Twitter and Facebook pages. A feed to these will also be available on this page.

There will be ball-by-ball commentary available on BBC Radio Solent online at bbc.co.uk.

The game is also live on Sky Sports Ashes HD. Coverage starts at 6pm.

Additional Information:

Match-day programmes can be purchased on the day for £3 (including a free scorecard). Scorecards are also available to purchase individually for just 50p.

Hampshire Chairman Rod Bransgrove and his band ‘Strapped For Cash’ will be performing behind the Shane Warne Stand upon the conclusion of play.

Weather Forecast:

Please click here to view the latest weather forecast for the The Ageas Bowl.

If you are unsure on the latest situation with the weather at the ground, you can call our Match Day Information Line on 023 8047 5662.

Tickets:

Tickets for this match are available to purchase via our online ticketing website, over the phone on 0844 847 1863, or in person at the The Ageas Bowl Ticketing and Membership Office via normal working hours or Match Day ticket office on match days.