Match Preview: Hampshire v Glamorgan, NatWest T20 Blast

Hampshire begin their 2017 NatWest T20 Blast campaign when they take on Glamorgan at The SSE SWALEC on Friday night.

Hampshire Squad:

Hampshire have named a 15-man squad for their opening game of the 2017 NatWest T20 Blast, with new signing Shahid Afridi named alongside Rilee Rossouw and Kyle Abbott, who are set for his first taste of T20 cricket in Hampshire colours.

Michael Carberry, Chris Wood, Reece Topley and Will Smith also return to the squad after featuring for the 2^nd XI in their double-header against Somerset this week. In total, nine players of the XI that featured in the County Championship clash with Surrey remain part of this opening squad.

The Opposition:

Glamorgan have had a steady start to their 2017 season. The Welsh-based outfit currently sit sixth in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship, but have recently suffered back-to-back defeats against Durham and Derbyshire.

Glamorgan just missed out on the quarter-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup, finishing fourth in the South Group, just one point behind Surrey who took up the final qualification spot.

The hosts enjoyed a positive T20 campaign in 2016, reaching their first quarter-final of the T20 Blast in 13 years last season, and Jacques Rudolph’s side will have plenty to be positive about as they prepare for this season’s competition.

Did You Know?

• Hampshire have won two of their last three matches on the road against Glamorgan.
• Five of the last six meetings between these sides have been won by the team to bat first.
• Shahid Afridi (Hampshire) recorded the highest dot ball percentage (40.2%) of any spinner last term (10+ overs).
• Hampshire bowler Chris Wood recorded his best T20 figures when he took 4-16 against Glamorgan in 2015.

Full Hampshire Squad:

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.

Weather Forecast:

Please follow the link for the latest weather forecast for the SSE SWALEC: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcjszevgx

Tickets:
Tickets for Hampshire’s opening match of the NatWest T20 Blast against Glamorgan at the SSE SWALEC can be purchased online, via Glamorgan’s official club website using the link below: http://www.glamorgancricket.com/

• Hampshire have won two of their last three matches on the road against Glamorgan.
• Five of the last six meetings between these sides have been won by the team to bat first.
• Shahid Afridi (Hampshire) recorded the highest dot ball percentage (40.2%) of any spinner last term (10+ overs).

·         Hampshire bowler Chris Wood recorded his best T20 figures when he took 4-16 against Glamorgan in 2015.