In the twenty-first Vitality Blast match, Surrey will play the reigning champions, Somerset. With a strong start to the season, both clubs will be motivated to keep up the pace. But Somerset has a psychological advantage because they have dominated Surrey in their last meetings, winning two of their three games in 2023. Will Somerset maintain their dominance, or can Surrey mount a challenge?
With victories in their opening two games of the 2024 Vitality Blast, Surrey is off to a great start. They defeated Glamorgan by 19 runs and Hampshire by 5 wickets to take the lead in the South Group with 4 points and an NRR of +0.654.
In their opening match at Taunton, defending champions Somerset defeated Essex by four wickets, demonstrating their assured start to the new campaign. With five balls left, Somerset overcame Essex’s 194-ball aim.
Surrey vs Somerset Team Preview & Squads
Surrey
As of right now, Jamie Smith leads the club in scoring with 106 runs at a 193 strike rate through two games. In Surrey’s victory over Glamorgan, the wicket-keeper batsman stole the show with 76 off just 38 balls, helping the team score a match-winning 200-8.
Although some players, like Laurie Evans and Jason Roy, haven’t had the best start to the competition, the club will be looking to them to perform well in this game.
With three wickets in two games, Tom Curran, Gus Atkinson, and Spencer Johnson seem to be Surrey’s key bowling players this year. Jordan Clark and Australian seamer Sean Abbott round out the list with two wickets apiece.
Surrey Squads
Surrey Squads
Ollie Pope (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Laurie Evans, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott, Jordan Clark, Cameron Steel, Jason Roy, Gus Atkinson, Daniel Lawrence, Spencer Johnson
Somerset
Will Smeed (39 off 16 balls), Lewis Gregory (44 off 20), and Tom Abell (55 off 36) all contributed significantly to the win.
The only other players who can affect this game are Tom Kohler-Cadmor and Tom Banton. After having a great season in 2023, both will be eager to record a significant victory.
Ben Green and Craig Overton are predicted to perform well when bowling on this surface. They can take wickets, even though they occasionally go for runs.
Roelof van der Merwe is the consistent player in this bowling lineup. With a T20 economy of 7.28, the seasoned left-arm spinner will be crucial in the middle overs.
Somerset Squads
Somerset Squads
Lewis Gregory (c), Tom Banton (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sean Dickson, Craig Overton, Ben Green, Roelof van der Merwe, Tom Abell, Jake Ball, Will Smeed, Riley Meredith
Match Details
Match
Surrey vs Somerset, South Group | Vitality Blast 2024
The teams chasing won four of the seven Vitality Blast games played at Kennington Oval last season. We predict that whichever side wins the toss will consider this statistic and choose to field first.
During the match, London’s weather will be largely cloudy and mild. There is no chance of rain, thus the entire game should happen.
In most cases, the pitch at London’s Kennington Oval is excellent for batting. It offers seam bowlers strong bounce and movement, just like the majority of English venues. But batters who can hit through the line also benefit from the good bounce.
Surrey vs Somerset Head-to-Head Stats of Last 5 Matches
In the last five encounters between these two teams, Somerset won three games whereas, Surrey won two.
According to cricket analysts, Somerset has a 51% chance of winning.
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