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Somerset will take on Hampshire in the next Group 2 match of the ongoing County Championship 2021 season at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton on Thursday, June 3.
Somerset and Hampshire will go head to head in the next match of Group 2. This return fixture between the two sides will be a fascinating contest with regards to attaining the Top 2 positions in Group standings.
The Tom Abell-led Somerset had thrashed Hampshire in the previous fixture by 10 wickets four weeks ago. Both the teams are coming into this game after a week’s rest. The teams are currently placed at the second and third spot, respectively, and separated by only 10 points.
Somerset have been in outstanding form this season, winning four out of seven matches and losing only one. They’re on 104 points and are only one point behind the Group leaders Gloucestershire, albeit having played one more game. Somerset’s last match ended in a draw due to the rain against Gloucestershire. Somerset had reduced the opponents to 27-6, after having put 300 runs on the board.
Hampshire have kept themselves in the race for Top 2 with 94 points from seven matches, including three wins and two draws. In their last game, Hampshire played a draw against Leicestershire, where the duo of Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas ran through Leicestershire’s batting lineup and bowled them out for 84. Sitting in a very strong position, Hampshire were only able to take 12 points from the match as the rain allowed only 120 overs’ play.
Both the teams will be desperate for the win at Taunton. A win for Somerset will take them to the top of the Group standings, while Hampshire will be looking to take revenge for the previous thrashing.
Key Players
Tom Abell, the Somerset skipper, has carried the batting unit single-handedly in this season of the County Championship. Abell has amassed 529 runs in seven games – more than twice the runs the next best has scored for Somerset. One of the most exciting talents in the country, Abell has maintained an impressive average of 66.12, scoring one hundred and three fifties in the competition. In their last game against Gloucestershire, Abell brought up his highest score of the season with a magnificent 132*. The responsibility of putting a good total on the board will once again rest on Abell’s shoulders.
Josh Davey has supported Craig Overton with the ball to perfection in this County Championship season. The right arm pacer has picked 22 wickets in the competition so far at an exceptional average of 16.77, including best bowling of 5/30. The Scotland pacer will have added responsibility on his shoulders in the absence of Overton. In first-class cricket, Josh Davey has 127 wickets to his name in 45 matches with an impressive average of 21.08. He had taken a 5-fer in Somerset’s 10-wicket victory in the previous fixture.
Ian Holland has been in a terrific touch this season, top-scoring the batting charts for Hampshire. The right-hand batter has scored 502 runs in seven matches at an average of 50.20. Holland has registered two hundreds and as many fifties in the competition so far. Holland started his season with a bang, scoring two hundred in consecutive matches. But the 30-year-old batter went into a rough patch, where he couldn’t cross 22 in three matches. However, he has found his form back with a fine knock of 82 against Leicestershire in their last match.
Kyle Abbott immediately captured the attention of the cricket world when he burst onto the international scene with a 7-wicket haul on his debut for South Africa. Although his impressive Test career ended abruptly, he has continued to produce impactful performances day in and day out in the UK. Abbott has taken 33 wickets in the County Championship 2021 at an incredible average of 16.51, with the best bowling of 6/44. Abbott has been in red-hot form in the last three weeks, where he has taken three 5-fers in four innings. Hampshire will be hoping that he continues to rip batting lineups apart.
Prediction
Somerset and Hampshire’s rivalry has been very competitive in recent years, with both the teams claiming two victories each from the last four meetings. Although Somerset will have an edge with their comprehensive victory in the last fixture, they have few issues of their own.
Somerset will miss the services of the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Craig Overton, who’s on international duties. Their batting has been heavily dependent on Tom Abell, with no other batter crossing the 300-run mark. On the other hand, Hampshire has looked more solid, with four batters scoring 300+ runs and five batters registering hundreds in the season. Their lead bowling pair, Abbas and Abbott, has snared 60 wickets between them.
With their batters and bowlers in top form, expect Hampshire to reverse the result from the previous fixture and pull off an away win at Taunton.
