2019 Royal London One-Day Cup – Somerset vs Essex Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Somerset vs Essex taking place? Friday 26th April, 2019 – 13:00 (UK)
Where is Somerset vs Essex taking place? The Cooper Associates County Ground
What is the expected weather for Somerset vs Essex? 22-24c with cloudy intervals but no rain forecast
What channel is Somerset vs Essex in the UK? This match will be televised live on Sky Sport Cricket
Where can I stream Somerset vs Essex? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Somerset vs Essex? https://www.ecb.co.uk/tickets/domestic
THE STATISTICS
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last meeting: Essex beat Somerset by 40 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
SOMERSET
Coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Tom Abell
- Somerset are just one of three teams to have won all of their matches in the Royal London One-Day Cup so far having beaten Kent, Glamorgan and Sussex so confidence is flying as they welcome Essex to Taunton.
- Dutch fast bowler Paul van Meekeren will spend some time on the sidelines through injury but he has yet to feature in this tournament and they have only used 12 players in the three matches so far due to their impressive form.
- Craig Overton continues to impress and he has now taken nine wickets in the opening three matches while he is also their third highest runscorer with 111 in three innings so he is unquestionably their key man right now.
ESSEX
Coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Ryan ten Doeschate
- Essex were impressive in their opening win over Glamorgan but they have since lost to Middlesex and Surrey which has set them back and they know that the margin for error is small in the South Group and they cannot afford a third loss at such an early stage.
- They were hampered by the absence of key batsmen Varun Chopra ahead of the Surrey match as a quadricep strain held him out of the match and he has not recovered in time to play here which is a major loss after centuries in the first two matches.
- They desperately need Alistair Cook, Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara to step up with the bat as none of the experienced trio have managed to score more than 73 total runs each so their struggles may continue unless a couple of their batsmen improve to cover the loss of Chopra.
THE PREDICTION
Essex started this tournament so well with a 180-run win over Glamorgan but they have increasingly struggled since that opening match. Somerset on the other hand are playing well having won all three matches and they look strong with both bat and ball with good depth and balance to the team. The loss of Chopra is a major one for Essex and with some of their batsmen struggling for form, it is difficult to make a case for them against such a strong and solid Somerset outfit.
