ESS vs SOM 87th Match - South Group Prediction

ESS vs SOM Team Previews

Essex

Essex is likely to crush Middlesex, but things will be very different when they face Somerset. Essex has lost three times in a row to Somerset, but we get the feeling that things are about to change. Surely Essex knows their mistakes against Somerset by now, and will want vengeance for losing so many times.

There’s been a bit of a switch-up in Essex batting, as Pepper and Das had been the top run-scorers for the squad, but both had ducks in the recent victory over Glamorgan. This means that Walter (180) and Khushi (175) are now leading the team in runs. It can be a good thing to have so many good batters changing up the order, as putting so much faith in one star batter can never end well. Walter has 43 & 78 in his last two matches.

Essex has four bowlers that rank among the top 15 in the league, and their bowling is exceptional of late. Bowling really is where the club excels and has the biggest chance to win matches. With a remarkable 15/227 (7.52 ER), which is quite difficult to achieve in a T20 league, Sams is certainly the highest achiever for the club.

With their outstanding bowling options, Essex can easily defeat any opponent, as there's also Harmer (14 wickets), Critchley (13), and Cook (12) to all contribute. Cook looked awesome for a while, as he had 9 wickets in three matches, but it was a bit disappointing to see him take 0/39 against Glamorgan. Still, we hope he can bounce back.

Somerset

Somerset is looking somewhat unpredictable lately, with a loss over Hampshire, then a victory against Gloucestershire, then another loss to Surrey. What’s more, the games have had vastly different margins, so you never quite know what you’re going to get.

Kohler-Cadmore has picked up 295 total runs, although it’s been a while since he looked spectacular, such as scoring 64* against Middlesex. Banton’s 275 is slowly helping out a lot, and he’s perhaps the most consistent run-scorer on the team. His 53 against Surrey can be improved upon and we’ll have to see if he can handle the Essex bowlers.

Somerset has to feel confident in any match with Ben Green’s bowling, as he’s an absolute machine with 20 wickets (leading the T20 Blast) and just 224 runs given up. That 7.50 ER is hard to believe, and although it was odd to see him take 0/24 against Gloucestershire, he followed that up with 4/33 against Surrey. Henry and van der Merwe both have 12 wickets each, so if Essex can survive these talented bowlers, then it’ll be something special.