SOM vs ESS Match Prediction & Betting Tips - May 31, 2024
Essex will be looking to get back to winning ways as they travel to Taunton on Friday to take on hosts Somerset in a South Group Fixture of the T20 Blast.
Somerset vs Essex head-to-head record
Both teams have played 18 matches against each other to date. Somerset has won 12 of them, while Essex has won just 6.
Somerset vs Essex Live-streaming and Broadcast
This match can be live-streamed on the FanCode App.
Match Prediction and Cricket Betting Tips for Somerset vs Essex T20 Blast 2024.
SOM vs ESS Team Previews
Somerset
Somerset are the defending champion for this season. As they begin a fresh campaign, they will hope to start on a positive note.
Somerset is one of the strongest batting line-ups in the league thanks to the presence of Tom Banton, Will Smeed, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore. They were all in excellent form last season and if any one of them gets going, Somerset could post a big score.
The team has two quality all-rounders in the form of skipper Lewis Gregory and Roelof van der Merwe. Both of them are good bowlers who can also come in handy with the bat. Matt Henry, who was the leading wicket-taker of the last edition, is set to miss this match due to international commitments.
This means that Ben Green will lead the pace attack along with Craig Overton. Van der Merwe is likely to be the only spinner in the team.
Somerset Playing 11
Will Smeed, Tom Banton, Tom Kohler Cadmore, Thomas Abell, Sean Dickson, Lewis Gregory, Ben Green, Craig Overton, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Jake Ball, Riley Meredith.
Essex
Essex lost its season-opener to Gloucester in a pretty one-sided encounter. While these are early days in the tournament, the team will try and turn things around here.
Despite having a strong batting line-up, the team was unable to post a big total in the last match. Dean Elgar and Adam Rossington are likely to open the batting. The duo hasn’t been in the best of forms during their recent domestic sojourns and that will put added pressure on the middle order.
Jordan Cox and Paul Walter appeared to be in fine touch during the last match but more will be expected from Mathew Critchley and Michael Pepper. Daniel Sams and Simon Harmer will lead the bowling attack for Essex.
They are also clean strikers of the ball and add valuable runs towards the death. Aaron Beard and Ben Allison will feature in the pace attack, while Luke Benkenstein is likely to be the lone specialist spinner.
Essex Playing 11
Adam Rossington, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper, Jordan Cox, Paul Walter, Matt Critchley, Daniel Sams, Simon Harmer, Luc Benkenstein, Ben Allison, Aaron Beard.
SOM vs ESS Toss Prediction
The team winning the toss will likely opt to bat first.
Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.
Pitch and Conditions
The Cooper Associates County Ground is a high-scoring venue with an average first-inning score of close to 190. The surface is flat and firm, with good bounce. This allows the batsmen to play the big shots. The pitch does slow down a bit in the second innings and helps the bowlers who can vary their pace.
The weather is likely to be clear with temperatures below 20 degrees.
SOM vs ESS Betting Tips
Essex and Somerset are two of the strongest teams in the League and we can expect an engaging contest. Going by the records, we feel that Somerset has a better chance of ending on top.
Bet on Somerset to win.
Bonus Cricket Bets
The Cooper Associates ground has a good batting surface with a fast outfield. As Essex and Somerset both have a strong batting line-up, we can expect plenty of 4s.
The average aggregate score in 28 T20 Blast matches played here is 355. Also, 3 of the last 4 matches played here last season saw aggregate scores of over 350 runs.
We are eager to know what you think of our match predictions, if there is anything we can do better or if you want to let us know your own predictions for the match.