SOM vs MID 36th Match - South Group Prediction

SOM vs MID Team Previews

Somerset

In their last game of the Vitality T20 Blast 2023, Somerset took on Kent. Batting first, Somerset scored 154 runs from their quota of 20 overs. Although this does not appear to be a big total, it was always a good score on a track that afforded seam movement to the speedsters. To make matters worse rain came down on this cold night in Canterbury. But Somerset held their nerve to record their 4th consecutive victory of the season and consolidate their position at the top of the South Group tables.

When the Somerset started their stint in the field, they had to lose the services of Ben Green for a while as he got injured on this damp night. Somerset desperately needed seamers to take advantage of the playing conditions. However, in the end, Green returned to the field to complete an all-round bowling performance. When the final calculations arrived, Kent needed 54 runs from 4.1 overs. But Green returned with figures of 3 for 19 in his two last overs of the match. The Kent side never really threatened the Somerset total during the night.

The Somerset supporters flocking to the stadium were extremely pleased with the side succeeding to record another win in the competition. The Somerset assistant coach Shane Burger was quick to emphasize the doughty approach from the team in the field. None of the payers moaned as the mindset was to get there and play some cricket. Although people were slipping all over the place and the ball was wet, the Somerset players stuck to the task. This attitude was a bit slow to appear as they lost some early wickets during their inning.

Middlesex

Middlesex on the other hand tumbled to yet another defeat in their last encounter against Glamorgan. Batting first the Glamorgan batters put the Middlesex bowlers to the sword scoring 238 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets from their 20 overs. The Glamorgan team set their highest total ever in T20 against Middlesex. They pulverized the Middlesex bowling attack with 72 runs from their last 3 overs. This was on the same ground where the team of Middlesex failed to get 9 runs from their last 2 overs.

Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke both may have succeeded in reaching their hundreds. Cooke succeeded in hitting 113 runs from 51 balls while Ingram smashed 92 from 66. Cooke moved from 50 to hundred in just 12 balls with 5 sixes and 4 fours in the period. Middlesex had made some important changes to their side before this game. But that did not affect this carnage. Ryan Higgins must have wished that he was dropped too with the bowler disappearing for 62 runs in his 4 overs. The only bowler that escaped this punishment was Blake Cullen who returned with the figures of 2 for 23.

However, most of the overs from Cullen were bowled when Glamorgan stumbled a little bit going to 51 for 3 in the space of 6.5 overs. Tom Helm was hammered for 69 runs with his last couple of overs going for 25 and 27 runs. This was the first T20 hundred for Cooke although Ingram already has 4 in the same format. Helm was the most potent bowler Middlesex had. But he was murdered by Cooke in the last over as completed his hundred in style. Later Cooke confessed that they were looking at a score of 180 runs as an at-par score.