MATCH PREVIEW: Somerset vs Lancashire, Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Lancashire’s disappointing start to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup has left them with a tall order to achieve a top-three finish for knockout qualification.
Somerset v Lancashire
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Group A
Friday August 2, 2024, 2pm
The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Squad:
Josh Bohannon (c), Tom Aspinwall, Tom Bailey, George Balderson, Charlie Barnard, George Bell, Jack Blatherwick, Josh Boyden, Rocky Flintoff, Chris Green, Venkatesh Iyer, George Lavelle, Jack Morley, Harry Singh, Will Williams
The latest of those defeats came by nine wickets at Derby yesterday, where Derbyshire chased only 100 with comfort.
It’s too early in the group stage - it’s not halfway through yet - to know exactly what Lancashire will need to do to turn their campaign around and maintain hopes of silverware.
It could be that five wins from five is needed. Whatever, it’s clear they don’t have a great deal of wriggle room and need to get a win on the board quickly.
Next up are a Somerset side who currently occupy one of the qualifying positions in Group A.
Somerset have won two of their opening three games.
This fixture will be played under the Taunton lights and is a rare List A meeting between the two counties and an even rarer 50-over fixture between Lancashire and Somerset.
Opposition:
Since the turn of the century, Somerset have won a quartet of limited overs titles, including this particular competition on two occasions added to a pair of T20 Blast successes.
They have been one of county cricket’s strongest white ball forces.
The Cidermen won this title in 2001 (Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy) and again in 2019 (Royal London One-Day Cup).
They are one of the counties most heavily affected by the Hundred, missing 10 players, including the likes of Tom Abell, Lewis Gregory and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
They are captained by middle order batter Sean Dickson, with further experience coming from dynamic opener Andy Umeed and England Test left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has been fighting his way back to full fitness and form having suffered a back stress fracture during last summer’s Ashes series.
Their youth comes from the likes of wicketkeeper-batter James Rew, batter Archie Vaughan - Michael’s son - all-rounder Kasey Aldridge and seamer Alfie Ogborne amongst others.
They continue to be coached by Bolton-born Jason Kerr.
Somerset had a disappointing campaign last year, finishing seventh out of nine in their group.
But they are there and thereabouts this time following two wins and a defeat.
They beat Kent at home, lost to Hampshire away and beat Durham away, the latter coming yesterday at the Riverside by 133 runs as they bowled the hosts out for 108 as they replied to 241-9.
Opposition player to watch:
England Test left-arm spinner Jack Leach has returned to cricket this summer following a stress fracture of the back cut short his involvement in last summer’s Ashes and prevented him from touring India at the start of the year.
With county colleague Shoaib Bashir, the young off-spinner, preferred in England’s Test team at present, Leach is using the Metro Bank One-Day Cup to press his case.
And he’s doing it pretty well.
Leach has taken eight wickets in three matches, including a career best 6-26 in yesterday’s win over Durham.
They are the best figures taken by any bowler in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
With Somerset fielding a young side in this competition, it won’t just be the 33-year-old’s wickets which will be key to their cause. His experience will be valuable too.
Previous meeting:
This is the first List A meeting between these two counties for just over 13 years, when a Clydesdale Bank 40 match at Emirates Old Trafford was washed out after only 7.4 overs of play (July, 2011).
Lancashire were under the cosh at 39-3 from 7.4overs when the rain came.
Steven Croft captained a side which included debutant Junaid Khan. Croft was one of the three early wickets to fall for 26.
Somerset were captained by Marcus Trescothick that day and included a certain Jos Buttler in their middle order, though he didn’t take the gloves. Craig Kieswetter had that role.
Buttler would sign for Lancashire ahead of 2014 in search of greater opportunities with the gloves given England white ball international Kieswetter’s presence at Taunton.
Former Lancashire overseas spinner Kartik Murali was one of Somerset’s wicket-takers in this rainy affair.
What they said:
Assistant coach Will Porterfield believes new overseas signing Venkatesh Iyer will add a huge amount of value to Lancashire’s group, and his impact can be more long-term than just the next five or six weeks.
India batting all-rounder Iyer, a 2024 IPL champion alongside Phil Salt with Kolkata, has joined the Red Rose for the remainder of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup and the next two County Championship matches in late August and early September.
He debuted in yesterday’s defeat against Derbyshire, scoring 15 in the middle order and bowling two overs for 15.
Former Ireland international batter Porterfield said: “He’s going to bring a lot of experience with what he’s done. He’s a winner. He’s won the IPL this season and has played international cricket.
“It’s great for the lads playing alongside him and learning.
“We’ve been fortunate this year, and Lancs have a history of a lot of great overseas players.
“It’s not just what they bring on the pitch, it’s in the changing rooms and before and after games. It’s about what the young lads can take and learn from them.”
On Lancashire’s trip to Taunton and their overall chances of One-Day Cup progress, Porterfield added: “You don’t want to look too far ahead.
“Even if we were three from three the right way around, you don’t really be wanting to be look at, ‘Oh we need X amount of wins’.
“It’s still a lot about the processes and how you’re going to put things right in the next game. If you do things right for long enough in this format, results will look after themselves.”
How’s Stat!
It is amazing to think that Lancashire and Somerset have not met in a 50-over match since June 1990, when the two counties played out a Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final at Emirates Old Trafford, which the Red Rose won by six wickets.
Since then, there have been 18 meetings in 40 and 45-over cricket.
In 1990, the Red Rose went on to win the B&H, beating Worcestershire in the final at Lord’s under the captaincy of David Hughes.