Who Will Win Somerset vs Sussex, Vitality Blast 2018?
The second semi-final of the Vitality Blast 2018 will see two South Group teams Sussex and Somerset battle it out in their bid to reach the final. The Edgbaston in Birmingham will be the venue for this match to be played on September 15. Live action is scheduled to start at 2:30 PM local time.
Sussex vs Somerset: Where to Watch/Live Streaming
TV channels: Sky Sports, Fox Sports, Sony Six, SuperSport
Live Streaming: Bet365, SonyLIV, Now TV, Sky Go
Toss Prediction
Edgbaston, in recent times, has generally offered the best conditions for batting during the first period of play. And since the success rate of the side batting first at this ground is higher than that of the side bowling first, the team that wins the toss in this match is more likely to bat first.
Read on for team previews, betting odds, betting tips and match prediction for Sussex vs Somerset semi-final, Vitality Blast 2018...
Sussex Team News & Playing 11
SUS Team News
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has extended his contract with the county for the 2019 edition but he won't be taking further part in the ongoing season due to national commitments. Sussex had the same line-up for their last two matches and they won both of those. So they may not want to fiddle with their winning combination and could go unchanged for this match as well.
SUS Key Players
Laurie Evans is one of the leading run-getters in this year's Vitality Blast with 554 runs at an average of close to 80. He scored an unbeaten 63 in the quarter-final against Durham and had cracked a 67-ball 96 in the reverse fixture against Somerset. While he definitely holds the key to Sussex's batting, the team will also need sizeable contributions from their openers Luke Wright and Philip Salt. David Wiese with his hard-hitting abilities will be the danger man in the middle order and he will also be one of the major threats with the ball. With Rashid Khan not around anymore, Sussex will rely mainly on their specialist bowlers Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills and Chris Jordan to do the job. Archer looks the most threatening of the lot. The fast bowler has taken the most wickets for his side this season - 18 in 13 matches - and he is more likely to bag the best figures in this match.
SUS Recent Form
Sussex Sharks ended up third in the South Group standings with seven wins and three defeats from fourteen league games. Since facing a four-wicket loss to Gloucestershire at Hove, they have played six matches and have registered wins in five of those. They have now won four games on the trot, the most recent of which was played against Durham Jets in the quarter-final. Sussex reached their target of 141 in the 19th over in that game to win by five wickets.
Sussex Predicted Playing 11
Philip Salt, Luke Wright (c), Laurie Evans, Delray Rawlins, David Wiese, Michael Burgess (wk), Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Will Beer, Danny Briggs, Tymal Mills
Somerset Team News & Playing 11
SOM Team News
Somerset have no injury concerns to deal with ahead of their semi-final clash against Sussex Sharks as all of their players seem to be in good physical condition. They are unchanged since their last five games and since they have been doing so well, we don't see any reason for them to make a change in their side for this match.
SOM Key Players
Johann Myburgh, James Hildreth and Corey Anderson are the key figures for Somerset when it comes to batting. Anderson has scored the most runs for them this year and is having an impressive strike rate of 171. Hildreth has hit four half-centuries, one of which came last time in the quarter-final against Nottinghamshire. Myburgh has not had a good outing since his 54* versus Hampshire and he will be desperate to get back amongst the runs. Lewis Gregory, the skipper, has shown what he is capable of doing with the bat and he will also be one of the players to watch out for when he has the ball in his hand. Pacemen Jamie Overton and Jerome Taylor have been the go-to bowlers for Somerset and the duo is expected to cause a few problems for Sussex. Overton is currently second on the wickets charts with 24 wickets in 15 matches and he is coming off a match-winning fifer against Nottinghamshire.
SOM Recent Form
Somerset went into the knockout stage as the South Group leaders after winning ten and losing four out of their fourteen matches. They defeated Nottinghamshire Outlaws by 19 runs in the quarter-final at Taunton. After posting a big total of 209 while batting first, Somerset restricted Nottinghamshire to 190 and sealed their spot in the semis. That win meant that they now had eight wins from their last nine matches with the solitary defeat coming against Kent Spitfires in their final group-stage match.
Somerset Predicted Playing 11
Steven Davies (wk), Johann Myburgh, Peter Trego, James Hildreth, Tom Abell, Corey Anderson, Lewis Gregory (c), Roelof van der Merwe, Jerome Taylor, Jamie Overton, Max Waller
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