Somerset vs Kent, County Championship Division One, Today Match Prediction 17 May 2024

som vs kent Match Prediction & Analysis

Somerset are now ready to take on Kent in their next home game. In a low-scoring affair at The Cooper Associates County Ground in their last match, Somerset beat Essex by 3 wickets.

And though the first match at this venue this season was a pretty high-scoring one, the bowlers were on top in the 1st innings. Hence, we reckon both teams will be looking to bowl first in this match.

Kent will be coming into this match with major batting issues to address. They won in Manchester against Lancashire even after finishing with just 261 runs batting first. It was the bowling effort from Nathan Gilchrist and Wes Agar that put them on top of the game as they bowled out Lancashire for 92 runs in the 1st innings. 

However, the batting inconsistencies mean Kent are heavily dependent on their bowlers to give them an edge in the game. Somerset pack a strong bowling attack and will pose a tough challenge to the visitors.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Somerset Preview

Somerset registered their first win of the County Championship 2024 in their recent home game against Essex. After opting to bowl first, they bowled out Essex for just 156 runs. However, when Somerset came out to bat, they finished with 128 all-out in their 1st innings.

Despite such a low total, Somerset managed to win the game as they successfully chased down 170 runs in the last innings with 3 wickets in hand. However, as they take on Kent in their next home game, Somerset should gear up for a comeback with the bat.

The visitors also have a strong bowling attack that has helped them win a Test recently. Matt Renshaw, Sean Dickinson, and Tom Lammondy will be the key players in the top order for Somerset.

They’ve got plenty of domestic experience and should be able to stage a comeback for their side. There is Tom Banton at number 5 who was quick to rise to fame in T20 cricket and will be crucial in the middle order.

In their previous outing against Worcestershire, Banton was run out on 92 runs. Andrew Umeed at number 4 is another promising middle-order batter. Umeed and Banton are tasked with building partnerships in the middle.

The batting lineup is quite deep with skipper Lewis Gregory and bowling all-rounder Miguel Pretorious in the lower order. These two are the key frontline bowlers for Somerset along with Josh Davey and Craig Overton. It is a decent pace attack and should pose a tough challenge to the visitors.

Somerset Predicted Playing XI:

Matt Renshaw, Sean Dickson, Tom Lammonby, Andrew Umeed, Tom Banton, James Rew (wk), Lewis Gregory (c), Craig Overton, Migael Pretorius, Josh Davey, Jake Ball

Kent Preview

After their 7-wicket win over Lancashire, Kent were almost on the verge of a loss in the very next game. While following on, skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond and Harry Finch played brilliantly to save the match.

Both played over 100 balls scoring in the 40s. Even after Drummond was dismissed, Joey Evison stood on the crease like a wall, not letting the opposition get through. 

Earlier, Jack Leaning scored 179 runs at number 4 as Kent finished with 407 runs in the 1st innings. This was in response to Worcestershire’s 618 for 7. It is not just the batting that hasn’t been consistent for Kent but also their bowling.

We have a better opinion of Kent’s batting considering the strength of this lineup. However, the bowlers aren’t as promising and their inconsistencies are more troubling than that of the batters.

In addition to Leaning, there are the likes of Zak Crawley, Bell-Drummond, and Joe Denly in this batting lineup who are all capable of playing big knocks. The lower order too has promising batters who can hold the fort in desperate times and even push the total to a competitive one.

Matthew Parkinson is the most used bowler in this squad. It shows that Kent expect him to make the most impact. Wes Agar, Nathan Gilchrist, and Joey Evison need to step up and deliver more consistent breakthroughs. Right-arm-fast bowler Beyers Swanepoel is another crucial figure to watch out for in the pace attack.

Kent Predicted Playing XI:

Ben Compton, Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond (c), Jack Leaning, Joe Denly, Harry Finch (wk), Joey Evison, Beyers Swanepoel, Wes Agar, Nathan Gilchrist, Matthew Parkinson

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

It is a balanced pitch that offers help for both batters and bowlers. And though it was completely in favor of the bowlers in the last outing, in the past it has helped the batters post big scores on this ground. The weather will be mostly cloudy on Day 1 and it will rain on Day 2 of this Test in Taunton.

Venue Details

The Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton will be the venue for this match between Somerset and Kent. It has been a high-scoring venue in the past but a recent match indicates that the bowlers are finding plenty of help and the contest will be a close one between bat and ball. We reckon the team batting first should aim for something over 350 in the 1st innings to stay competitive in the game.

Toss: To Bowl

Bowling first should be the preferred option for this match. The bowlers can find some help in the 1st innings and if they can restrict the opposition to under 300 runs, the team bowling first can get the upper hand in the contest.