Essex vs Somerset Tips - Rossouw at the ready to upset Essex

Ralph Staniforth

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Last updated: 19 Jun 2022

Ralph Staniforth 19 Jun 2022

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Essex vs Somerset predictions for Sunday’s Vitality Blast cricket match
Fixture will be played at Chelmsford, June 19, 2022, at 15:30 SAST
Somerset’s Rilee Rossouw is fourth in the Vitality Blast run-scoring list with 352 runs.
Can the Essex bowlers contain the big-hitting Somerset batters?

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Essex backed to win (Getty Images)

Essex vs Somerset Predictions

With Somerset and Essex sitting at 2nd and 3rd place on the table separated by just 1 point, this match has the potential to be a humdinger. Somerset have won 6 from 8 matches, while Essex have won 5 from 9, with one match abandoned.

Essex vs Somerset Predictions
Head to Head
Essex Form
Essex Injuries & Team News
Somerset Form
Somerset Injuries & Team News

The difference between the teams is likely to be Somerset batter Rilee Rossouw, although Essex do have the tighter bowling attack, which should make for a really good contest.

Somerset’s Rilee Rossouw has scored 81*, 67, 26, 74, 30* and 54 in his 8 innings in this year’s Vitality Blast.
Somerset’s Will Smeed’s score of 94* against Glamorgan is the 8th highest score in the tournament.
Essex’s Michael Pepper and Matt Critchley have both scored 34+ on four occasions this season.
Essex’s Daniel Sams’ match-winning 71 against Sussex came off just 24 balls.

Head to Head

Somerset have won three of the last five matches between the two teams, although the last two matches were both decided using the D/L method. Essex won both of their match-ups last year, but Somerset won the most recent match, which was at the end of May 2022.

When the two teams met earlier this season at Taunton, Somerset bowled superly to restrict the visitors to 139/9 in a rain-shortened innings, Michael Pepper (37) and Matt Critchley (60) helping to keep the innings on track after incredible bowling from Marchant de Lange (4/9).

Somerset had the D/L advantage on their side when they began their run chase, but it was thanks to a second-wicket partnership of 102 between Will Smeed (58) and Rilee Rossouw (67) that Somerset were able to seal the win with six wickets and 3.2 overs to spare.

Essex Form

Essex have won their last two games on the bounce and have won three of their last four matches.

Their last outing was a high-scoring thriller against Sussex which Essex won by 11 runs. The Essex top four each passed 30 before Daniel Sams came in at six and destroyed the Sussex bowlers, slamming six sixes and six fours in a 24-ball 71 that rocketed his side to 244/7 off their 20 overs.

Sussex made a good fist of it by reaching 233/6 off 20 overs but the target was beyond them. Matt Critchley (2/37) starred with the ball for Essex.

Essex Injuries & Team News

Essex are likely to field an unchanged side after their good run of form.

Somerset Form

Somerset have won three and lost two of their last five matches and will come into this match full of confidence.

Their last match was a seven-run win over Gloucester, which saw Somerset set Gloucester a challenging target of 185 after Lewis Gregory (60*) and Rilee Rossouw (54) provided the backbone of their team’s 184/6 off 20 overs.

Gloucester put up a good fight to reach 177/8 off their 20 overs, with Peter Siddle knocking over Gloucester’s two top-scorers in picking up 3/30 to ensure his side secured the win.

Somerset Injuries & Team News

Somerset have no injury concerns and will field an unchanged side.

Verdict

Essex v Somerset

This could be a really close encounter, but I’m tipping Somerset to take the win because of their more consistent run of form… and I am backing Rilee Rossouw to continue his incredible run of scoring with a score of 35+.

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