MATCH PREVIEW
Hampshire v Essex Eagles
NatWest T20 Blast (South Division)
Friday 8 July (7.00pm Start)
The Ageas Bowl
&
Hampshire Women v Essex Women
NatWest Women's T20 Cup
Friday 8 July (1.30pm Start)
The Ageas Bowl
England stars James Vince and Liam Dawson return for Hamshire, who have named a youthful squad to face Essex Eagles in the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday, as the The Ageas Bowl hosts a hotly anticipated T20 double-header.
Hampshire will be hunting for their second victory in this year’s Blast, following Friday’s opening match between Hampshire Women and Essex Women, who battle in the NatWest Women’s T20 Cup.
Liam Dawson and James Vince have been included in Hampshire’s 14-man squad, having both featured in England’s T20 victory over Sri Lanka in front of a sell-out crowd at the The Ageas Bowl on Tuesday night.
Resuming his role as club skipper, Vince will be hoping to reproduce the form shown when the sides met in 2014, high-scoring with 57 off 47 balls and guiding Hampshire to an 8-wicket victory.
Hampshire’s squad has an average age of 25 years, with opportunities provided for a selection of up-and-coming talents, including 19-year-olds Brad Wheal and Brad Taylor, and 18-year-old Jake Goodwin.
Goodwin – a highly capable all-rounder for the Academy and Second XI - has shown real promise with the bat and hitting 113 runs for the Academy in mid-June helped warrant his inclusion.
Six members of Hampshire's squad are under 22 years of age - they have just 17 NatWest T20 Blast appearances between them.
Getting back to winning ways in the NatWest T20 Blast is the aim - it's a competition we've performed consistently in over the past few years and having Daws and Vince back is a huge boost.
Giles White, Director of Cricket
Giving the younger players an opportunity at first team level is really important. Learning from the experienced guys and getting an insight into how the first team prepare is hugely beneficial for them.
Jake Goodwin has shown real strength with the bat for the Second XI and his striking of the ball has been impressive at the top of the order. He’s capable in all aspects of the game and we want to introduce him to the first team environment.
Essex pose a serious threat with the bat, led by Jesse Ryder, who recently surpassed 3000 runs in the NatWest T20 Blast. Ryder remained unbeaten as he compiled a career-best innings of 107 runs when the sides met in 2015.
Skipper Ravi Bopara looks in good form, having smashed 81 off 43 balls against Kent last week. Ashar Zaidi hit 52 off 32 against Hampshire in June, before being removed by Gareth Andrew when Essex were victorious at Chelmsford.
The first match of the day sees Hampshire Women take on Essex Women, boosted by a 5-wicket victory over Worcestershire on Sunday and captained by wicket-keeper batsman Naomi Lynch.
Southern Vipers all-rounder Katie George has also been included in Hampshire's squad, looking to impress before the Vipers get underway in the Women's Super League later this month.
Did You Know?
Hampshire's 14-man Squad:
|
Shahid Afridi (00) |
Lewis McManus (18) |
|
Joe Weatherley (5) |
Mason Crane (32) |
|
Sean Ervine (7) |
Tino Best (36) |
|
Liam Dawson (8) |
Gareth Andrew (55) |
|
Tom Alsop (9) |
Brad Wheal (58) |
|
James Vince (14) Captain |
Brad Taylor (93) |
|
Michael Carberry (15) |
Jake Goodwin |
Hampshire Women's Squad: Naomi Lynch(c), Sam Betts, Rachel Carrick, Clover Crosse, Sian Edwards, Katie George, Becky Hartnett, Chloe Mickelthwaite, Alice Monaghan, Ellie Musson, Amy Page, Charlotte Taylor, Emily Windsor
Coverage:
Live text commentary will be available via the Hampshire Cricket Twitter and Facebook pages.
There will also be ball-by-ball commentary available on BBC Radio Solent and online at bbc.co.uk.
Weather:
For a full forecast of Friday's weather, visit Met Office: www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast
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