Reigning champions Somerset travel to Headingley to take on Yorkshire in the T20 Blast quarter-finals on Wednesday with a spot at Saturday’s Finals Day up for grabs.
Both teams have had fine seasons in the Blast, coming second in their respective groups to seal a place in this week's quarter-finals.
The two counties won seven matches each across their 12 group games, with Somerset losing five and Yorkshire losing four and tying one.
Somerset go into this match with three consecutive wins and four from their last five, while Yorkshire head in with three wins from their last four.
For Yorkshire, Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow and Matthew Revis have been outstanding with the bat, forming one of the most destructive top‑orders in the North Group, with Joe Root available for the latter stages of the tournament.
With the ball, Jafer Chohan and Andrew Tye have led the charge - alongside the superb Hasan Ali, who tops the entire Blast wicket charts with 25 scalps at a strike rate of 9.6.
Somerset's batting has been led by recent England debutant James Rew and Will Smeed, with Thomas Rew and Tom Banton also chipping in with vital runs.
In the bowling department, Daniel Sams leads the way with 17 wickets, supported by Jake Ball with 13 and Craig Overton's 11.
Home advantage and international experience should give Yorkshire the edge in what is set to be a finely poised clash.
Yorkshire v Somerset Tips Summary
Best Bet - Yorkshire to win @ 11/10
Alternative Bet - Hasan Ali to take over 1.5 wickets @ 13/8
Bet Builder - Adam Lyth 2+ sixes, Andrew Tye 2+ wickets & Joe Root 30+ runs @ 10/1
Yorkshire v Somerset Prediction
Best Bet: Yorkshire to win @ 11/10
Somerset are the reigning T20 champions, but they have not hit the heights this season that they showed last year and Yorkshire could have the upper hand in this clash.
A close tie is expected but the return of Joe Root to Headingley for the final few matches of this year's Blast has been a huge boost to Yorkshire, and he adds experience and winning know-how to the top of the order.
With Root back, Yorkshire's squad looks deep and capable of getting the big scores needed to go far in the Blast.
He joins Lyth and Bairstow, who are both in fine form, plus the exciting William Luxton, Revis and veteran Moeen Ali.
This is expected to be a tight, tense affair, but with home advantage playing a part, Yorks can get the job done and progress to Finals Day at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Alternative Bet: Hasan Ali to take over 1.5 wickets @ 13/8
Hasan Ali has bowled superbly throughout this competition and is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 25 to his name in 11 matches at a strike rate of just 9.60, including two four-wicket hauls.
The Pakistan seamer is ably supported by a solid bowling unit at Yorkshire, but it is Ali who is the biggest threat and can knock over at least two of the Somerset batters in this tie.
Yorkshire v Somerset Bet Builder Tip
Adam Lyth 2+ sixes
Andrew Tye 2+ wickets
Joe Root 30+ runs
Pays 10/1
Amad Lyth is a man in fine form, he is Yorkshire’s leading run scorer across the group stage of the Blast with recent scores of 52, 25, 131 and 26 in his last four innings.
During that sequence, he has hit a minimum of two sixes per innings and 16 in total. Backing the Yorkshire opener to continue his fantastic run appeals in this three-fold.
Hasan Ali has led the way with the ball for Yorkshire this season, taking 25 wickets in 11 innings, and he has been ably supported by Andrew Tye, who has the joint-third most wickets in the Blast with 20 to his name.
Tye’s strike rate is 13.30, and the Australian seamer is more than capable of taking two or more wickets in this quarter-final clash.
Rounding out this bet builder is Joe Root to score 30 or more runs. The former England captain is back from international duty and has slotted back in nicely for his county.
He has yet to hit a significant score in his two appearances in this season’s Blast, but England's leading run scorer across all formats of the game has too much quality to go too long without a big knock to his name.
A knockout match at his home ground is exactly the type of scenario he is built for.
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Key Match Stats
Five of Yorkshire's seven wins in this summer’s Blast competition have come at Headingley
Adam Lyth is Yorkshire’s leading run scorer this season with 409
Hasan Ali is the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 25 to his name
Somerset have qualified for the previous five Finals Days
James Rew is Somerset's leading run scorer this Blast with 426
Somerset won last season's T20 Blast competition, their third triumph
Tactics, Form & Team News
Yorkshire got back to winning ways last time out to secure their quarter-final spot and the XI that took to the field that day are likely to do so again at Headingley this week.
With Joe Root back from international duty, the former England captain has slotted in at number three and is set to remain there for this knockout clash.
Expected Yorkshire XI: Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow (c, wk), Joe Root, William Luxton, Moeen Ali, Matthew Revis, Dom Bess, Logan van Beek, Andre Tye, Hasan Ali, Jafer Chohan.
Given they head into this clash on the back of four consecutive wins, Somerset are unlikely to make any changes to the winning formula they have landed upon.
Smeed and Thomas Rew have been going well at the top of the order, with Tom Kohler-Cadmore in at three and England international James Rew at four.
Their potent bowling attack is headed up by Overton, with Riley Meredith, Jake Ball and Jack Leach the main men in support.
Expected Somerset XI: Will Smeed, Thoams rew (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, James Rew, Lewis Goldsworthy, Lewis Gregory (c), Daniel Sams, Craig Overton, Jack Leach, Riley Meredith, Jake Ball.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
