After a successful trip to Bristol, Sam Curran’s Surrey return home for their final Friday night fixture at the Kia Oval, going against Glamorgan.
The Three Feathers bounced back in style from their final-ball defeat against Essex Eagles in SE11 with a convincing 28-run victory versus defending champions Gloucestershire in Bristol on Wednesday night.
It’s going to be very hot and humid in south London and spectators are advised to come prepared with their water bottles, sun cream, shades and hats.
SQUAD
Jamie Overton, who is in the Test team and has been released by the ECB, comes into the squad that travelled to Bristol.
THATCHERS’ GUESS THE SCORE
You can win the Thatchers’ Guess the Score competition and take home a case of twenty-four 440ml cans of Thatchers Gold or Thatchers Zero. All you need to do is correctly predict Surrey’s score, or be the closest to it, in a home Vitality T20 Blast match at the Kia Oval.
GLAMORGAN
Previewed by Blake Bint, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Captain: Kiran Carlson
Overseas Players: Colin Ingram (South Africa, full competition), Hayden Kerr (Australia, full competition)
Finals day appearances: Two (2004, 2017)
Titles: None
2024 finish: Sixth (South Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Kiran Carlson (380)
2024 leading wicket-taker: Mason Crane (19)
Key winter moves: Glamorgan’s biggest miss for the T20 campaign this season will be Marnus Labuschagne. The all-action Australian joined for a couple of Rothesay County Championship matches, but international duties mean he’s not available for the Blast. But Glammy have made a smart move to bring in Aussie all-rounder Hayden Kerr who has been a mainstay with the Sydney Sixers and offers flexibility in the batting as well as a left-arm option.
The big question: Can interim head coach Richard Dawson bring his Midas Touch in white-ball cricket to Glamorgan? He led Gloucestershire to 50-over success in his first season across the Severn Bridge and the club reached the knockout stages of the Blast in four of his finals five seasons. He coached England U19s to a World Cup final and was on the England staff when the men’s team won the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Wildcard watch: Mason Crane is currently the only Glamorgan player in a The Hundred squad where he’ll continue to work with Dawson at Welsh Fire. Ben Kellaway will have eyes on him after his breakout white-ball campaign in 2023 and enters the tournament with solid red-ball form which could propel the ambidextrous 21-year-old’s hopes.
Final thought: After securing a white-ball title last year when winning the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Glamorgan will feel as though they underperformed in the Vitality Blast. They did show their quality in the final group game with a record-breaking win over eventual runners-up Somerset by 120 runs. They have players who will push at the door with Alex Horton, a potential replacement for veteran wicket-keeper Chris Cooke, and all-rounders Tom Bevan and Dan Douthwaite ensuring plenty of selection headaches.
