English-Aussie rivalry in Champions League (Preview)

The runner-ups in the English  domestic twenty-20 competition Somerset were addressed at the underdogs even in  the qualifying stage of the Champions League. Bereft of some first choice players-the most notable being skipper Marcus Trescothick, who doesn’t travel outside his country these days due to illness and a couple of young talented players owing to their commitments with the national team- Somerset have played some terrific all-round cricket thus far to make a strong statement to their counterparts.

After emerging undefeated in the qualifiers, the English side got their CL campaign off to a tremendous start. Courtesy whirlwind knock from South African all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe, Somerset chased down a stiff target against Kolkata in what in the end turned to be a lop-sided contest.

Champions in the Big Bash t-20 back home, South Australia Redbacks overcame a confidence denting  loss  to hand over a telling defeat to their opponents, Kolkata. Coincidentally, Kolkata have been casualty of both team’s super play.

The Redbacks’ win was fashioned out by their batsmen led by Callum Ferguson who hit a classy 63 and Daniel Christian’s breezy 42. The team management took a brave decision to drop ace pacer Shaun Tait but it didn’t cost them much. For their young fast bowlers stepped up to the plate playing a vital role in their side’s 25 run victory.

What should please the Redbacks’ management is the fact their top order is in a good shape with most of them looking in  nice touch. In the middle order they have a powerful hitter in Christian to surge the late charge. If Redbacks get all three facets of their game in order, they can prove a major challenge for Somerset.

On a high scoring Bangalore surface, batsmen will be itching to have a bat. Even scores over 170 are hard to defend at Chinnaswamy as ball comes on the bat quite nicely than other CL venues. It would be interesting how bowlers from the both side fare on this pitch having proved batsmen’s paradise in the previous matches.

For Somerset to surmount Redbacks’ challenge, they need to put their A game into play. Their power hitters at the top of the order- VD Merwe and Peter Trego-need to make most of the fielding restrictions to give their inexperienced top order a feel good about kind of a start.

Somerset have a top class operator with the ball in their skipper Alfonso Thomas who knows thing or two about how to get batsmen out or keep them under control in this format. He has seasoned left spinner in Murali Karthik to add variations to the attack. Karthik’s four overs in the middle overs could well prove the difference between the two sides if Indian cricket’s forgotten man has a good day.

For Bangalore fans, Champions League gives them a chance to taste English-Aussie rivalry at the club level, for once at least. Somerset would hope to have better of the Aussie side like their  national team is having over Australia at the international level.

Somerset Squad: Adam Dibble, Alex Barrow, Alfonso Thomas (c), Arul Suppiah, Chris Jones, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Gemaal Hussain, George Dockrell, James Hildreth, Jos Buttler, Lewis Gregory, Max Waller, Murali Kartik, Nick Compton, Peter Trego, Roelof van der Merwe, Steve Kirby, Steve Snell (wk)

South Australia Squad: Aaron O'Brien, Adil Rashid, Callum Ferguson, Cameron Borgas, Chadd Sayers, Daniel Christian, Daniel Harris, Gary Putland, James Smith, Kane Richardson, Michael Klinger (c), Nathan Lyon, Shaun Tait, Tim Ludeman (wk), Tom Cooper