Somerset vs Surrey Prediction: Hosts feel the need for Smeed

Somerset launch their T20 Blast campaign with a marquee South Group fixture against Surrey at Taunton on Friday. This one is live on Sky Sports+ with a 18:30 start time. The game will shift to Sky Sports Cricket at the conclusion of the IPL match.

Surrey saw off Somerset’s challenge in the County Championship last summer, but Lewis Gregory’s side have beaten the Brown Caps on Finals Day in each of the past two seasons. 

Somerset come into this clash off the back of three consecutive Championship wins and will be boosted by the availability of explosive opener Tom Banton - who topped their run charts with 515 runs in the Blast last season. 

Somerset vs Surrey T20 Blast Odds

Somerset are 4/5 to get their T20 Blast campaign off to a winning start with Surrey priced at Evens to gain revenge for their recent semi-final defeats. 

It's 10/11 for the home side to hit the most sixes in the match, while the Brown Caps are priced at 5/6 to have the Highest 1st 6 Overs Score. 

Team news 

Banton has been released from England's one-day international squad and will open the batting alongside Will Smeed. 

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Somerset's next-highest run-scorer in last season's Blast with 386, returns to the squad but Sean Dickson (hand) and James Rew (England Lions) miss out. 

All-rounder Ben Green, the team's leading wicket-taker in last season's T20 Blast, is available, despite going on loan to Leicestershire in the County Championship. 

Lewis Goldsworthy gets the nod over Jack Leach in the spin department, with Riley Meredith and Matt Henry spearheading the new-ball attack. 

Surrey will be led by Sam Curran, who may be available for the whole tournament after his England snub. 

Curran looks set to feature in the middle order behind former England openers Jason Roy and Dom Sibley with Ollie Pope taking the gloves and bat at three. 

The dangerous Laurie Evans will follow at five, with Yousef Majid's slow left-arm bowling complimenting a varied and experienced seam attack. 

Will Jacks, Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith are all on England duty, while Dan Lawrence is sidelined through injury. 

Somerset to win @ 4/5   

Somerset have had the better of recent clashes with Surrey in all formats and there is no reason to suggest this will go any differently. 

Gregory's side have reeled off three consecutive Championship victories in a row and have a balanced team that are used to winning at home. 

Henry and Craig Overton have been bowling well with the red ball and Meredith has been a consistent threat in the Big Bash League for several seasons. 

Surrey, meanwhile, have question marks over the form of Roy - who bagged a pair in their Championship draw with Essex this week - and the make-up of their attack. 

The Curran brothers have been expensive recently, while the team's most economical bowlers last term are either injured (Lawrence) or have left the club (Spencer Johnson). 

Will Smeed - Top Somerset Batter - 10/3 

Banton's return alongside Smeed at the top of Somerset's order gives the hosts a fearsome opening partnership that can punish any wayward bowling in the powerplay overs. 

The England star hit the headlines with a once-in-a-lifetime knock of 371 in April, but he appears to have gone off the boil since then. 

Smeed, who has been getting his eye in while playing for Somerset's second XI, is in good nick and has proven his class in franchise T20 cricket this year. 

He scored two half-centuries in four innings for the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 and might prove to be one of the toughest outs for Surrey on Friday evening. 

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