Lewis Gregory is out of Somerset’s team for the Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium tomorrow (Friday).
The all-rounder could face a spell on the injured list, having sustained a back problem in the second Specsavers County Championship game of the season against Lancashire.
Gregory has since appeared in all three of Somerset’s Royal London Cup South Group wins, but with growing discomfort.
Director of Cricket Matthew Maynard said: “Lewis has not been right since Old Trafford and experienced a lot of soreness in his back and hip in our last 50-over game against Kent.
“We are having the injury scanned and he may need a longer rest than one game. It’s a blow after our excellent start in the Royal London Cup, but we have good cover in the shape of Tim Groenewald and Paul van Meekeren.”
One of those two seamers is likely to face Glamorgan in what may be the only Somerset change from the Kent game.
Maynard has been understandably delighted with the team’s 50-over form, which has seen them win 13 and tie one of their last 16 games in the competition, stretching back to the end of the 2015 season.
It’s a record he hopes to see extended at Cardiff, which has not been a happy hunting ground for Somerset in recent years. Their last List A win there was in 2010.
Maynard said: “We had a very poor record against Kent in one-day cricket, but we managed to put that right this week.
“The players are full of confidence going to Cardiff so hopefully we can lay that disappointing record to rest too.
“It won’t be easy because Glamorgan have a very talented one-day side, with the likes of Jacques Rudolph and Colin Ingram in their batting line-up.
“Ingram is a wily bowler too and they have good options with their seamers. I am expecting Timm van der Gugten to be fit to face us, but whatever the case their attack has to be respected.”
Steve Davies, with three successive ducks, and Jim Allenby have struggled for runs at the top of Somerset’s batting order in the opening games, but Maynard has no doubts that both will come good.
“It’s the old adage that form is temporary and class permanent,” he said. “We have managed to overcome poor starts in our games so far and it is only a matter of time before our openers contribute too.
“Steve has kept wicket beautifully. I noticed something with his batting in the Kent game, which we have been working on, and he will be fine.”