Squad News For Glamorgan v Essex Eagles

1 Jun 2016 | Cricket
Head Coach Robert Croft has named a 16-man squad for Glamorgan’s first home match in the NatWest T20 Blast 2016 against Essex Eagles tonight.

Glamorgan will be looking to make it two wins out of two after an eight-wicket win over Surrey last week.

The squad includes new overseas recruit Dale Steyn, who is expected to make his Glamorgan debut. Steyn will team up with Timm van der Gugten, whose astonishing figures of 4-1-14-4 clinched Glamorgan’s stunning win in their opening match at The Kia Oval.

Glamorgan's leading T20 wicket-taker Dean Cosker has his eye on the 100-wicket milestone in the shortest format, currently standing on 94 wickets.

Captain Jacques Rudolph will bat at the top of the order after scoring 34 not out against Surrey. Rudolph said: “The first four games hadn't gone according to plan but since the last two we've been playing a much better brand of cricket.

"Hopefully that momentum can carry on during this whole campaign.”

Essex are without Graham Napier for the match, naming a 12-man squad which includes young bowlers Callum Taylor, Matt Quinn and Matt Dixon.

Head Coach Chris Silverwood wanted his side to bounce back after they lost to Surrey in their opening game.

He said: “It was disappointing to lose our opening game, it was only by a narrow margin but that’s Twenty20 cricket and we move on, regroup and start again.”

“We look at every game as a must win game and this will be no different. It’s always important to win because success in any format of the game breeds confidence and we are going down to Glamorgan with every intention of getting that first T20 victory under our belts.”

Glamorgan squad: Jacques Rudolph (capt), David Lloyd, Colin Ingram, Aneurin Donald, Chris Cooke, Craig Meschede, Graham Wagg, Andrew Salter, Dale Steyn, Timm van der Gugten, Michael Hogan, Dean Cosker, Mark Wallace, Nick Selman, James Kettleborough, Dewi Penrhyn-Jones.

Essex squad: Ravi Bopara (capt), Jesse Ryder, Tom Westley, Dan Lawrence, Ryan ten Doeschate, Ashar Zaidi, James Foster, Wahab Riaz, Matt Dixon, Matt Quinn, Callum Taylor, David Masters.

Glamorgan’s first home match in the T20 Blast gets underway at 6.30pm tonight at The SSE SWALEC.