Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara set for Somerset challenge (From Gazette)

Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara set for Somerset challenge

3:36pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in Essex County Cricket Club news By James Colasanti

ENGLAND stars Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara are in the Essex squad for tonight’s Twenty20 quarter-final at Somerset.

Captain and wicket-keeper James Foster has also travelled with the squad to Taunton after missing the Championship defeat to Hampshire for personal reasons.

Owais Shah has also been named in the 14-man squad, but he will face a late fitness test on a calf injury.

Essex head coach Paul Grayson said everyone at the club is relishing the chance to take part in the crunch clash.

He said: “We travelled down on Sunday night, everyone is fresh and really looking forward to it.

“We’ve had some good battles with Somerset over the last few years in one-day cricket and I think it will be exactly the same in this game.

“Both sides will be going at it and it could come down to one defining over or one particular individual display.

“And we have just got to make sure we win those big moments in the game.

“We’ve played some very good Twenty20 cricket at times this season, but we know Somerset are an excellent side and we have to make sure we are at the top of our game.

“We’ve got a good side out, the best that we could put out in the competition, everyone is confident and we’ll be giving it our best shot.”

The teams have met on four previous occasions with honours shared at two wins apiece.

Victory for the Eagles would book their place at Finals Day for the fourth time in their history. This year the Finals Day will take place at the Swalec Cardiff on August 25.

Essex versus Somerset will be screened live on Sky Sports 2, with coverage starting at 4pm.

In the other quarter finals, Sussex host Gloucestershire tonight, and tomorrow Yorkshire entertain Worcestershire, and Nottinghamshire are at home to Hampshire.