Trescothick eyeing vital victory over Gloucestershire
If the Sabres win they will all but guarantee qualification for the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals.
Last night's rained off game at Taunton means Somerset and their opponents Northamptonshire are joint top of the Midlands/Wales/West group with 11 points.
So by moving onto 13 points, the Sabres will probably ensure themselves of at least third place in the group because the two teams who can still catch them – Warwickshire and Worcestershire – play each other tonight in the penultimate round of games.
The top two in each of the three groups go into the last eight plus the two best third-placed teams. The third-placed team from the North group can achieve only a maximum of 12 points.
Somerset will qualify if they win tonight and Warwickshire and Worcestershire do not have an abandonment or a tie.
Unfortunately, more storms are predicted at Bristol tonight for a West derby fixture that has been plagued by bad weather. Three of the previous five Twenty20 games between the teams at Nevil Road have been rained off.
"The game at Bristol is really important for us and if we win that then we have almost got one foot in the next round," said the former England ace.
However, Trescothick is well aware that Alex Gidman's side have a good record against their local rivals in one-day cricket.
"Even though Gloucestershire haven't done so well in this competition they beat us earlier on and also beat Northants this week," he said.
"Being born near Bristol and having lived nearby I have got a lot of connections with the city with my parents still living there, so it's still got a little bit of familiarity about it.
"I always find playing against Gloucestershire on their own ground hard work because they are a good team at home so they will present us with a challenge."
"The wicket is different to Taunton and par score there is probably about 150-160 and it's a place where things haven't always gone our way.
"However if we continue to play the standard of cricket we have been, then we give ourselves a good chance."
The Sabres' other north Somerset boy, Weston-born Pete Trego, will have his own fan club at Nevil Road.
"Every time you play against Gloucestershire there is a little bit extra on it and, being a local lad, a lot of my friends from Weston will be up watching and it adds a bit of spice to it," he said.
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