HAVING moved to top spot in their County Championship group on Sunday, Somerset turn their attention to T20 cricket now, with their Vitality Blast campaign starting at home to Essex Eagles tomorrow (Wednesday, 6.30pm).

As well as Essex, Somerset’s other South Group opponents are Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex Sharks.

The aim is to qualify for the quarter-finals, alongside the best teams from the North Group, and then Finals Day at Edgbaston on September 18.

Somerset’s first three group stage matches (and five of their first seven) are at home, and so a strong start looks essential.

Somerset will have Devon Conway - who scored a double hundred on his Test debut for New Zealand against England last week - as their second overseas signing, between June 23 and July 18.

That will make him available for at least nine of Somerset’s Blast group stage matches, as well as two County Championship fixtures.

Other overseas players in the South Group include Australians Sean Abbott (Surrey) and D’Arcy Short (Hampshire), New Zealanders Colin de Grandhomme (Hampshire), Daryl Mitchell (Middlesex), Jimmy Neesham (Essex) and Glenn Phillips (Gloucestershire), and former Pakistan star Mohammad Amir (Kent).

Somerset have named the following squad for tomorrow's match:

Lewis Gregory (c), Tom Abell, Kasey Aldridge, Tom Banton (wk), Jack Brooks, Eddie Byrom, Josh Davey, Marchant de Lange, Ben Green, James Hildreth, Tom Lammonby, Will Smeed, Roelof van der Merwe, Max Waller.

Somerset T20 fixtures

Wednesday, June 9: Somerset v Essex

Friday, June 11: Somerset v Surrey

Tuesday, June 15: Somerset v Kent

Friday, June 18: Sussex v Somerset

Saturday, June 19: Somerset v Glamorgan

Wednesday, June 23: Surrey v Somerset

Friday, June 25: Somerset v Hampshire

Monday, June 28: Kent v Somerset

Tuesday, June 29: Essex v Somerset

Thursday, July 1: Gloucestershire v Somerset

Friday, July 2: Somerset v Middlesex

Friday, July 9: Hampshire v Somerset

Friday, July 16: Glamorgan v Somerset

Sunday, July 18: Somerset v Gloucestershire

*Tuesday, August 24-Friday, August 27: T20 quarter-finals

*Saturday, September 18: T20 Finals Day (at Edgbaston)

* = Subject to qualification