KEVIN O’BRIEN is looking forward to Somerset’s Friends Life t20 clash against Northants today at Taunton (2.40pm) as he aims to get one over his brother and Steelbacks batsman Niall.
Big-hitting all rounder Kevin, who plays in the Ireland national team alongside his brother, said: “It’s going to a bit of a special game for me because I think its only the third or fourth time that I have played against my older brother Niall.
“It will be a special day for us with a bit of brotherly rivalry, so hopefully the weather will hold off and we can get a full game in.”
“It would be great if I got the chance to bowl and got him out which would give me the bragging rights when we go back home to join up with the Irish squad! All the family will be rooting for us on Sunday.
“The crowd seems to have really taken to Twenty20 down here in Taunton and it really helps having a good team to come and watch.
“Somerset have done pretty well over the last few years and its just a pity that they haven’t quite got over the line, but hopefully we can turn that around this season and get the trophy.”
The Steelbacks go into today’s game still looking for their first limited overs success of the season.
Their opening t20 clash against the Welsh Dragons on Thursday was abandoned after just 9.3 overs, and the County have yet to win in this season’s CB40 competition.
With South Africans Richard Levi and Albie Morkel having temporarily returned home to take part in a Twenty 20 series against Zimbabwe, Somerset are forced to make changes to their batting line-up against the Steelbacks.
Nick Compton is the man pencilled in to replace Levi at the top of the order, with Peter Trego as his partner now that Craig Kieswetter is away with the England one-day squad.
Levi and Morkel will not be back until the visit to Northants a week on on Tuesday.
George Dockrell and O’Brien also miss the next two group fixtures against Warwickshire and Welsh Dragons to play for Ireland in a one-day international against Australia at Stormont next Saturday.