TOM Abell and Tom Banton are back in the Somerset squad for today's back-to-back T20 matches against Gloucestershire at the Bristol County Ground.

Both players missed Somerset's first couple of pre-season matches after returning from the Pakistan Super League earlier this month, the competition having been suspended due to a spate of Covid-19 cases.

Banton was one of the players to return a positive Covid test, as was his Somerset team-mate Lewis Gregory - who is yet to return to the squad during this 2021 pre-season campaign.

Will Smeed, Max Waller and Sam Young also come into a 17-man squad named by Somerset head coach Jason Kerr for today's two T20 matches, which are scheduled to start at 11am and 3pm.

Somerset squad: Tom Abell, Kasey Aldridge, Tom Banton, George Bartlett, Eddie Byrom, Steve Davies, Marchant de Lange, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, James Hildreth, Tom Lammonby, Ned Leonard, Craig Overton, Will Smeed, Roelof van der Merwe, Max Waller, Sam Young.

Those T20 matches follow a two-day red-ball fixture between the teams in Taunton, which saw the home side score 251-7 from 84 overs on Tuesday and Gloucestershire respond with 420-8 from 97 overs on Wednesday as the game ended as a draw.

Ryan Higgins (72 retired) top scored for the visitors, while there were also handy contributions from Tom Lace (71), Jack Taylor (56 retired) and George Scott (56*).

Six Somerset bowlers claimed one wicket apiece - Kasey Aldridge (1-41 off 11 overs), Marchant de Lange (1-43 off 13), Tom Lammonby (1-25 off five), Ned Leonard (1-80 off 15), Craig Overton (1-41 off 13) and Roelof van der Merwe (1-60 off 15).