Sanderson calls on Steelbacks to summon the spirit of 2016 against Somerset

One of only two survivors from the club's most recent Blast win eight years ago, the other being Rob Keogh, Sanderson says he can see similiarities in how the two campaigns have played out.

The Steelbacks take on a star-studded Somerset, hampered by the fact some of their key players will be missing, with Ravi Bopara injured and leading run-scorer Matt Breetzke unavailable as he is on international duty.

Breetzke's fellow overseas signng Sikandar Raza is also unavailable, while it is touch and go as to whether Ricardo Vasconcelos will play as he is nursing a fractured hand suffered in last week's abandoned Championship match at Gloucestershire.

It means head coach John Sadler is going to be calling on two or three players who haven't really been involved in the Blast so far this summer to step up and shine, and that is a scenario Sanderson knows only too well.

Back in 2016, Richard Gleeson was the Steelbacks' star bowler, but the pace man was injured playing in a One Day Cup quarter-final in the days leading up to Finals Day.

That opened the door for Sanderson to play on the big stage at Edgbaston, and he responded by taking two wickets in the semi-final against Notts and then three in the final win over Durham – including the key wickets of Ben Stokes and Paul Collingwood.

"I was fortunate in 2016, in that I think I only played one of the group stage games, but then ended up playing in the semi-final and final and did well," said Sanderson, who has now claimed 101 wickets in T20 cricket.

"Hopefully somebody else will get that fortune this time and get us to Finals Day."

Asked to compare this year to 2016, he added: "There are similarities now, certainly with all the injuries and with us being without the big stars that are missing.

"Back then we didn't have many big stars, I think Ducky (Ben Duckett) would have been the up and coming star in that team.

"But the rest of the lads just wanted to play for each other, and it had a really good squad mentality about it.

"The lads that are in that dressing room now and getting ready to play on Thursday have been here all winter, have been around all summer, and have trained with each other.

"So that will make it all the more special if we do come away with the win."

So is it written in the stars that the Steelbacks are going to claim a third Blast title?

"I hope so!," said Sanderson. "I do like the similarities that there are injuries, and our backs are up against the wall a bit.

"We are playing against a good team with lots of players in The Hundred and stuff like that, so they should be pretty sharp.

"So we are probably massive underdogs, but I like like that angle for us."

Despite the injuries and unavailabilities that have hit the squad, the Steelbacks will be able to field their frontline attack against Somerset, and that is a bonus for Sanderson.

"Luckily enough we have not lost many bowlers," said the 35-year-old.

"I know Raphy (Weatherall) has gone down who could have come in, but we have myself, Jack (White) and Dave (Willey) up top, and we have been lucky enough to get Ash (Agar) back as well, which is a big bonus.

"So I think it will be pretty much the same as it has been."