SOMERSET CCC 2024 SEASON PREVIEW
So, Somerset have two of Englands top four spinners again…but this time it definitely cannot be put down to Ciderabad/dodgy pitch allegations- Shoaib Bashir barely played on them before the test call-up anyway!
His average of 67 in first-class cricket from just a handful of matches was widely publicised as was the fact that he was called up thanks to our former DEC writer Brad Adams putting a clip on socials of 25 deliveries to Sir Alastair Cook in summer.
Sadly this proves that Ben Stokes does not watch me commentating on the Somerset CCC livestream then, even England selection is done from social media clips these days!
A few of the young Somerset seamers had experience out in Asia this Spring too-the likes of Ned Leonard and Alfie Ogborne got to bowl at recent Scotland recruit Andy Umeed and co in a February sojourn to warmer climes. As well as the usual Abu-Dhabi preseason trip this gave great opportunities for grass wicket practice on different pitches.
Craig Overton having successful back surgery back in November is another plus, though don’t count out any fast bowler missing at least a couple of games a season due to injury or rest/rotation these days. He did not bowl until January, missed the SAT20 because of it but “felt better instantly.”
Ins: Jake Ball (Notts)
Outs: Steve Davies (Retired)
Jack Brooks (Released officially…Retired but not retired ‘in case a great opportunity pops up-T20 injury cover?!)
George Bartlett (Northants)
Overseas players: Will Sutherland (Australia; for the start of the County Championship campaign, subject to Victoria’s performance in the Sheffield Shield, and will also be available for selection for the group stages of the 2024 Vitality Blast.)
Matt Renshaw-opening block of Championship fixtures
Key Player
Tom Abell. Without the burden of captaincy (though I bet he will still lead by example and cover Lewis Gregory when he and Craig Overton miss the same game) we hope to see him back to his best.
His bowling improves each year too and was a real loss whilst he came back to playing as a pure batter after that injury he cruelly suffered depriving him of an England Lions stint in Bangladesh last Spring.
He did well in the SAT20 in the orange of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, given the chance to bat at three in one of the stronger franchise T20 leagues across this every-changing cricket-scape.
Just two days later he and his Taunton-teammate-Tom Banton both scored 40s for Dubai Capitals in the International League T20.
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Of course I could also have gone for the equally obvious James Rew, that man even beating Mr Abell and racket-sport pro Tom Lammonby in the club’s 2km time trial back in November showing further infinity to his talents.
Player to Watch
Lewis Goldsworthy. I may have been blowing his trumpet for years, but with George Bartlett’s departure now Tom Banton is his only real competitor for that four or five spot. Plus with Tom Kohler-Cadmore (TKC) in the IPL they could both get a game in early season.
He compliments the middle-order dashers of TKC, Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory and co, more in the mould of a Rew/Abell-who both could feasibly get international call-ups (mind you all of the five players named in this sentence have had England/Lions call-ups previously.)
And if Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach become one and two (ahead of Tom Hartley and Rehan Amed in English shores, or atleast one of these for a three-spin-home test series squad) for England, then Golders’ left-arm tweakers could be called upon more and more.
Strongest/potential XIs in all 3 formats: (in my opinion)
CC:
Renshaw/Dickson/Umeed
Lammonby
Abell
Goldsworthy
TKC (Banton during IPL-then whoever of 4/5 does best stays when he back)
Rew WK
Gregory/Green
Overton
England Lions’ Kasey Aldridge!
Davey/Ball/A another overseas when arrives to swap for Sutherland..?
Leach/Bashir
T20 (Defending Champions do not forget!):
Smeed
Banton WK
TKC
Abell
Lammonby/Dickson
Gregory/Green
Overton
VdM/an overseas or Brit passport signing like Imad Wasim I hope
Henry we wish, but unlikely with T20 WC, thus Sutherland/another overseas
Aldridge/Bashir depending on pitch/ground dimensions
Baker/Davey/Ball/none of these +Green in at 7 if Gregory fit to bat & bowl
ODC (pending forced unavailability’s which frustratingly change mid-season):
Thomas George
Umeed
Goldsworthy
Rew WK
Dickson
Thomas Josh
Kasey Aldridge
Ned Leonard
Josh Davey/Ball? (Rotate)
Baker
Shoaib Bashir
How they’ll fare
Jake Ball is a like-for-like, ageing right-arm, experienced seamer replacement for Jack Brooks, both of who could bat eight or nine in many sides, but likely 10 or 11 in any Somerset XI.
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Let us hope we see the best of Ball, not the disappointing performance we saw from him in a Notts shirt in Taunton last summer.
George Bartlett was lovely on the eye, but often flattered to deceive, so in all honesty won’t be a massive loss-he or Banton were always going to go this year with they plus Goldsworthy spending so much time warming the bench as three struggling to get into one spot.
The addition of a world-class fast bowler could be the difference again-a Matt Henry equivalent could take Somerset to a double, but without one I would expect mid-table mediocrity.
Opening Fixture
Friday 5th April 11:00 Kent Away CC
