20 Things we have learnt this summer

Despite today’s anticlimactic end to Somerset’s final county championship game, we can look back on what has still been a very enjoyable season. So here, in no particular order, are 20 things we have learnt this summer.

1. It came home! And brilliant as Tom Banton (468 runs, SR 149.04, HS 84) and Will Smeed (523 runs, SR 175.5, HS 94) are at the top of the order, it’s clear that T20 trophy’s are won by an all round team performance, one that is characterised by superb fielding every bit as much as aggressive batting and tight bowling.

2. New Zealanders are our friends – Kiwi’s may not be the only fruit, but they might just be the best! Thank you Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner!

3. James Rew can bat, Tom Abell can bowl, and Craig Overton can catch. As well as keep wicket James Rew scored five championship hundreds this season, including one double hundred and equaled the record for the most scored by a teenager. It was great to see Tom Abell picking up wickets (4-54) against Kent and Craig ‘Bucket Hands’ Overton’s 22 catches in this season’s Blast was a tournament record.

4. But James ‘Butterfingers’ Anderson is only a mere mortal after all – even so, it’s probably best not to shout about it too much on social media platforms.

5. Andy Umeed likes to bat in one day cup games – 613 runs at an average of 87.57 with a HS of 172*.

6. You should never give up. Wins can come from the the least promising of positions – and even after the most disappointing of starts to a season you can still end up the match winner on T20 finals day. It’s been good to have you on board this year, Sean Dickson!

7. As well as being a 17th century theologian, Matt Henry is a mighty fine cricketer – and if he says he wants to play T20, you should just nod your head and give him a contract. Part of a devastating opening bowling attack with Craig Overton, he saved his best T20 performance for the final taking 4/24 to sneak past Ben Green and end as the competition’s leading wicket taker with 31 wickets at a strike rate of 10.13 and an economy of 7.83. And then there were his 32 wickets in the county championship at an average of 16.18 including 6-59 against Notts. A great overseas signing.

8. Irrespective of how much sand there is about the place, work is no day at the beach for the groundsmen. They’ve worked wonders this year. And so have those involved in delivering what must be the best livestream in the country. Great to have had Vic Marks, one of my childhood heroes, joining the always excellent Pete Trego and Sophie Luff this year.

9. Lammers and Golders have still got what it takes and we can look forward to lots more runs from both of them next season.

10. The future is bright with the likes of Shoaib Bashir and Alfie Ogbourne in the ranks and, given the chance, the youngsters in the squad can give Hampshire a run for their money – and very nearly beat them. As for Kasey Aldridge – his hand is still smarting from the brilliant and crucial catch he took to dismiss Adam Rossington in the T20 Final.

11. It’s easy for some to criticise – but easier still for everyone else to find things to praise in this Somerset squad – 350+ first class wickets for Lewis Gregory for example. And he had a baby too. Congratulations Louie G!

12. Stumpy’s efforts in the gym last winter proved ineffective in this year’s mascot race – which is disappointing in one sense but actually quite reassuring for all of us couch potatoes!

14. Decisions on when to declare and when to enforce the follow on can safely be left to the captain. Well led Tom Abell!

13. Jack Brooks (for his constant enthusiasm as well as his bowling) and Steve Davies (for his wicket keeping and elegant batting) will be sorely missed next year. Likewise George Bartlett, a youngster with great potential who will make Northants a stronger team next season. Wishing each one of them all the very best in their respective futures.

15. Party organisers at Surrey long for Somerset players to respond positively to the invitations that they constantly send them.

16. Predicting the weather for Edgbaston in mid July can be tricky.

17. Severe haircuts don’t prevent you taking trophy winning catches. ‘TKC take a bow’. The lad can bat too! (489 runs, SR 160.33, HS 72) Hearty congratulations on being called up to the England one day squad.

18. Enjoyable though hospitality is, it’s not a patch on watching Lewis Gregory (57*) and Ben Green (35*) secure the teams place at T20 finals day with an unbeaten 96 run partnership.

19. It’s all too easy to injury your finger playing cricket. Break one (Peter Siddle) and you’ll sadly be forced to return to Australia early. Dislocate one and you could always try to reduce it and play on – at least you could if you’re Roelof van der Merwe. And on the subject of injuries, with so many this year we know the team physios must be very busy people. It was good to have Josh Davey back at the end of the season and here’s to Craig O, Sonny Baker and Alfie Ogbourne being fully fit soon. And let’s not forget Jack Leach – hopefully we’ll see a lot more of him next year than we have this.

20. Cricket’s only a game – but what a truly wonderful game it is. And as is clear from reading about young Bodhi Atterton, the good it does is both on and off the field. If you haven’t done so already, you can read 6 year old Bodhi’s story here. We wish him well.

So thank you to all at Somerset CCC who have been involved in giving us another six months of terrific entertainment. I look forward to doing it all again next year.

Until then, enjoy the Cricket World Cup and winter well!

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This years cricket posts:

To read ‘When rain stops play’, click here

To read ‘Only a game’, click here

To read ‘The Hundred: is cricket amusing itself to death?’, click here

To read ‘The Somerset Cricket Emporium – 2023’, click here

To read ‘for the third time of asking, CRICKET’S COMING HOME…surely’, click here

To read ‘Twas the week of the final’, click here

To read ‘Sharing the important things: on introducing your grandchild to cricket’, click here

To read ‘Somerset v Nottinghamshire T20 Quarter Final 2023’, click here

To read ‘Breaking News’, click here

To read ‘Lewis Calpaldi – Retired Hurt?’, click here

To read ‘Cricket: It’s All About Good Timing’, click here

To read ‘Bazball, Bazchess, Bazlife’, click here

To read ‘Online criticism: it’s just not cricket’, click here

To read ‘Cigarettes, Singles, and Sipping Tea with Ian Botham: Signs of a Well Spent Youth!’, click here

To read ‘A Historic Day’, click here

To read ‘Cricket – through thick and thin’, click here

To read ‘Stumpy: A Legend Reborn’, click here

To read ‘my love is NOT a red, red rose’, click here

To read ‘A Cricketing Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’, click here

Previous years cricket posts:

To read ‘Scooby Doo and the Mystery of the Deseted Cricket Ground’, click here

To read ‘Brian and Stumpy visit The Repair Shop’, click here

To read ‘A Tale of Two Tons’, click here

To read ‘A Song for Brian’, click here

To read ‘A Somerset Cricket Players Emporium 2022’ click here

To read ‘A Cricket Taunt’, click here

To read ‘A Song for Brian’, click here

To read ‘At Season’s End’, click here

To read ‘A Day at the Cricket’, click here

To read ‘The Great Cricket Sell Off’, click here

To read ‘On passing a village cricket club at dusk one late November afternoon’ click here

To read ‘How the Grinch stole from county cricket…or at least tried to’. click here

To read ‘How Covid-19 stole the the cricket season’, click here

To read ‘A Cricket Tea Kind of a Day’, click here

To read ‘Life in the slow lane’, click here

To read ‘Frodo and the Format of Power’, click here

To read ‘If Only’, click here

To read ‘I’ve got a little CRICKET list’, click here

To read ‘Eve of the RLODC limericks’ click here

To read ‘It’s coming home…’, click here

To read ‘A Song for Ben Green’, click here

To read ‘Enough Said…’, the last section of which is cricket related, click here

A Jack Leach Trilogy:

To read ‘For when we can’t see why’, click here

To read ‘WWJD – What would Jack Do?’, click here

To read ‘On Playing a Blinder’, click here

To read ‘Coping with Disappointment’, click here

And to finish – a couple with a theological flavour

To read ‘Somerset CCC – Good for the soul’, click here

To read ‘Longing for the pavilion whilst enjoying a good innings’, click here