There are many reasons for Somerset’s success in this year’s T20 competition. Most obviously, of course, there is their belligerent batting, penetrative bowling, and exceptional fielding, all masterfully overseen by the superb captaincy of Lewis Gregory.
But there was another factor that will have gone unnoticed by many. Because whilst during both games yesterday, first Lanky, and then Hawky, could be seen prowling – if that is what giraffes and hawks can be said to do – around the boundary gesticulating to crowd and players alike, Stumpy was nowhere to be seen.
And that’s not because he was neglecting his responsibilities. Far from it, because he was playing a key role in the dressing room instead.
It’s long been known that the much loved mythical beast of disputed nomenclature is one the players turn to for emotional and psychological support in times of trial, and this season he has continued to provide key encouragement when necessary.
Take last night for example. As Will Smeed was caught on the boundary and denied a much deserved Finals Day century, I can exclusively reveal that Lewis Gregory was suffering from an uncharacteristic crisis of confidence and for a moment it looked like he would be unable to bat.
But Stumpy was there for him – with just the right words at just the right time.
Exactly what those words were must rightly remain a secret to just the two of them but suffice to say that as Somerset’s captain took to the field he could be heard whispering repeatedly to himself the words: ‘You’ll do this with an over to spare. You’ll do this with an over to spare. You’ll do this with an over to spare.’
And we all know what happened next. No wonder then that Lanky, at the request of Hawky, tried to take Stumpy out during the mascot race!
Seriously though, I am grateful to not only Stumpy and the Somerset team for making the county’s 150th anniversary year so enjoyable, but also to both the truly welcoming team at Edgbaston yesterday and, of course, all the other counties, and their fans – including the very gracious Lancashire supporter I chatted to yesterday – who have contributed to make the Blast once again the best short format one day competition in the country.
It’s been a lot of fun!
Other cricket related posts:
This season:
To read ‘Only A Day Away’, click here
To read ‘No smoke without fire’, click here
To read ‘Importantly, why cricket doesn’t matter’, click here
To read ‘I Spy Somerset’s 150th Anniversary Season’, click here
To read ‘A Spring Watch’, click here
Last seasons’s cricketing blogs:
To read ‘Reasons to be cheerful’, click here
To read ‘First of the Summer Wine’, click here
To read ‘Safe and Sound at the County Ground, Taunton’, click here
To read ‘Is Cricket Amusing Itself to Death’, click here
To read ‘A Purr-fect day at the cricket’, click here
To read ‘Worth Every Penny’, click here
To read ‘The Somerset Cricket Emporium – 2024’, click here
To read ‘One Fine Day’, click here
To read ‘WWFD – what would Freddie do?’, click here
To read ‘A Shady News Story’, click here
To read ‘The Abolition of County Cricket’, click here
Cricketing blogs from 2023:
To read ‘20 Things we have learnt this summer’, click here
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
Cricketing blogs from previous years:
To read ‘A Cricketing Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story’, click here
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
Some musings 