A Century and a Half - Sheesh!! The take of a 90s fan
By Grockle
January 13 2025
The 150th anniversary of the start of this glorious county we watch, mumble about and generate memories of. Grockles has only seen the last fifth of that time but it has been a rollercoaster and we move into this momentous year with just a 'smidgen' of hope of something special before the end of it
So much behind and more to come?
1875 was a while ago. The county cricket of 'Somerset' has been here since then through the highs and the lows which people more invested than me will be able to tell you about. The pre and inter war years are in the hands of the historians and we'll probably see a lot of that over the next 12 months as the county celebrates its 150th year of existence. The Somerset 1975 -2025 publication is a decent place to start. It splits the history into the 'early', 'inter-war', 'post WW2', 'glory' years before we reach the 'present'. Others may define the phases differently.
My 'Somerset' experience is post 1995 as I was not immersed in the West Country version of cricket until well into my 30s. I knew of Botham, Richards and to a lesser extent (not because of his ability but because of his media presence) Garner. They aren't my 'glory' years like they are for others. Mine early memories were of Boycott, Randle, Snow and Knott. 'Somerset' was on the sideline of my experience until I found a 'home' at the County Ground in the mid 90s.
My personal Somerset 'heroes' are the long term players for that side who were there through MY highs and lows. Marcus Trescothick, Andy Caddick, James Hildreth, Jamie Cox, Jason Kerr, Peter Trego - players who have been there throughout my Somerset experience (some still are) as others have been there for other supporters. My first live wicket at Somerset was in a one day game between Somerset and Warwickshire when Paul Bird bowled the great Brian Lara for 11. People thought Paul was my son for a long time. But it was 'Kismet' and I was hooked. I rushed in to get set up in the Stragglers before Banger and Mark Lathwell came out to bat because if you weren't there at the start of an innings from them they might be gone before you settled. If they set their stalls out then you saw something very, very special.
I remember the disappointment of the 1999 'Cider Final' when we had such high hopes and underpreformed at the end. I felt for Steffan Jones who did not get to play in the final as Graham Rose was fit again. I remember the wonderful photo of Rosey standing defiantly after his second Lord's wicket as he produced a mediocre first spell in that game. I remember Kerr's blinding 10 over 7 wicket spell for 23 versus Leicestershire in a 'nothing' home county match in '99. Simon Ecclestone, Andre van Troost, Shane Lee, players you know who had an effect on YOU at THAT time in THOSE particular situations.
The 2001 Final and vindication. Those Parson's sixes!! The 2002 Final and being beaten by Elliot almost on his own. Shiney and 'George' Burns and Ricky Ponting and Dermott Reeve. 2005 and Smith, Jayasuriya and the Aussies. The T20 Final. Rob Turner and the less happy side of the county. 2007 and Langer and a side that wouldn't lay down. Back to the first division and the only 'Championship' we have won in the 150 years. THAT side that came second soooooo many times. Banger and England and then Banger without England. Blackwell here and gone. The Maynard experiment. The Nosworthy South African experiment. Jos and CK and the Somerset tragedy of both. The rise of the 'Academy influence' and the decline of the 'Old Guard'. 2010 and Notts - so near and yet so far. Such promise and..... Joe Tucker, Matt Bulbeck, Mike Munday, Gemal Hussain, Craig Meschede, Eddie Byrom, Adam Hose so many "what if's" and so many other things I'm sure people will remind me of. The new 20's generation we'll talk about at great length this season.
And so we are halfway through the second century of the county's history and also halfway through the second decade of the Third Millennium. Last year we were 'in dispatches' in all domestic competitions (I don't include the 'franchise' here because as a provincial county we are therefore 'persona non gratia' in that) but failed to take any of the trophies in the final sprint for the line.
We ARE a force in UK cricket though the ECB would like us not to be. We do have a very strong Academy of youngsters and we ARE a county that really important professionals from overseas would like to play for - the names are a list of the greats. We aren't rich and we aren't 'urban' enough but we are resilient and we keep knocking on the door for top honours despite the efforts of the central authorities to marginalise our achievements.
There is the possiblity that we may still win the County Championship before it ceases to be a national or even relevant title but we need to do it soon. We'll look a little later on in the Spring at our reasons for optimism there from Vaughan to Rew to Harvey. We ARE a white ball force in T20 having reached Finals day in every one of the last four years. There is even hope we can make it 5 in a row in '25. Our 50 over team continues to overperform and we'd like that to happen again this year again please.
Will Somerset be a memory in the domestic cricket structure of the 2030s or 2040s? Your guess is as good as mine but the history so far has been a rolling and rollicking story of triumph and depression, of 'gods and monsters' with one 'little' addition needed to cap the whole thing in glory.
The Championship may be a weight around the present managerial neck BUT it is the Holy Grail for Somerset supporters that they simply can't ignore, though they'd quite like to at times. This story won't ever be truly finished until the trophy sits in Taunton and the pennant flies from the Caddyshack. Hope is eternal and we all have the desire in there somewhere for 2025. Will this be THE year or just another one?
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:02:01:13:42:27 by Grockle.
1. The early games are as important as the late ones in winning the title. I was concerned towards the end of last season to hear Lewis Gregory saying something along the lines of, 'These are the important games because you know what you need to do.' Outstanding though Gregory's captaincy was in 2024, he was wrong on that point. For a side to win the Championship, every game is important.
2. Manage your pace attack across the competitions. Surrey do. I doubt any of their pace attack will play more than 8 or 9 Championship games. They have more depth but that makes it all the more important that we get our pace attack management as good as we can. Note too Hampshire in 2024. None of Abbot, Abbas and Barker played in the T20 campaign. They were fresh for a strong late Championship run-in. We do not have that luxury and the players will reasonably want their T20 opportunities. But, as far as you can, manage your pace attack.
Competing with Clubs with the depth and breadth of squad of Surrey and Hampshire, if we are to win the Championship we need to prioritise it, get the whole Club focused on it as THE priority. Despite our success, we are still a small Club and while we can compete in every competition, we cannot win them all at once. We never have and neither has any other Club. Warwickshire did once win three when there were four but that was in a different time. Learn our own lesson from 2010 and 2024. In both seasons, Somerset tried to win all three competitions and won none.
And one final, crucial point. Trying to win the Championship is not enough. The team regularly tries its heart out, I have no doubt. BUT, once the necessary building blocks are in place, Matt Henry for example, crucial, absolutely crucial, is belief. Belief that we WILL win it. So, don't just try to win it. Decide we WILL win it and organise and play accordingly, letting nothing stand in the way.
Well, the sky is blue, the sun is streaming through the window, I have been watching Somerset since 1958 (we beat Surrey) and I am due a flight of fancy before April and reality strikes.
Farmer
Astute observations indeed.
Grizzers
Archie is a vital component. We HAVE to make our first innings totals count & take every point from every game
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:22:10:27:38 by Grockle.
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Farmer