County Championship Preview: Hampshire v Somerset
THE MATCH
Somerset travel to Utilita Bowl to take on Hampshire in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.
Day one of this fixture is tomorrow (Friday April 17th).
Tickets for this match are still available:
SCHEDULED HOURS OF PLAY:
Morning session: 11:00am to 1pm
Afternoon session: 1:40pm to 3:40pm
Evening session: 4pm to 6pm
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
You can keep up to date using the dedicated Match Centre on this website which will feature a live stream of the action courtesy of Hampshire CCC.
In-play updates will also appear on our X feed (formerly Twitter).
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
HAMPSHIRE
Captain:Â Ben Brown
Head coach:Â Russell Domingo
2025 finish:Â 8th
2025 highest run-scorer:Â Ben Brown (758)
2025 highest wicket-taker:Â Kyle Abbott (56)
Key winter moves: The biggest shake-up at Utilita Bowl has come off the field with Adi Birrell leaving after seven years, to be replaced as head coach by his protégé, Russell Domingo. Bowling coach Shane Burger has arrived from Somerset to take over from Graeme Welch. On the pitch, Keith Barker is the only major departure, with highly experienced batter Australian Jake Lehmann arriving as a domestic player after helping South Australia win their second successive Sheffield Shield title.
What can we expect?: Players stepping up. The likes of Fletcha Middleton, Toby Albert, Ali Orr, and Scott Currie have been given opportunities and now they need to come of age and support the experienced core of Ben Brown, Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Nick Gubbins. The recruitment of Jake Lehmann should ease some of the batting pressure, while Ben Mayes’ emergence is one to keep a close eye on – especially after a run-filled winter at the Under 19 World Cup.
Aiming to catch the Test selectors’ eye: Sonny Baker. His international debuts last summer might have been ones to forget but his first injury-free Rothesay County Championship season should be deemed a success. His pace speaks for itself, but he is picking up skills and smarts all the time. He is a knowledge sponge, and having Kyle Abbott nearby will only fast-track his development.
Final thought: From early-season overseas chaos to points deductions, and double white ball final heartache to almost relegation – but for Durham’s catastrophic final day Hampshire would be in Division Two. 2025 was a year to forget. Simply, 2026 has to be better. The talent is in the squad, but they lack the experience and reliability to be considered title challengers. Improving home form, where they won once last year on largely lifeless pitches, must be a priority.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset will be without Tom Banton (IPL), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Thumb) and Lewis Goldsworthy (Hamstring).
Here is the Somerset squad for this match:
- Lewis Gregory (c)
- Josh Thomas
- Archie Vaughan
- Tom Lammonby
- James Rew
- Tom Abell
- Will Smeed
- Craig Overton
- Jack Leach
- Migael Pretorius
- Alfie Ogborne
- Jake Ball
- Josh Shaw
CLASSIC MATCH
We travel back to the year 2000 for the classic First Class match between Somerset and Hampshire.
The fixture at Southampton saw Somerset come out on top by nine wickets thanks to impressive performances by Andy Caddick and Jamie Cox.
Hampshire Captain, Robin Smith won the toss and elected to bat first but five wickets for Caddick ensured that the hosts were limited to a total of 232. Derek Kenway was the only batter to offer any resistance, making 93 not out.
The Somerset reply got off to the worst possible start when Marcus Trescothick was out for three. Caddick, acting as night watcher, also fell cheaply leaving the visitors on 14 for two at the end of the first day.
Day two started in similar fashion for Somerset when Piran Holloway was dismissed for 0. However, Cox took the game by the scruff of the neck and his 153 turned the game in Somerset’s favour. There were also half centuries for Peter Bowler and Rob Turner as the away side claimed a first innings lead of 87.
Caddick then ripped through the Hampshire side again. He claimed seven for 64 to finish with 12 wickets in the match as the hosts were all out for 126.
Somerset then chased down the required total for the loss of just one wicket to secure a comprehensive victory.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Hampshire CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset’s next match is in the Rothesay County Championship Division One when we take on Yorkshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Day one of this four-day match is Friday May 1st.
