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County Championship Preview: Somerset v Kent
THE MATCH
Somerset welcome Kent to the Cooper Associates County Ground this week in Division One of the Vitality County Championship.
Day one of this fixture is tomorrow (Friday May 17th).
Somerset are currently third in the Division One table with 72 points from five matches whilst Kent are eighth with 56 points from the same number of fixtures.
SCHEDULED HOURS OF PLAY:
Morning session: 11am to 1pm
Afternoon session: 1:40pm to 3:40pm
Evening session: 4pm to 6pm
Tickets for this match are still available.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Gates will open at 10am.
Bag searches will be in operation and spectators are reminded that no glass or sharp implements will be permitted within the Cooper Associates County Ground.
For full Ground Regulations please visit the link below:
Ticket buyers can download their online tickets via their SCCC account.
All ticket or Membership collections will be from the Jack White Gates (St James Street).
The Club Enquiries Desk will be based in the Reception of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion and not in the Andrew Caddick Pavilion on matchdays.
Due to the busy nature of a matchday, our telephone lines will reopen at 10am on Tuesday May 21st.
Information on everything that you will need for a matchday at SCCC, including how to redeem your guest passes, how to download your e-tickets and how to use the SCCC Ticket App can all be found in our Visiting Guide.
The Brian Rose Gates will remain closed on Vitality County Championship matchdays in 2024.
Blocks 1 to 4 of the Somerset Stand will be closed to the public on days one and two County Championship fixtures, with the whole stand closed on days three and four. The Trade Nation Stand will also be closed for this fixture.
Scorecards will be available from Reception in the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion. Completed scorecards can now be downloaded after the match via the Membership section of this website.
CATERING
Matchday food and drink will be available from Stragglers Coffee House, the Lord Botham Stand, the Great Catch Fish & Chip Bar, plus the concession unit in the lower tier of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion.
Matchday dining is also available in the County Room. We offer breakfast, a carvery lunch and afternoon tea.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
Our live stream will once again be available for fans to watch via this website and at our YouTube channel.
You can also keep up to date using our dedicated matchday blog via this website’s Match Centre and on our X feed.
In association with Vertu Motors, Somerset County Cricket Club will be providing radio ear pieces to enable Members and supporters to enjoy our live ball-by-ball match commentary. These will be available to purchase from Reception in the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion at a cost of £12 and these will last all season.
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Head Coach: Matt Walker
2023 finish: Eighth (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: Ben Compton (735)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Wes Agar and Matt Quinn (both 21)
What can we expect?: Were Kent lucky or unlucky last year? Critics can claim that survival on the final day suggests the former, but after losing six potential overseas bowlers to injuries and having to do without Nathan Gilchrist for almost the entire season, the club could argue they were dealt a bad hand that they played as well as they could.
Key winter moves: The angst caused by Jordan Cox’s cross-Thames flit to Essex was more than offset by Matt Parkinson’s arrival from Lancashire and Xavier Bartlett will be available for the first three months. George Garrett and Michael Cohen should bolster a bowling attack that was on its knees by the end of last season.
One to watch: Grant Stewart tends to score quickly or not at all and his lower-order pyrotechnics have rescued a number of failing innings.
Final thought: Can Kent hope for anything more than survival this year? They stayed up by beating Northants twice and grinding out five draws, but 2023 was a frequently grim experience that ended with players, staff and fans alike huddling around phones and laptops to watch Middlesex’s nerve-shredding defeat at Trent Bridge. Canny reinforcements at least offer some hope this time round.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset are still without Tom Abell (hamstring) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (IPL), but England spinner Jack Leach returns to the squad after injury.
Somerset have named the following squad for the fixture: Lewis Gregory, Sean Dickson, Matt Renshaw, Tom Lammonby, Andy Umeed, Tom Banton, James Rew, Craig Overton, Josh Davey, Migael Pretorius, Kasey Aldridge, Jake Ball, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
On the eve of the game, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “To get that first win of the season last time out was huge for the group. We’d played some really good cricket without getting over the line, so to do it in the manner that we did was very pleasing. We’ve had a week’s break, so hopefully that won’t effect the momentum too much and we will be looking to build on that Essex result this weekend.
“Confidence is really high at the moment and we’re looking forward to the challenge that Kent will provide. Every team in this division is strong and anyone can beat anyone on their day. We will pay Kent the respect that they deserve, but we will be concentrating on what we do and if we do that well hopefully we will get that second win.
“Having Leachy back in the squad is a big boost for the group, but also for him. It’s been a tough road back for him and he’s worked incredibly hard. He’s an infectious character and he’s got vast experience. He’s incredibly well respected and we saw today in practice that he’s always got time for people. We’re all looking forward to seeing him back in a Somerset shirt and enjoying his cricket, and we’ll make a decision on whether that is this weekend tomorrow.”
COOPER ASSOCIATES KEY PLAYER MATCH UP
CLASSIC MATCH
We go all the way back to 1959 for this week’s classic encounter between the two teams at Taunton.
It was a match that Somerset won comprehensively by an innings and 85 runs and it was a fixture that saw impressive performances with both bat and ball.
Somerset Captain, Maurice Tremlett won the toss and elected to bat first.
The hosts lost two early wickets and found themselves on 34 for two but Peter Wight scored an imperious 222 not out as Somerset were dismissed for 450 by the end of the opening day. There were also valuable contributions from Colin McCool (96) and Bill Alley (66), but it was Wight’s innings that grabbed the headlines as he beat his previous best of 175 and also passed the 1000-run mark for the season.
By the close of play on day two, the visitors were struggling on 186 for eight. Things didn’t get much better for Kent on day three as they were forced to follow on after adding just six runs to their overnight total.
McCool then claimed seven for 39 as Kent were dismissed for 173 in their second innings as Somerset won by an innings and 85 runs.
MATCH SPONSOR
NHS Somerset, together with Somerset Council’s Public Health Team, have launched their ‘Take the Pressure Off’ campaign which aims to test the blood pressure of thousands of Somerset residents and increase awareness and early detection of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks in the UK, and often presents as a silent sign of these potentially life-threatening conditions, so the importance of regular checks has never been more important. The “Take the Pressure Off” campaign is designed to encourage residents, particularly men, to regularly check their blood pressure and take necessary steps towards managing their health.
NHS Somerset will be joining us at the Cooper Associates County Ground on the first three days of this match to offer free blood pressure tests to Members and spectators in Stragglers between 10am and 2pm.
WPA PREDICTIONS LEAGUE
So, you think you know your cricket do you? Here’s your chance to prove it!
Powered by WPA Health Insurance, the new game allows you to score points on every Somerset matchday.
Collect points throughout the year for correct predictions and make your way up the leaderboard to prove that you are the font of all cricketing knowledge!
The top Scorers for each competition will receive a prize.
Watch. Predict. Win!
MEMBER FOR THE DAY!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Member of Somerset County Cricket Club?
Well, now you can find out!
On any Vitality County Championship matchday in 2024 we are offering our Member For The Day ticket.
For just £20 you will receive a special ticket which will provide you with Member benefits for the day.
You will receive:
- Access to our Member Stands and Member Bar
- A 10% discount at SCCC food and drink concessions
- A digital scorecard which will be emailed prior to the day
To experience a matchday as a Somerset County Cricket Club Member, take advantage of this special offer now!
Already a Member? Tell your friends about this offer and they could join you in the Members areas for this fixture.
LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS COMPETITION
Join us for an open-air concert of patriotism & pure joy!
Celebrate the Last Night of the Proms with world-famous Black Dyke Band
LIMITED TICKETS of just £18 per person are still available until June 1st
Anyone who buys a ticket over the next four days will also go into a prize draw to be upgraded to 1875 Club hospitality for them and three guests.
CHURCH SERVICE
The 2024 Somerset CCC annual Church Service will be taking place at the Cooper Associates County Ground on Sunday May 19th, day three of our Vitality County Championship match against Kent.
Gates open at 9:20am for those wishing to attend the service only. Those attending the service are asked to enter via the Jack White Gates.
The service will begin at 9:30am.
Revd. Tobie Osmond, Vicar of Taunton Minster, will be conducting the service whilst Revd. David Macgeaoch will be speaking and Revd. Fabian Wyatts will be leading some prayers
Those attending the service will sit on Gimblett’s Hill.
Somerset CCC Memberships or matchday tickets are required to gain entry to the church service.
NEXT MATCH
Our next match sees us face Durham in the Vitality County Championship at the Seat Unique Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street.
The game gets underway on Friday May 24th.
Tickets are still available.
