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Over the next few weeks, Somerset CCC will be introducing you to the players who have signed for the Club’s Academy in 2023.
Today it’s the turn of Kian Roberts.
Kian, who was born in Truro, is a right handed batter and right arm medium pace bowler who attends Taunton School and plays his club cricket for Bridgwater CC.
He started playing cricket in the garden with his dad and granddad, and began his cricketing journey at Helston CC in Cornwall.
“I started off playing on the Cornwall Pathway Under 10s when I was eight years old,” he explained. “Then I moved to Somerset and I came into the Under 11s. Since then I’ve progressed up through the age groups and now I’m playing for the Under 16s.
“To be part of the Somerset Academy is a massive privilege. This is a great opportunity to work my socks off and try to become a professional cricketer and play for Somerset. This is the start a journey that I would like to carry on with and see just how far I can get.
“I went to play in the Bunbury Festival in 2022, which was a great experience. To be playing against the top players in my age group in the country was one of the highlights of my cricketing career so far.
“My top score in 2022 was 137 not out for Bridgwater Seconds against Minehead. I also played a couple of games for Bridgwater First XI and came up against some really good and experienced players which was a big challenge. I struggled at the start, but playing at that level gave me an insight into what I want to be doing regularly in the future.”
“I want to train as hard as I can to give myself the best possible chance to become a professional cricketer and if I do that it will give me the best chance of achieving that.”
Looking ahead Kian said: “My goal for next season is to play in a couple of Second XI games for Somerset and be scoring consistently throughout my innings. Get to 50 and then push onto to get my hundred. Bowling, I want to show people what I am capable of and get a couple of five-fers.
“My ambition is to be on the Somerset playing staff playing regular first team cricket.”
