)}})
Meet the Academy – Ben Sleeman
Ben Sleeman is a bowling all rounder who hails from Cornwall and was born in February 2009.
He attends Bodmin College and plays his club cricket for Cornwall Premier League team St Austell.
We asked Ben how he got involved in the game.
“My dad got me started when I was about four years old,” he explained. “I developed a love of the game and played up through the Cornish age groups from the age of nine. Since then I’ve managed to be 12th man in a couple of Cornwall senior games this season.”
“I made my Cornish Premier League debut when I was 14 playing for St Austell and I got a wicket with my first ball against Callington, caught behind. My dad was fielding at gully so you can imaging we were both pretty happy.”
Ben also talked about his cricketing journey with Somerset.
“Last season was quite hard for me at the start. I wasn’t playing my best and not enjoying it quite so much. Then after playing for Cornwall in the three way Under 15s T20 games against Devon and Somerset I got the chance to show what I could do and the season took off for me. I got the chance to showcase my game and felt like it was a huge opportunity for me.
“It all happened quite quickly for me. I didn’t get through the first trial for the Bunbury Festival, but I got through to the second one and did well in that and from there I got selected to play for Somerset Seconds, so I had some really good opportunities last year.
“A lot of people have helped me along the way but Lewis Goldsworthy has certainly influenced me because he is also a Cornish boy and I’ve been able to try and follow the path that he’s taken, and it’s shown me what can be accomplished.”
Was Ben surprised to get invited to join the Academy?
“I’d always put in the work and hoped that it would happen but it still came as quite a shock. I come up to Taunton and join the rest of the Academy twice a week. On Mondays I get to spend four hours and then on Wednesdays it’s four and a half hours, so it’s worth all of the effort to come up from Cornwall.”
How is being on the Academy going to help Ben?
“I think that just being around the quality players who are here and working with the Academy coaches is going to help me a great deal. Everyone involved on the Academy is here to help and to give some insights into how we can improve our games to get to where we want to be.
“Last season I was bowling well, but my batting wasn’t quite as good as I wanted it, so I’m working on that for the season coming. I would like to bat in the middle order and finish off some of the games.”
What does 2025 hold for Ben?
“I just want to win games for Somerset and show people why I’m here and what I can do. I want to get my pace up and get quicker and quicker. I enjoyed my two games for the Second XI and hope to play some more this coming season.
“In five years time I want to be on the playing staff at Somerset and would also liked to have played some England Under 19s matches as well. That’s my ambition.”
