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My First Somerset Century: Viv Richards
Some of the finest players ever to have graced the game have taken to the field for Somerset County Cricket Club over the years.
These players have created some of the most memorable moments in the history of our great Club.
Over the next few weeks we will be taking a closer look at some of Somerset’s most famous batters, with special focus falling on their first century for the Club.
What better way to start than by shining the spotlight on the player that many consider to have been Somerset’s best ever: Sir Viv Richards.
Today we look back at the very first of his 47 First Class centuries for the Club.
The venue was the Ashley Down Ground in Bristol as Somerset took on local rivals Gloucestershire in a three-day County Championship match in May 1974.
A 22-year-old Richards had featured in the two previous matches for the Club, making 36 and seven not out against Lancashire and 74 against Sussex.
On the opening morning Somerset Captain, Brian Close won the toss and elected to bat first.
Unfortunately, the visitors lost two early wickets and Viv found himself walking to the middle in only his third ever County Championship match with the scoreboard showing 28 for two.
Wickets continued to fall and 28 for two soon became 37 for four, but the West Indian batter remained unphased and continued to accumulate runs in impressive style whilst all around him floundered.
Somerset had slipped to 98 for seven, but whilst Viv remained at the crease there was still hope.
Dennis Breakwell added 59 before being run out and Somerset were eventually dismissed for 254 in the 77th over. There was no doubting who the star of the innings was though. Richards made 102 before he was caught by Tony Brown off the bowling of Sadiq Mohammad.
Richards then claimed one for 13 from five overs as Gloucestershire claimed a first innings lead of 22.
Unfortunately for Somerset, he was unable to repeat his heroics in the second innings as the visitors were dismissed for just 144.
Viv claimed the only two wickets to fall in the host’s chase as Gloucestershire triumphed by eight wickets.
Despite the home side claiming the local bragging rights, a player who would go on to be one of the greatest ever gave the Somerset faithful a glimpse of what was to come and the opportunity to say that they were there to see the Master Blaster’s first Somerset century.
In his debut County Championship season he played in 20 matches, scoring 1154 runs at an average of 34.96 with a best of 107.
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards joined Somerset in 1974 and until his departure in 1986 he featured in 191 First Class matches, scoring 14,698 runs at an average of 49.82 with a best of 322 against Warwickshire. During his time in Taunton he amassed 47 First Class hundreds.
Viv was an integral element of Somerset’s Glory Years side which claimed five one-day trophies between 1979 and 1983. Indeed he was the Player of the Match in the Gillette Cup final in 1979 and in the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1981.
He played 218 List A matches for the County, scoring in excess of 7300 runs at an average of 39.94. He claimed 11 centuries for Somerset in one-day cricket with a best of 139 not out.
