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County Championship Preview: Somerset v Surrey
THE MATCH
Somerset welcome Surrey to the Cooper Associates County Ground this week in Division One of the Vitality County Championship.
Day one of this fixture is tomorrow (Monday September 9th).
Somerset are currently second in the Division One table with 169 points from 11 matches, whilst Surrey are top with 193 points from the same number of fixtures.
SCHEDULED HOURS OF PLAY:
Morning session: 10:30am to 12:30pm
Afternoon session: 1:10pm to 3:10pm
Evening session: 3:30pm to 5:30pm
Tickets for this match are still available.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Gates will open at 9:30am.
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 Friday September 13th.
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.
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 (day one and day two), 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: Rory Burns
Head Coach: Gareth Batty
2023 finish: Champions (Division One)
2023 highest run-scorer: Dom Sibley (746)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Jordan Clark and Dan Worrall (both 48)
What can we expect?: Can Surrey make it a hat-trick of titles after their triumphs of 2022 and last summer? Skipper Burns will actually be aiming for a fourth championship success in seven years, having led Surrey to the 2018 title in his own first season as captain, while Batty admits Alec Stewart’s decision to step down as long-serving director of cricket at the end of 2024 will only “add to our desire as a squad” to achieve the hat-trick as a tribute to the true Surrey (and England) great. A key feature of Surrey’s recent rise is the strength and depth of the homegrown core of their squad, with 10 of the 19 players who featured in championship cricket last summer qualifying on that count. Expect to see more evidence of that close-knit squad identity in this campaign.
Final thought: Surrey’s dominance in recent seasons has been based on relentless fast-bowling power and a batting order of enviable depth. In 2023, while the overall batting effort might have been better, no fewer than 16 different players scored at least one championship half-century (from 33 in all) while six of them also featured in a total of nine hundreds. Much more impressive, though, were the records of a seven-strong seam attack: Clark and Worrall’s 48 wickets apiece came at an average of 21.35 and 24.20 respectively, followed by Tom Lawes (39 at 19.76), Sean Abbott (37 at 24.78), Kemar Roach (26 at 26.26), Gus Atkinson (20 at 20.20) and Jamie Overton (14 at 24.64).
TEAM NEWS
Brett Randell is added to the squad after arriving on a short term deal.
Somerset have named the following squad for the match: Lewis Gregory, Andy Umeed, Lewis Goldsworthy, Tom Lammonby, Tom Abell, Tom Banton, James Rew, Craig Overton, Josh Davey, Kasey Aldridge, Brett Randell, Jake Ball, Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “Confidence in the group is incredibly high, so we are looking forward to what will be an exciting challenge. The reality is that we’ve got to get as many points as we can from our remaining matches.
“Surrey are currently the benchmark, but we’re not scared of them. We don’t fear anybody. If we can play at our best then it promises to be an exciting week.
“Brett comes into the squad for the game. He’s an exciting addition and brings new energy and fresh ideas. If he gets the nod, I’m sure the Members and supporters will enjoy what he has to offer.”
COOPER ASSOCIATES KEY PLAYER MATCH UP
CLASSIC MATCH
We go back to 1977 for our classic County Championship match between Somerset and Surrey.
The two sides met at Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare in August of that summer for a three-day fixture which saw Somerset come out on top by 158 runs, thanks in no small part to a double century from one of the game’s greatest ever players.
Batting first, Somerset had slipped to 36 for two after Graham Burgess and Petter Denning fell early. This soon became 79 for three when Merv Kitchen returned to the dressing room.
However, Viv Richards and Peter Roebuck (112) took Somerset to 330, sharing a fourth wicket stand of 251. Richards eventually fell for a superb 204 as Somerset finished on 492 for eight. Robin Jackman and Patrick Pocock both claimed three wickets for the visitors.
Vic Marks then took five for 50 as Surrey were dismissed for 257.
Batting for a second time, Somerset declared on 136 for three, Richards top scoring again with 48.
Chasing an unlikely total for victory, Surrey were all out for 213 despite an impressive 110 not out from Geoff Howarth. Burgess was the pick of the bowlers this time with four for 31 whilst Richards also impressed with the ball, claiming three for 15.
MATCH SPONSOR – VERTU MOTORS
Vertu Motors – a retail brand of Vertu Motors group – joined forces with Somerset ahead of the 2023 season as the company expanded its presence in the South West region, following the acquisition of 28 dealerships from Helston Garages Group, a number of which were rebranded under the Vertu Motors name.
With the partnership now moving into a second year, Vertu Motors will continue to work with Somerset County Cricket Club to not only support the team on the field, but also support a range of different initiatives in local communities.
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.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset’s next match in the Vitality County Championship begins on Tuesday September 17th when we take on Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.
