County Championship Preview: Somerset v Warwickshire
THE MATCH
Somerset welcome Warwickshire to the Cooper Associates County Ground this week in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.
Day one of this fixture is tomorrow (Friday June 19th).
Tickets are available now:
Somerset are currently third in the Division One table with 100 points from seven matches whilst Warwickshire are fourth with 98 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
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 or queries will be managed at the Jack White Gates (St James Street).
The Club Reception Desk is based in the Reception of the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion.
Due to the busy nature of a matchday, our telephone lines will reopen at 10am on Tuesday June 23rd.
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 be open as follows:
- between 10am and 11:15am
- between 12.50pm and 1:50pm
- for the duration of the tea interval
- at the close of play
Blocks 4 and 5 of the Somerset Stand will be open to the public on day one and two for this fixture. Block five will remain open on days three and four.
On days one and two, space in Gimblett’s Hill and a small area at the front of Somerset Stand Block 1 will be reserved for our disability cricket participants. We will assist others to find suitable seating in the ground.
Scorecards will be available from Reception in the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion. Completed scorecards can be downloaded after the match via the Membership section of this website.
CATERING
Matchday food and drink will be available from Stragglers Coffee House and from additional third-party concessions in the St James Street Fan Village.
The bar in the Lord Botham Stand will be open on days one and two of this fixture.
Matchday dining is also available in the County Room. We offer breakfast, a lunch and afternoon tea, subject to availability.
More information on County Room dining can be found via the link below:
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
Our award winning live stream is available for fans to watch via this website and our YouTube channel.
You can also keep up to date by using our dedicated matchday blog via this website’s Match Centre and on our X feed.
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.
A report on the day’s play will also be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
Captain: Ed Barnard
Head coach: Ian Westwood
2025 finish: 5th
2025 highest run-scorer: Ed Barnard (922)
2025 highest wicket-taker: Ethan Bamber (43)
Key winter moves: Warwickshire have acted decisively to strengthen a senior seam-bowling department which has leaned far too heavily on the excellent Olly Hannon-Dalby for too long. Jordan Thompson has arrived from Yorkshire, Nathan Gilchrist from Kent and Keith Barker is back from Hampshire. With Chris Woakes having retired from international cricket, the pace attack has an appealing depth, allowing for rotation to help keep all its members fit.
What can we expect?: The Edgbaston faithful are looking forward to seeing Chris Woakes back in the Bears fold – the all-rounder has played just 12 Rothesay County Championship matches in the last nine seasons. Woakes’ appetite for the game remains high and he is hungry to make a big contribution to his beloved county. Seeing Woakes and Barker running in will evoke memories of 2012 glory!
Aiming to catch Test selectors’ eye: Ed Barnard – the all-rounder has hugely impressed in all departments since moving across from Worcestershire and more of the same must surely be rewarded with a call-up. He was also appointed captain just before the start of the season.
Final thought: Warwickshire’s squad enters the 2026 season in better shape than for several years. After all the recent transition, fifth in the Championship in 2025 was a decent effort in Ian Westwood’s first year as head coach. With some stability and experience in the ranks, and the transformed seam attack, his second could bring a serious challenge for honours.
TEAM NEWS
Somerset are without Lewis Gregory (hamstring), Will Smeed (finger) and Tom Abell (hand).
Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Lammonby will face late fitness tests.
Craig Overton will captain the side.
The starting XI will be picked from this initial squad:
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “We had a great four days at Trent Bridge, particularly with the stretched resources that we have at the minute. It’s about doing the simple things better than the opposition for a long period of time, and we did that in abundance. I think the way we batted, particularly in the first innings, was excellent. It was an incredible effort. We continued to do things really well throughout the four days and it was a fantastic performance. We’ll need to dig into that resolve again as we take on Warwickshire this weekend.
“We always talk about being in a position where we can have a real crack at the title come September, and hopefully we can do that. This is the last Championship game for a while before we go back into the Blast, so we need to try and put ourselves in a really strong position ahead of those last few games.”
CLASSIC MATCH
It’s just a short trip back in time for the classic First Class match between the two sides at Taunton.
June 2024 saw Somerset chase over 400 on the final day to win by five wickets thanks to a superb unbeaten 152 from Tom Abell.
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FESTIVAL OF RED BALL CRICKET
Following the success of last year’s first ever Festival of Red Ball Cricket, we are delighted to be able to reveal that the event will return for this match.
Red ball cricket is the quintessential format of the game and we will once again be celebrating the traditions, heritage and everything else that makes multi-day cricket so special.
For the four days of the match we will be championing and shining a light on the long form of the game with numerous activities taking place at various locations throughout the match.
Here is an outline of what will be taking place at the Cooper Associates County Ground during the match:
THE WOLLENS O-ZONE CHALLENGE!
Somerset County Cricket Club have teamed up with Wollens Solicitors to help raise money for Children’s Hospice South West in 2026.
If any player hits the ball through the “O” of the Wollens advertising board at the Cooper Associates County Ground this year, Wollens will donate £1 for every run that is scored in that innings!
Regarding the initiative, Emma Perry, Head of Fundraising at CHSW, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Wollens Solicitors and Somerset County Cricket Club for their fantastic support. The Wollens O-Zone Challenge is such a fun and creative way for players to help raise vital funds while doing what they love out on the pitch. Every run scored has the potential to make a real difference to the families we support, and we’re so thankful to everyone involved for getting behind this initiative.”
DAY FOR THORPEY
On day one of the match we’re paying tribute to the late Graham Thorpe MBE, known to many as Thorpey, who played over 100 England Test matches.
Following the success of last year’s Day for Thorpey, which raised over £170,000, we’re proud to be supporting the event this season. The money raised will help fund Thorpey’s Bat and Chat programme, delivered by local Minds and cricket partners across England and Wales.
The programme gives people experiencing mental health problems the opportunity to get active through cricket, build friendships and develop important self-care and wellbeing skills
Today, you can get involved by buying a Thorpey headband for £5 from Somerset County Sports or by donating via the national text-to-donate campaign to support Thorpey’s Bat and Chat texting TWENTY, FIVE or TEN (all in caps) to 70255.
The Farming Community Network
The Farming Community Network support farmers and rural communities and work with Macmillan Cancer Support to highlight the importance of early detection of cancer. If you notice any unusual or unexplained changes in your health, don’t put it off – make an effort to see your GP and Nip It In The Bud. Thanks to Macmillan cancer support and the Richard Oatley Foundation for making this possible today.
Visit The Farming Community Network’s stand in the Somerset Leisure Fan Village on day one to learn more about their work in supporting farming families and the partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, working to raise awareness of cancer in our rural communities. Take some of our resources away, including our new Guide for Farming Families Affected by Cancer.
Try before you buy!
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 day of Rothesay County Championship cricket we are offering our Member For The Day ticket.
For just £26 (£32 on the day) 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
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.
*2026 Associate Membership, Somerset Women Membership, Somerset Nation Membership and Junior Membership does not qualify in this offer.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset’s next match is on Friday June 26th when we take on local rivals Gloucestershire in the Vitality Blast.
This match is a double header with Somerset Women taking on Durham.
There are less than 200 tickets remaining for this matchday, so buy now before it’s too late!
