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Somerset Confirm 2024 One-Day Cup Squad
Somerset CCC can today confirm a squad for the 2024 Metro Bank One Day Cup. Sean Dickson will once again captain the squad which sees the additions of Archie Vaughan and Joe Heywood.
18-year-old Archie signed his first professional contract earlier this year and has been a part of the Somerset Academy since 2020, making his Second XI debut in 2022. This winter, the top order batter and off spinner featured for Somerset in the Abu Dhabi T20 Counties Super Cup, opening the batting in the third place play off against Yorkshire where he made 35 from 28 balls in Somerset’s three-wicket victory. He was named in the England U19 Test squad for the two-match Youth Test series against Sri Lanka.
17-year-old Joe plays his club cricket for Bath and has been a part of the Somerset Pathway since 2021. The right-arm seamer made his debut for Somerset Second XI last summer.
Migael Pretorius is currently unavailable for selection.
The domestic English limited over competitions have had many names over the years.
The Gillette Cup, The Nat West Trophy, The Benson & Hedges Cup, The Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy and The Royal London One Day Cup are just a few of the monikers that have adorned the List A trophy over the years.
Somerset CCC has a rich tradition in such competitions, having secured silverware in 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1983 as part of the so-called Golden Years period, as well as tasting success in 2001 and 2019.
The latest incarnation of the domestic List A competition is the Metro Bank One Day Cup and we get our campaign up and running on Friday when we welcome Kent to the Cooper Associates County Ground on Friday for a floodlit match.
We caught up with Somerset Interim Head Coach, Paul Tweddle this week and asked him whether the current crop of players were aware of the importance of this trophy with regards to the history of the Club.
“We feel it’s important that the players understand the history of the Club and where the List A Cup sits within relation to that,” he explained. “It’s something that they learn very quickly during their time on the Academy because we need to make sure that the players are aware of the heritage of the Club.
“That understanding was reiterated in 2019 when we lifted the trophy at Lord’s. Many of the players were involved with the Club or know players who played that year and they will have seen what it meant to so many people. Everyone involved is well aware of the relevance of the competition in relation to the Club and the wider community and that’s really important.
“There are nods to List A cricket and the successes within that competition all around the ground, and the support that we get for our home games is a mark of just what it means to our Members and supporters. We’ve got an incredible fanbase and I’ve always been overwhelmed by the support that we’ve received in the 50-over competition over the last few years. The fans are a vital cog in the machine. To know that we’ve got such great support out there really does lift the players. I also feel that this group of players deserves that support. I’ve seen how hard they’ve all worked, I know how much this means to them and every single one of them is desperate to perform.
“The mood in the camp is really good and everyone’s excited about the competition and the opportunities that lie ahead over the next few weeks. The benefits of exposure to First XI cricket for some of these players is there to be seen. The positive effect of playing First Team cricket for an extended period of time in front of big crowds is something that can’t be overlooked. You can’t replicate it in any other way and it’s so beneficial to those players who are trying to break into the First XI. James Rew is a great example of that and so is Andy Umeed, who jump started his Somerset career with outstanding performances in the One Day Cup. We have seen players do well in this competition and then go on to flourish in other formats.
“It can be difficult when you lose so many players, both on the field and in the dressing room, but we have good squad depth, and it gives players the chance to fill those gaps both on and off the field. Being without a number of players will never be an excuse. It’s simply the reality of the situation that we are in. It goes to show how well the Club develops talent. We know the situation that we will be in and we’re still able to field a very talented side who I believe can compete in this competition.”
Group Stage
Somerset have been drawn in Group A alongside Derbyshire, Durham, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Middlesex, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire.
Here is everything that you need to know about our opponents.
DERBYSHIRE
Captain: Ross Whiteley
Overseas player: Daryn Dupavillon (South Africa)
2023 finish: Eighth (Group B)
2023 leading run scorer: Luis Reece (392)
2023 leading wicket taker: Sam Conners (12)
Key player: Reece had an impressive tournament in 2023 when he also took 11 wickets with his left-arm swing. The all-rounder can dominate the bowling at the top of the order and will be key to Derbyshire’s chances over the next month.
Keep an eye on: Harry Moore became the youngest player to represent Derbyshire at 16 years and 114 days when he made his debut in the competition against Worcestershire at Derby last August. A tall right-arm quick, his potential has been recognised with selection for England Under-19’s.
Final thought: Although Wayne Madsen and Aneurin Donald are on Hundred duty, the batting still looks strong with Lloyd, Reece and Brooke Guest in the line-up. Pat Brown was a late replacement call for Northern Superchargers but Zak Chappell and Daryn Dupavillon will add a cutting edge to the bowling that was missing in last year’s competition.
DURHAM
Captain: Alex Lees
Overseas player: none
2023 finish: Fifth (Group B)
2023 leading run scorer: David Bedingham (413)
2023 leading wicket taker: Liam Trevaskis (12)
Key player: Belligerent opener Alex Lees (403) followed David Bedingham to 400 runs in last year’s competition. With Bedingham on South Africa duty this time, Lees’ importance is clear. Good form from the captain can set the tone for a title challenge similar to the one which saw them beaten in the 2021 final by Glamorgan.
Keep an eye on: Batter Ben McKinney captained England at the Under 19s World Cup at the start of this year and led the County Select XI against the West Indies in early July. The tall left-hander, 19, has first-team experience across all formats, but he’s yet to really break through. This could be the campaign.
Final thought: Durham are missing six Hundred-bound players, including Ben Stokes, and their top run-scorer and wicket-taker from last year are unavailable. Liam Trevaskis has moved to Leicestershire. But they still have some impressive firepower. The likes of Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Michael Jones and Ben Raine will supplement some exciting youngsters.
HAMPSHIRE
Captain: Nick Gubbins
Overseas players: Kyle Abbott (South Africa), Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)
2023 finish: Runners-up
2023 leading run scorer: Fletcha Middleton (480)
2023 leading wicket taker: Ian Holland (18)
Key player: With over 75 first-team appearances and well over 2,000 runs to his name, it is hard to believe Tom Prest is still only 21. The top-order batter, and occasional off-spinner, has collected over 400 runs in each of the last two Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaigns and is well positioned for another run-heavy competition.
Keep an eye on: Eddie Jack had a promising fresher year last season, where he took nine wickets with his bustling pace. The 18-year-old tall quick has all the attributes England craves in a bowler, so eyes will be firmly focused on how he develops.
Final thought: A squad oozing in experience even the youngsters have deep big-game experience. Included in that is the hurt of losing last year’s final from plenty of winnable positions. A return to Trent Bridge is inevitably the premier aim, especially with the increasingly impressive leadership of Nick Gubbins at the helm.
KENT
Captain: Jack Leaning
Overseas players: Charlie Stobo (Australia), Beyers Swanepoel (South Africa)
2023 finish: Fourth (Group A)
2023 leading run scorer: Daniel Bell-Drummond (390)
2023 leading wicket taker: Matt Parkinson (17)
Key player: Ben Compton, an old-school opener who knows exactly how to pace an innings over 50 overs, whether chasing or setting a target. In this format patience can still be a virtue.
Keep an eye on: Jaydn Denly who made five appearances in this competition in 2023 and impressed in the Men’s Youth Test with Sri Lanka at Cheltenham with an enterprising 57. Potentially useful partner for Matt Parkinson and Hamid Qadri if Kent decide to produce some turning wickets.
LANCASHIRE
Captain: Keaton Jennings
Overseas players: Tom Bruce (New Zealand), Chris Green (Australia)
2023 finish: Quarter-finalists
2023 leading run scorer: Keaton Jennings (369)
2023 leading wicket taker: Will Williams (13)
Key player: All-rounder George Balderson hit 221 runs and took 10 wickets with his seamers in last season’s competition and has since progressed his game further. The 23-year-old former England Under 19s skipper has been talismanic in Lancashire’s Vitality County Championship team and debuted in T20s last month. He just seems to make things happen.
Keep an eye on: This could be the campaign which sees Rocky Flintoff make his first-team debut. The middle order batter, 16, with a famous father has scored centuries for Lancashire’s second team and for the England Under 19s already this summer. He’s a tall, aggressive and fearless right-hander. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?!
Final thought: Beaten finalists in 2022, quarter-finalists last year, Lancashire should go close to making it third time lucky. There are a few ifs, buts and TBCs surrounding their overseas situation. Chris Green, for example, has a Caribbean Premier League T20 deal from late August onwards and is also on standby for The Hundred.
MIDDLESEX
Captain: Mark Stoneman
Overseas players: None
2023 finish: Seventh (Group A)
2023 leading run scorer: Joe Cracknell (290)
2023 leading wicket taker: Ethan Bamber (12)
Key player: Luke Hollman – the leg-spinner is one of very few to emerge from the T20 campaign with white-ball form after 23 wickets. With three of Middlesex’s four home games on out-grounds, his ability to apply the long handle over short boundaries is another plus.
Keep an eye on: Noah Cornwell – we’ve seen glimpses of the England U19 seamer’s talent in the Vitality Blast and with Tom Helm and Ryan Higgins away on The Hundred duty this represents another good opportunity. The fact he bowls left-arm brings variety and two of Middlesex’s four games will be on his home ground at Radlett.
Final thought: With five first XI call-ups to The Hundred having left explosive batting resources depleted, the Seaxes are likely to need their promising, but largely inexperienced bowling attack to defend smaller totals than they’d like or to keep any chase within bounds.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Captain: Lewis McManus
Overseas player: Prithvi Shaw (India)
2023 finish: Sixth (Group B)
2023 leading run scorer: Prithvi Shaw (429)
2023 leading wicket taker: Rob Keogh (12)
Key player: Shaw vowed to return after a knee injury cut short an incredible maiden stint for the Steelbacks last year, which included a record-breaking 244 against Somerset – the sixth highest individual score in List A history. If he gets remotely close to that form this year, Northamptonshire will be strong challengers.
Keep an eye on: At 19, Raphy Weatherall broke into Northamptonshire’s first team this season, making his first-class and T20 debuts. Able to bowl with real pace, his grit and maturity were evident when he was trusted with key overs in this year’s Vitality Blast. The Metro Bank One-Day Cup offers him another opportunity to impress.
Final thought: Northamptonshire carry momentum from a successful Vitality Blast campaign into the Metro-Bank One-Day Cup and, with almost a full squad available, should be favourites to reach the knockout stages. Saif Zaib is in the form of his life and will play a key role until Caribbean League commitments in mid-August.
WORCESTERSHIRE
Captain: Jake Libby
Overseas players: Nathan Smith (New Zealand)
2023 finish: Quarter-finals
2023 leading run scorer: Jake Libby (397)
2023 leading wicket taker: Josh Baker (17)
Key player: Jake Libby will again take over the captaincy of the 50-over side from club captain, Brett D’Oliveira. His calming presence at the top of the order is essential as he demonstrated consistently last summer with four half-centuries, while he is also capable of upping the scoring rate when the need requires.
Keep an eye on: Harry Darley. A raw but promising pace bowler who impressed in a T20 match versus New Zealand at Visit Worcestershire New Road last summer. Injuries to bowlers such as Nathan Smith, Joe Leach, Adam Finch and Ben Gibbon are likely to provide more opportunities in the 50-over competition.
Final thought: Worcestershire’s forte looks to lie in their batting where there is plenty of strength in depth with only Adam Hose on duty at The Hundred. But a series of long term injuries in their seam attack may make it difficult to emulate last summer’s success in reaching the last eight.
