“It makes me feel very proud” – Abes reviews his triple century
When Tom Abell left the field of play to a standing ovation on September 27th, he had made quite a mark.
He had become only the eighth batter to make a triple century for the Club in First Class cricket, he had scored the eighth highest First Class score for Somerset and he had helped set the Club’s highest ever fourth wicket partnership with Tom Lammonby and the Club’s highest ninth wicket stand with Migael Pretorius.
The County Championship fixture against Surrey is certainly one which will live in the memory for a long time.
We caught up with Tom at the Cooper Associates County Ground this week to discuss the memorable match.
How did it feel to join that elite list of players to reach 300?
“The dust has settled a little bit now and obviously it makes me feel very proud. I think you probably don’t recognise exactly what you’ve accomplished in the moment, but that night our Media Manager sent me the list of names of the other triple centurions and that’s when it hit home. Being recognised with some of those names is an incredible thing and it’s certainly something I never would have imagined that I’d do.
“To join my mate in Bants on that list is great although I didn’t threaten his 371. I think he was playing for England at the time, and he was getting the news about what I was on. Ultimately, it was a bit bittersweet because once we knew that Warwickshire had won the Championship, the game took on a slightly different dynamic, but any time you get a substantial score it’s a nice feeling.”
Was it more special that you did it here at Taunton?
“Definitely! Any time you’re playing and batting in front of home support it does feel different. You feel the energy and the love every time you get a four or reach a milestone here. The Somerset faithful have always been very good to me and supported me through the good times and the bad and I’ll be forever grateful for that. There were definitely moments during the innings when I recognised the support for those milestones.”
Did you know that you were getting near your personal best out there?
“I’m not someone who focusses too much on previous bests and things like that. I wouldn’t say that I went out there thinking in terms of previous best scores. Initially, it was all about trying to play the game situation and getting a bit of momentum in the game to try and put the team in a good position. I had a good partnership with Lammers, and we sort of got ourselves in the ascendancy and then it gradually became a case of trying to put the foot down and accelerate the score.
“Lammers and I just tried to keep each other going out there. He’s a great friend and an incredible teammate, so we just kept trying to push each other. I remember when he was on about 180 and I thought, that’s a lot of runs! It was amazing to be out there with him, and I was obviously delighted for him to get such a big score as well.”
Were you aware that the records kept tumbling?
“Not initially. As I say, you’re sort of caught up in the game situation a little bit, but the Somerset crowd are always very aware of milestones and partnerships and records and things like that. It got to a point where we were both batting pretty freely, and we could hear what we were achieving over the Tannoy.
“To set that record with Lammers was amazing, really. You always hear about the names of the top players who have played for Somerset over the years and the partnerships that these great players have had. To be in amongst those sort of names and those partnerships is something that means a lot to me and Lammers.”
You also enjoyed a big partnership with Migael Pretorius. What was that like?
“I get on very well with Miggy and we’ve got a close friendship off the pitch. He was unbelievable right throughout the summer for us, to be honest. I’m sure there were times he would have liked to have scored more runs, but I think the beauty with Miggy is that on any given day he can play a significant role and really hurt the opposition. He did that a few times at the end of the season, which was great. I know that getting a big score meant a lot to him. It was great to share another big partnership with him and we obviously got ourselves in a dominant position in the game which meant that we could bat without too much fear.”
What does it mean to you to be in the record books for the Club?
“Of course, it’s a nice feeling to be in the record books and to have your name in and amongst some great Somerset players. I will certainly look back with a lot of pride and fondness at this game. I’m a proud Somerset player, so these records do certainly carry weight.”
How did it feel to reach your first double century?
“I’ve certainly had moments where it’s been a bit of an ordeal to even get 100, so I don’t really entertain thoughts, especially at the start of a game, about getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred. I would have given anything for a few of those runs the week before against Yorkshire.
“I guess there was an element of relief and happiness at finishing the season in that manner. To do it against Surrey, who are one of the best teams in the country and have been for a long period of time, was very satisfying.”
What was it like to raise your bat for your 300?
“I remember thinking that I was going to sort of hit out or get out, you know, because I thought we would probably want to try and have a bowl at them, so I was trying to score fours and sixes. To be honest, I thought one of them would go straight down a fielder’s throat, but luckily, I got a few over the rope. It was a lot of fun batting in that sort of situation.
“It was all a bit surreal, to be honest, to look up at the scoreboard and see such a significant number next to your name. Any time you get in a situation where you’ve got a big score against your name, you want to try to make the most of it.
“I was hitting with the wind, so I tried to take advantage of that. There’s always a bit of banter in the changing room about who hits the most sixes and who can hit the biggest sixes and I’m very rarely in that conversation, so it was nice to get a few out of the middle.
“When I got to 300, I just tried to take a moment. I was batting with one of my best friends, and I just wanted to make the most of that really. As happy as I was with my own performance, I was probably even more happy for Lammers. To be able to share that with him was something that I will remember for a long time.”
Only a handful of people have reached 300 for the Club. How does it feel to be in that company?
“When I was sent the list of names, my initial reaction was that I felt like a bit of a fraud! You never perceive yourself as being in the same sort of bracket or league as some of those great names like Justin Langer or Sir Viv.
“It does feel a bit surreal but it’s certainly something that’s very special to me and my family.”
