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Josh looks back on impressive full debut
Josh Thomas finished the 2025 season in style by making his maiden First Class start for Somerset in the final match of the season away against Essex at Chelmsford.
Not only did he make his full debut, he opened the batting and scored 86 off 127 balls with 14 fours and a six.
In the second innings he scored 39 from 65 balls with seven fours after a stay of almost two hours at the crease.
Back home in Taunton earlier this week, Josh said: “I knew that I was in the squad but didn’t know that I was going to be playing until the day before. It was a bit of a surprise, but I was very happy. I was 12th man for the Hampshire game and then came in as a concussion replacement for Tom Abell.
“I’ve had a decent season and I’ve been pretty happy with how things have gone for me, so I guess that’s why I got the call up. It was really good to get out there for the First Team because it’s literally what I’ve wanted to do for my career so far. The Championship side is a tough team to get into, so I was very happy to get the call up.
“It’s a big step up from playing for the Seconds because you do find some cracks in the bowling attack in the Twos whereas the bowling is always a challenge in the First XI. There are no cracks in the attack and they don’t miss much, so you have to be more switched on for longer.”
What was Josh thinking about as he walked onto the pitch at Chelmsford for the first innings?
“To be honest, I just thought that it was another game of cricket and my season had been extended. I tried not to think too much about it and trusted in my own game. I thought that I played pretty well by doing that and playing to my strengths.”
During his innings of 86, Josh shared a second wicket partnership of 121 with fellow left hander Tom Lammonby.
“I batted for a long time with Tom, who’s played quite a lot of First Class cricket. He made me feel comfortable and he’s a really good mate of mine. I haven’t batted with him before, so it was nice to be able to chat to him out there.
“It was good to back up my 86 with 39 in the second innings and thought I got a bit unlucky with how I got out. The ball kept low and I couldn’t do much about it. However, overall I was happy with the way I batted.”
What does the upcoming winter hold for Josh?
“Potentially, I’m going to Cape Town for a month or so before Christmas to play some cricket and then it will be back here for winter training in January, February and March.”
Looking ahead to 2026, he added: “I don’t want to look too far ahead, but if I kept my place in the Championship side that would be very nice. I will definitely put myself forward for it and that’s what I want to be doing, but we will have to wait and see.”
