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Tom looks back on his first five years
Tom Lammonby signed his first contract with the Club in 2018 and made his First Team debut in the T20 match against Kent at Canterbury the following summer.
Since then, the left handed batter and medium pacer, has appeared in 47 First Class matches, scoring 2193 runs, with six centuries at an average of 29.24 and taken 11 wickets. He has also featured in 70 T20 games, scoring 860 runs and taking 15 wickets.
Tom, who hails from Exeter where he played through the Devon Age Group system before joining the Somerset Academy, reflected on the first five years of his career with Somerset when we spoke to him recently.
“It’s been an amazing experience for me so far and I’ve loved every single second of it,” said the 23-year-old. “I wouldn’t change it for the world and I’m playing for a Club that I’ve grown up watching. I feel proud every time I walk out onto the pitch.
“I know there have been a lot of ups and downs, but I think that’s what you have to take in your stride. I’m very appreciative of the opportunity that I’ve been given and have loved every minute of it, although it hasn’t always been plain sailing.”
Has his career turned out the way that he thought it would when he started off on his journey back in 2018?
“When I think back to my Academy days, all I wanted to do was play for Somerset and then hopefully push on for higher honours. In terms of doing that and playing here I feel that this is home for me now and I’ve never thought of playing anywhere else. I would say it’s been a success for me since my Academy days .”
Does Tom still get a buzz when he walks out onto the pitch to play for Somerset?
“Yes. I think the crowds that we get here are unbelievable and a lot of the success we’ve had is down to that support. I really love playing at home in front of the crowds here. The buzz you get on day one or day two of a Championship game when there’s quite a full crowd and everyone is cheering for you is hard to emulate and doesn’t happen at any other places.
“As players, we really appreciate the support that we get and because a lot of us are local lads we understand where that drive and passion for the Club comes from. You can’t buy that or bottle it up, it’s something that’s innate when you support your local club.”
During his career to date, Tom has scored six centuries with a best of 116, so is there anything that beats hitting a hundred for Somerset?
“There’s no better feeling than getting to a hundred and taking a minute at the non strikers end after you get there. It’s sometimes a bit of a relief, but hopefully it will be something that will become more frequent. The appreciation that the crowd give you is difficult to describe and you feel that you’ve done the hard work and put the team into a good position.
“At the end of play, you can give a bit of a sigh of relief and reflect on what you’ve done that day and it’s a really good feeling to walk away with your head held high.”
Looking ahead, where does Tom see himself in the future?
“I think I need to keep sticking to the fundamentals, keep building them into my game and become familiar with that. It’s also important to understand my game and how that changes throughout formats against different opponents. I need to keep on understanding myself.
“Once you’re out on the pitch, it’s all about being really competitive and trying to win games, and seeing where things go from that. Rather than focusing too much on what’s in the future, I’ll be concentrating on the present and trying to win games for Somerset and contribute in the ways that I can.”
How hard is it to cope with the disappointments in the game?
“You want to play in every game, but if I’m being honest with myself I think there have been times in the last couple of years when I haven’t made myself un-pickable. This means you’re always at risk of being dropped or other people are coming in and performing really well, which shows the strength and character of the side we have.
“If I take a step away and look at my performances and how I’ve gone about them, I’ve actually left a lot out there in the middle. If I’m honest, there’s stuff I can do to make sure that I don’t leave so much out there on the park and make sure I’m the first name on the team sheet rather than humming and hawing about my position.”
This is the first winter since he joined the Club that Tom has remained back in England.
“It’s been nice this winter to focus on certain things, get back to the basics, smash the fundamentals and really make sure that this next summer counts. I’m in a really good space for that.
“The last four or five winters I’ve been away and it’s been like a whirlwind and gone so quickly. It’s been nice to take a step back this winter to focus on myself and play without consequences. It’s been good to learn a few things and nail down what I think I need fundamentally to put me in the best place to first of all concentrate on winning games, and winning trophies for Somerset.”
