“We’re going to keep on playing a positive brand of cricket” – Erin looking forward to 50-over return
Somerset Women are currently in the midst of a fixture hiatus due to The Hundred.
There’s been no rest for those not involved in the competition though because training has continued apace and the players have been playing a good deal of cricket as Head Coach Erin Osborne explained when we caught up with her at the Cooper Associates County Ground this week.
“It’s been a bit quieter after the chaotic nature of the Vitality Blast,” she said. “I feel like it’s been a good little reset for the squad, and those not involved in The Hundred have been playing a fair bit of Academy cricket this month. They’ve also been training and working on a few areas that they’ve identified ahead of our return to 50-over cricket.
“I didn’t really know what to expect this month and I’ve been really impressed with the attitude of the players that are here. They’re really keen to work on their games, develop as cricketers and make sure that this time next year they’re involved in The Hundred.”
Does Erin think that competing in The Hundred will be beneficial to those involved?
“It’s an amazing experience and opportunity for those girls who have picked up a Hundred gig. I think being in a new environment around new coaches and hearing new information is always a positive thing. The players’ ability to filter out what works for them is a really important skill that they’re going to need to learn because I think we’re going to have more players involved in franchise cricket moving forward. Also, to mix with some of the best players in the world will definitely be beneficial to them because our players are brave enough to ask questions.
“I’ve heard about Katie Jones doing a session with Phoebe Litchfield around switch hitting and reverse sweeping, and Niamh Holland has been working with Sophie Devine on a knuckleball. These types of opportunities mean that it’s definitely a worthwhile experience for them.”
How is Erin planning to ensure that the team hit the ground running when Somerset return to action later this month in the Metro Bank One Day Cup?
“I think it’s about getting everyone back in and reminding them of the things that they were doing really well before the break. Those who have been involved with The Hundred will bring back the skills that they have learnt from that, whilst the girls who stayed have played a lot of Academy cricket. So, it’s just about picking up the things that we’ve learned through this period and implementing that in the 50-over format. We’ve played some really good cricket this year in the competition. We’ve learned a lot and we just need to keep on backing each other to do the job.”
Somerset will be without Anika Learoyd for the remainder of the season, but Erin is looking forward to seeing who will step up and fill that void.
“I think it’s really hard to replace the numbers and the experience that she brought into our team. But in saying that, it presents a really good opportunity for someone else to take on that role. We’re not looking for anyone to do anything extravagant. It’s just about going out there and actually playing their role and we’ll back them to do that. It’ll either come off or it won’t. But as long as we stick to our game plan, then we’ll be really happy.
“We’ve got Emma Corny coming back from a really long rehab stint. She’s been playing a few games, which has been super exciting. So, it might be an opportunity for her to come in and do a job. I think it’ll give a good little boost to our squad to have her back. Everyone understands the journey she’s been on. She’s been so resilient and continued to show up and work really hard, and a lot of that work’s been done away from the group as well, which is not always easy. It can be isolating at times, but she’s come through the other side. She’s back playing cricket and we’re just looking forward to seeing her get out there and play now.
“I’ve been impressed with how Emma’s approached things. It’s been like a rollercoaster for her. There’s been some highs and there were some pretty big lows, if we’re honest, but she’s managed to pick herself up, continue to come back and put on a brave face and do all the things that she needs to do to make sure that she’s good to go. I’m really proud of the work that she’s done and I’m also proud of what our support staff have done in making sure that they help her through this really complicated injury.”
What can the Somerset Members and supporters expect from the team for the remainder of the 50-over campaign?
“We’re going to keep on playing a really upbeat, positive brand of cricket. Any opportunity we get to progress a game, we’ll look to do so. I really don’t think there’ll be too big of a shift from T20 to 50-over cricket. I just want our girls to go out and attack the game.”
Somerset Women return to action on Wednesday August 19th when we take on Essex at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford in the Metro Bank One Day Cup. This is followed by the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup quarter-final against Hampshire Hawks at Utilita Bowl Nursery Ground.
The next home match for Somerset Women is on Wednesday August 26th when we welcome Durham to the Cooper Associates County Ground in the Metro Bank One Day Cup. Tickets for this match are available now!
