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“We want to hit the ground running”: Laura can’t wait to get started
Somerset’s Laura Jackson is raring to go.
The 27-year-old seamer joined the Club in February and has been delighted by the welcome that she’s received.
“I’ve settled in really well,” she explained when we spoke with her this week. “Everyone’s been so kind, and I feel like that meant I was able to come out of my shell quite quickly. That’s a real testament to everyone here and how friendly they’ve been.
“I’ve met Sophie Luff a few times, but I didn’t really know anyone else that well. When all my old teammates found out where I was coming, they said that I’d have a great time. I’d always heard about Taunton and that England Women play here every year, but I’d never actually come down here. It’s a lovely intimate ground and I’ve been told that there aren’t many other professional sports teams in the area, so everyone here loves cricket. I love that.
Laura, who represented Manchester Originals in The Hundred in 2021, learned her trade on the Lancashire Pathway and made her First XI debut for the County in 2016. She was the county’s leading wicket taker in the Twenty20 Cup in both 2018 and 2019.
Her performances for her home county saw her called up to represent Thunder in both the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup between 2020 and 2024.
Since arriving in the West Country, she’s been impressed by how much the Club means to the people in the region.
“When we walk into town for a cup of coffee people are always coming up and talking to us and asking about cricket,” she said. “You can easily tell how well loved the Club and the ground is.
“It’s lovely that the ground isn’t under lock and key like a lot of stadiums so that people can come in and have a quick look around on non matchdays. The ground is right in the middle of town and right in the centre of the community and you can definitely feel what it means to people.
“I felt how proud people are to have that club crest on their chest as soon as I arrived. Everyone is constantly talking about the sense of pride you get from wearing the shirt.”
What’s it like being in the dressing room?
“I think there’s a good mix in the squad. It’s a nice blend because we’ve got some experienced players and then we’ve got the young ones who are so keen to just soak everything up. It’s been lovely to be able to speak with the bowlers and I’ve enjoyed being able to pass on a little bit of my experience and things that have worked for me in the past.
“I always had someone that I looked up to when I was younger, and that was Kate Cross. Knowing that you’ve got someone in your camp who has been there and done it all but cares so much is so important. I will always try to be like that and be a good professional. You have to make sure that you do everything the right way in order to show that those are the standards that you want to set for the team. It’s so important to have people who can have a laugh but also show that there’s a job to be done.”
With the season just around the corner, how important is it that Somerset start strongly?
“We want to hit the ground running especially given how many Women’s Memberships we’ve sold. We want to make sure that those people want to come back every week and also bring their mates.
“I’m a fiercely competitive person and I want to win at everything I do, even if it’s just darts down at the pub. It’s exciting that it’s the first professional women’s team at Somerset. We can’t wait to get going and show everyone what we’re about.”
The team head to Sharjah later this month for a pre-season tour, which is something that Laura is very much looking forward to.
“I love pre-season tours,” she explained. “You can put into practice everything that you’ve been working on over the winter. That’s always really exciting. I can’t wait to get out there and start getting the ball to move about a bit. It’ll be good to trouble the batters a bit more because they think they’ve got one up on the bowlers at the moment because training indoors suits them a bit more.
“It’s also going to be really good to get away and spend some time together as a team. I can’t wait to see how the team meshes whilst we’re over there.”
How have the men and women been getting along?
“We’re training in the same hall at the same time so we’re constantly chatting to each other and it’s interesting to get their take on things sometimes.”
It’s an exciting time for women’s cricket. What does Laura feel is the most important change brought about by the professional game?
“Women’s cricket is growing all the time and it’s great to see the people who used to have to juggle jobs and cricket whilst also having to fund themselves being able to succeed after having worked so hard to lay the groundwork to get the game where it is now.”
