County Championship 2021: Somerset preview

Captain

Tom Abell

Last year

Runners-up

Player movements

In: Marchant de Lange (SA)

Out: Dom Bess (Yorks), Nathan Gilchrist (Kent), Jamie
Overton (Surrey)

Key player

Craig Overton – Red-ball cricket’s MVP last summer according to the PCA rankings, the Devon-born all-rounder claimed more wickets than any other seamer – bowling appreciably quicker than previously – and averaged 31 with the bat as Somerset again fell at the last hurdle. Another season like the last and he’ll be firmly in contention for Ashes selection.

Bolter

Will Smeed – the 19-year-old is yet to make his first-class debut but announced his arrival last summer with a blistering 49-ball 82 against Gloucestershire in just his second T20 appearance. Somerset’s ethos is built on giving youth a chance and Smeed, who has scored runs prodigiously in age-group cricket, can expect first-team opportunities this summer

County Championship 2021: Somerset Fixtures

Middlesex v Somerset, Thursday April 8, Lord’s

Somerset vs Gloucestershire, Thursday April 15, The Cooper Associates County Ground

Leicestershire vs Somerset, Thursday April 22, Grace Road

Somerset vs Middlesex, Thursday April 29, The Cooper Associates County Ground

Hampshire vs Somerset, Thursday May 6, The Rose Bowl

Somerset vs Surrey, Thursday May 13, The Cooper Associates County Ground

Gloucestershire vs Somerset, Thursday May 20, County Ground

Somerset vs Hampshire, Thursday June 3, The Cooper Associates County Ground

Somerset vs Leicestershire, Sunday July 4, The Cooper Associates County Ground

Surrey vs Somerset, Sunday July 11, Kennington Oval

You can check the full list of County Championship fixtures here.

Wisden says

After finishing as runners-up for the fourth time in five seasons, Somerset look well set for their latest bid to finally win that elusive Championship title. Tom Lammonby’s emergence at the top of the order couldn’t have been timed better following the retirement of Marcus Trescothick and their batting was generally much more secure (they scored nine hundreds in a six-match campaign compared to six across the whole of the previous summer). Their bowling was as destructive as ever, with all but one of their nine wicket-takers averaging sub-20 (the ninth was Jack Leach), and the loss of Jamie Overton has been offset by the arrival of South African quick Marchant de Lange, who has signed as an overseas.

Prediction

3rd in Division 1