By Grockle
March 26 2025

3 years on and it was still a great coup in Cardiff!!  26 March 2025 and the press conference before the start of Somerset's 150th year.  What do we know that we didn't?

Media Day 26 March 2025

I've never really done interviews as such and I'm sure Mike got some of the players at the photoshoot but with it being a special year and the start of the Women's professional team at Taunton etc I thought it would be good to go along and see what was happening.  There were a couple of things I wanted to know about as well so....

I am going to write a piece about the Women's expectations seperately to this so I'll add in the questions to Sophie and Trevor to that.  There was a pretty equal amount of enquiry about the first 'Somerset' professional season's expectations etc.

Present for the panel were Lewis Gregory, Jason Kerr, Andy Hurry, Trevor Griffin and Sophie Luff The whole thing was well turned out and organised and there was a decent smattering of local press from both genders of the game for photos and questions.

Update on Matt Henry

Matt is expected at the ground between the end of the first game and well before the second game of the season.  He is expected to be available for the Sussex game on the 11th and is then with us to the 25th of June or thereabouts.  Andy expected that to still be the case though of course Somerset are in day to day communication with NZ cricket for any updates but that is the expectation "at this time"

Jason's views on last season

Jason assessed the 2024 season as "brilliant" with a couple of 'really average weeks' at the end.  When asked about his expectations for this season he pointed out that everyone is a year older and will have learned from last year.  The younger guys will be stronger and we have a very good bowling attack this year if it all fires properly.

Will Smeed's new role

Will's decision to return to multi format cricket came up and we found out that the reason he has been absent from the initial work to prepare for this season is that he picked up an injury and will be having his first net today after rehabbing from that.  Jason did point out that he has been away from red ball cricket for a time and the injury rehab plus the need to prove himself once again in the format meant his arrival in the CC1 side might be later rather than sooner but that he was keen to make his mark and was probably making a move that other professionals might follow in future years.

Shoaib's loan spell

Andy was asked to respond to a national media comment about Shoaib's loan creating an 'unacceptable level of instability' (for the spinner?).  He pointed out that players needed to be playing at the highest level that was available to them and that a few in the media had a slightly outdated view of the loan system and that they ought to look it more now like the football system nowadays.  Jason mentioned the form of Jack Leach last season and the development of Archie as a CC spinner and said he expected Bash's home role to increase as pitches dried out while being susceptable to England call ups as well.  Both mentioned the fact that the cricket coaching world was a small one and modern technology helped them keep a close eye on guys who had been out on loan but that it helped Bash and also Ben Green and Lewis Goldsworthy last year - and may have altered the club's view of Lewis as a T20 option.  Spreading the abilities available around the cricketing sphere doesn't create a lot of negatives

Riley Meredith's role and availability

Riley has been contracted primarily for the Blast league phase but that contract is flexible concerning the CC1 games in that period of time.  He has been picked up by the Draft for the franchises so that means he is not available for the Metro50 but there is some flexibility on the contracted times etc.  Mention was also made of the return to Taunton of Miggy P as a useful all-format player with that South African 'get on with it' mentality

JT Langridge's Return

I asked about the return to the squad of JT after absence for most of last year after the very hard experience he had in the 2023 50over competition at the hands of Pritvi Shaw and Mr Pujara particularly at a very young age.  That perception was wrong that his confidence was knocked by that initial experience.  It seems that JT suffered from 2 pretty big injuries over the last year and has been rehabbing during the winter.  He is back, tall, with impressive hair and a left hand action and seems to be raring to go though they do need to do some coaching things to increase his consistency but when he gets it right it is very impressive.  Good news because some percieved him as a victim of too much pressure too early so that is a positive move forward and JT is hungry to get started this season. 

ECB and THE MONEY

This came up as an aside to a question.  Andy said there were still a number of questions about the quantity and the use of this money that had not yet been clarified by the ECB but also pointed out that it was in the hands of Jamie Cox as CEO and wasn't under the control of the Director of Cricket.  He was sure that once there was something definite Buzz would be letting people know the financial situation.

That was the bulk of the questions related to general aspects and the Men's team.  As I said earlier I want to do an introduction for the women's game in Taunton and the aspects and questions asked of Sophie and Trevor will be added into that because they relate more to that as a topic than as material just to be 'shoved' in here as general topics

Press Day Update

Discussion started by Grockles.com , 26/03/2025 18:50

Grockles.com
26/03/2025 18:50

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:29:12:44:45 by Grockle.

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Mike TA1
26/03/2025 20:16

Lewis Gregory, Jason Kerr, Andy Hurry, Trevor Griffin and Sophie Luff 

Photos to go with Grockles top table.

I have no photos of the squad because of an embargo on kits they are wearing



Trevor Griffin



Sophie Luff



Lewis Gregory



Jason Kerr



Andy Hurry.

This is to get my eye in again after six months off. I think maybe they could have been a bit lighter. My TV and the website is different.
Are they too large for some to see!

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Loyal of Lhasa
26/03/2025 20:38

Good to learn that you are gearing up for the imminent season, Mike, and I look forward to seeing you later in the season.

Your photos look very good to me.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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Loyal of Lhasa
26/03/2025 20:41

... and thanks to Grockle for his clear and succinct accound of the press day. I am starting to get excited about the season ahead.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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Grizzers
26/03/2025 21:44

Yes, many thx. for the update.

Any q's regarding our likely red ball opening partnership ?

Grizzers

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Grockle
27/03/2025 06:59

Nope Grizz no reference to it. I think we all knew that one would get the cliche of an answer.

The general consensus seemed to be that, 3,4,6,8,10 picked themselves. Three other players were pretty certain to get a slot (Vaughan, Gregory and Banton) but where? Which left 3 positions to be filled.... Friday will be most interesting.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:27:21:37:41 by Grockle.

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Cleavo87
27/03/2025 20:45

Some early clues ahead of the season opener next Friday from squad for friendly v Gloucestershire beginning tomorrow morning? No Goldsworthy or Umeed. Dickson to open with Archie?

Somerset have named the following 13-player squad for the match: Lewis Gregory, Tom Abell, Kasey Aldridge, Jake Ball, Tom Banton, Josh Davey, Sean Dickson, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leach, Alfie Ogborne, Craig Overton, James Rew and Archie Vaughan.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:27:20:46:53 by Cleavo87.

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Grockle
27/03/2025 21:46

Yes I also think they'll stay with Dickson despite the evidence that this does not work from 2 seasons. The only other question is whether the skipper will bowl. If he is not going to then if he plays he may open and Archie may drop to the allrounder position as second spinner to Jack.

Shame Miggy P is not in the squad (may not be here yet). Hope they give Alfie Ogborne a go.

Vaughan, Dickson, Lammonby, Abell, Banton, Rew, Gregory, Overton, Davey, Ogborne and Leach for me but what the order will at either end could be a guess. They may use a combination with Ball and/orAldridge if they want answers about the 4th seamer role at the start of the season.

Wonder what the plan is for Andy Umeed and Lewis Jr - or are they injured? They both made decent scores in the AD Yorkshire game though nothing spectacular.

Well we'll see how things pan out tomorrow I suppose

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