Author: Mike

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Derbyshire v Somerset 3rd August 1977

On This Day 3rd August 1977 – 11,000 spectators crammed into the Ilkeston ground for this Gillette Cup quarter final between Derbyshire and @Somerset – 5 Test cricketers on either side – a game which Somerset won.

Ian Botham bowling v Derbyshire August 1977 -Picture courtesy of David Griffin


Four Test cricketers on either side. Somerset: Ian Botham, Viv Richards, Joel Garner, Brian Close; Derbyshire: Eddie Barlow, Mike Hendrick, Geoff Miller, Bob Taylor. Brian Rose (Dec 1977) & John Wright (Feb 1978) are yet to make their first Test appearance.

Borrington and Wright batting for Derbyshire and Ian Botham bowling, Viv Richards and Brian Close at slip with Joel Garner at long leg. Serious cricket!

And a comment from David Jenkins ”I was there, had the pleasure of driving the Chairman Len Creed to the match. What an innings from Rosie and a great win. Fred Swabroke a left arm dismissed Viv much to.the disappointment of the Somerset fans. Great days back then.”

and one from Mike Kerswell ”I remember it as the first time I saw Joel Garner playing for Somerset.”q

and this memory from a Derbyshire supporter ”I did my paper round first and was in the ground at 7am. Sat in front of the Somerset players in the pavilion which is where I got Viv’s autograph. Bought Closey’s benefit brochure and got Botham’s autograph at the close of play…15 years old, 45 years ago, and it feels like yesterday! ….Botham had just made his Test debut and his wife was pregnant. We queued for his autograph at the end and there must have been several hundred wanting his signature – Kathy marshalled the queue to make sure we only got one signature each!!

The Scorecard can be found here

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Lancashire v Somerset 11th July 2022

With James Rew making his first team debut and Lewis Goldsworthy making his maiden first class century it was also pointed out in an article by Paul Edwards that the two young players set a fifth-wicket partnership record of 145 for Somerset against Lancashire, thereby overtaking that set by Sammy Woods and Henry Martyn at Taunton in 1905.

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Somerset’s Historic T20 win v Derbyshire

Highlights of the historic win on July 9th 2022 can be found here

Photographs will be added to the Photo Gallery in due course

Picture courtesy Simon Best @SimonBest007
The Toss. Picture courtesy of David Griffin @DGriffinpix

Picture courtesy of Ralph Hesp @ralphindevon
Tom Abell in Action.
Picture courtesy of Sir Michael Barber @MichaelBarber9
Peter Siddle in Action
Picture courtesy of Sir Michael Barber @MichaelBarber9
Ben Green striking the historic runs.
Picture courtesy of David Griffin @DGriffinpix

Picture courtesy of David Griffin @DGriffinpix
Picture courtesy of David Griffin @DGriffinpix

Somerset amassed the highest ever total in English domestic men’s T20 cricket of 265/5  beating their previous best of 250/3 v Gloucestershire in 2006 and exceeded the previous T20 record score in England, 261 for two by the Birmingham Bears against Nottinghamshire in June 2022, with Ben Green striking two sixes in the final over.

 The winning margin of 191runs is also the highest in T20 cricket in this country.

Rilee Rossouw became Somerset’s most prolific scorer in a T20 season with 600 at an average of 50, with a strike rate of 197.36.

Derbyshire’s spin bowler McKiernan was hit for 82 in his four overs, again, the most expensive figures in men’s T20 cricket history, including 36 off one over (5x6s, 1×4 and 1 no ball (2)).

Also the Derbyshire innings (68 balls) was the third lowest ’all out’ innings in Blast history

  • 63 balls / all out by Essex v Somerset at Chelmsford, 2011
  • 67 balls / all out by Warwickshire v Gloucestershire at Edgbaston, 2020
  • 68 balls / all out by Derbyshire v Somerset at Taunton, 2022

Somerset will play Hampshire at Finals Day for the 5th time in Somerset’s last 6 Finals Day appearances, which is by far the most common match-up on Finals Day – no other pair of counties have even met three times

The full match scorecard can be seen here

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Provision of Audio facilities

Following on from an earlier email contact related to the use of audio for the articles published on the museum website, for people with visual impairments, Discussions have taken place with a local Talking Newspapers Group, who will record the articles and make them available to both their own listeners and to ourselves. We will keep you posted regarding the progress we make.

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Wembdon Cricket Club – Club History

Founded in 1920, Wemdon Cricket Club is based at The Green, in the heart of Wembdon village, 1 mile west of Bridgwater. The club boasts 5 Saturday XI’s, a Sunday XI, Ladies cricket section and a thriving junior section. There is a pathway in place for all ages through to Under 19’s and in to adult cricket.

Full Article to follow.

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Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club – Club History

Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club based in Weston-super-Mare. Since the club’s formation in 1845, they have nurtured a number of players who have gone on to play for Somerset County Cricket Club and a select few who have gone on to play for the England Cricket Team.

Article to be added. The complete history of Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club can be found here.

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Use of Audio

To the lady (PH) who kindly emailed us regarding the use of Audio. We are looking at this and hope to be able to provide this facility in the near future. Unfortunately you email box is full so i cannot reply formally.

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Tetton Park – former home of Somerset batsman Mervyn Herbert

The Tetton Park estate, Kingston St Mary is the former home of career diplomat and Somerset batsman Mervyn Herbert.

Herbert scored 854 runs in 42 matches, top scoring with a score of 78 at a batting average of 12.02 in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Marvin Herbert was born in 1882 at Highclere Castle, which was used as the set of Downton Abbey.

If you know of any place in Somerset connected to the history of Somerset cricket, you are more than welcome to let us know

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Ian Botham on his 22nd birthday

A distinctly underwhelmed Ian Botham wad presented with a cake on his 22nd birthday by England tour manager Ken Barrington. Botham was at the airport ready to leave for that winter’s tour of Pakistan and New Zealand

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Derbyshire v Somerset August 1977

Ten Test cricketers played in this match watched by 11,000 spectators in searing heat. Somerset won by 59 runs, Brian Rose 128, Joel Garner 5/30

I

That year Somerset played Middlesex at Lords in the final and it rained 3 days and they played a 15 over game late on the Friday lost toss batted first and lost game . Brian Close again feeling everything was against Somerset in his last year as captain.

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1977/ENG_LOCAL/GLTE/MIDDX_SOMERSET_GLTE_26AUG1977.html

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A response to the article on Bill Andrews by Mike Tarr from his great nephew, Gary Andrews.

I just saw your memory of Bill Andrews, who was my Great Uncle, by Mr. Mike Tarr, and thought I would drop you a line.

I have heard many stories about him and read his book about being a Professional Cricketer.

He played Cricket with me in about 1958 in Highbridge, I think. It was in his back garden and I was a 5 year old. He told me that if I wanted to play cricket I would have to face his type of bowling. He gave me his bat that was over the Fire Place and practiced with me. I was scared stiff and it felt real when he bowled. Then he put the bat away and got some bottles in his wall and started shooting at them with a pellet gun. 

I did not realise that he was showing me an important lesson in life and even at 5 years of age I remember thinking what a great bloke. My Dad never did anything like that with me?

I never saw him play but, my Dad told me about him and I read his book. I heard in latter life that he was influential in Ian Botham’s development at Millfield School

As a Cricketer, not as a Scholar, Ahhhhhh

Is that true, or just wishful thinking. I remember he had huge hands and was a big guy.

We lived in Wiltshire so I did not see him too often. His brother was my Grandad who moved to Wiltshire to work in the Railways.

Gary later added: His book was interesting because, I think, Cricket was a bit of a Gentleman’s game and he was a rough diamond.

He had to fight to become a Professional Cricketer and then the Second World War probably stopped him from playing for England. There was another cricketer at Somerset who was very good but my Uncle Bill clashed with due to his background. This may be sour grapes, but my dad told me he was a tough cookie and could be argumentative and confrontational.

Ian Botham had a strong character, maybe Uncle Bill instilled that into him Ahhh.

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New donations 18th April 2022

We are very grateful to Brigid Riddell for two donations from her fathers cricket collection. An autographed salver commemorating the SCCC wins in the Gillette Cup and John Player League in 1979 and tankard presented to her father for his role as President of the Somerset Wyverns between 1984 and 1986.

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John Challen 1884-99

John Challen was a classic schoomaster amateur who popularised the game, playing most of his 52 matches for Somerset in the summer holidays when the professionals had to step to one side. He scored 1656 runs at 19.71 as well as taking 16 wickets

He played between 1884 and 1899 but never more than 11 times in any season. A good footballer, he turned out four times for the Wales national side.

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The successes of the Somerset Academy (the last 5-6 years) – Part 2

by Harry Everett (Journalist and Broadcaster)

I had the privilege to commentate on Sonny Baker’s first ball and first over in professional cricket, v Derbyshire in July 2021 and I cannot remember being more impressed by an 18-year-old on debut. I had already heard lots about this young man from Devon Dumplings teammates who played with him at Kings College and how he ripped through school cricket with in-swinging yorkers. Of course, many had seen the clip that went viral of him doing just that. But there is more to his game than that super strength. It is a travesty injury ceased him from showcasing his skills on the World Stage at the U19 World Cup alongside James Rew and George Thomas. But that 3-46 on debut is one I have watched back on the Somerset YouTube Channel multiple times since-time very well spent. Ned Leonard and Kasey Aldridge will both get further chances in the 2022 season, having been mostly used in the Royal London Cup (RLC) last summer.

Continue reading “The successes of the Somerset Academy (the last 5-6 years) – Part 2”
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Middlesex v Somerset June 1928

A lovely shot of Somerset’s Wally Luckes running out Middlesex’s Tom Enthoven at Lord’s in June 1928. Luckes was Somerset’s keeper either side of WW2, playing 365 times for them between 1924 and 1949.

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Somerset in Print by Martin Chandler

By Martin Chandler first published August 2021

Somerset County Cricket Club was formed in 1875, and first competed in the County Championship in 1891, the second summer of the formally organised competition. There have been a number of histories of the club, the first being Ron Roberts’ Sixty Years of Somerset Cricket, a comprehensive look back at the county’s years in the Championship, published in 1952.

Continue reading “Somerset in Print by Martin Chandler”