By Harry Everett (Journalist and Broadcaster)
In a two-part article I will review the great success of some key names who have come through the Somerset Academy into the first team to play county cricket.
First team regulars for a while now: Ben Green, Tom Lammonby, Lewis Goldsworthy, George Bartlett, Max Waller, Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory, Jack Leach.
More recently: Ned Leonard, Kasey Aldridge and even the much-maligned-by-injury Ollie Sale. And the three current England U19 lads get a mention later on and those who have moved on: Nathan Gilchrist, Eddie Byrom, Dom Bess, Jamie Overton
Ben Green and Tom Lammonby come as a package. From Clyst St George to Exeter School, to Exeter CC (as recently as last summer) to opening the batting at Lords together in the Bob Willis Trophy final. This final partnership is one I most fondly remember. I was debuting for Exeter University as a PGCE student at Exeter CC on Saturday 26th March in a friendly v the home club after Covid-19 had wiped out the early summer of 2020. I have never been less keen to bat as I sat in the clubhouse with the Exeter CC faithful, including Mr Green senior himself watching his son and Tom put on 105 for the first wicket against all the all-conquering triumvirate of Mr Porter, Cook and Harmer.
Both have time in and out of the Somerset side in the two extreme formats. Whilst Lammonby saved his personal best for the final T20 Blast group game last summer, Green did similarly in a frankly ridiculous Edgbaston finals day semi-final comeback from the dead and buried. The former should open with Matt Renshaw in an exciting 4-day opening partnership this summer. The latter superbly captained the middle-length format last summer and should have a real chance of getting to the Trent Bridge final (most likely against the hosts) in July of this year.
Will Smeed and Tom Banton were both born and raised away from the South West but have become two of our favourite adopted sons. Both have shone in franchise cricket, Banton first the BBL for Brisbane Heat a couple of years ago, three years his younger, Smeed the PSL, just concluded. But my favourite anecdote for these two was interviewing Tom Banton after a man of the match T20 performance in June of last year.
The game saw Banton return to form with 77 off just 37 balls whilst Smeed provided a very useful 63*. The former Kings College pupils shared a boarding house and regularly scored runs opening the batting for school together. Such is their bromance that Banton came out for his post-match interview in Smeed’s shorts!
Not just the first and only on this list, but Tom Abell was, and still is the first former Academy player to become club captain in Somerset’s great history. This summer he has taken the T20 captaincy from Lewis Gregory so will captain in both the longest and shortest tournaments, only missing out on the hat trick due to his involvement in the new tournament that shall not be named (Ben Green will continue his superb captaincy from last year’s Royal London Cup in his absence).
Tom Abell broke many records as a Taunton School lad and one prolific run of form that I was loosely involved in providing me a personal anecdote that shall stick with me forever:
As a year 11 on study leave from Uffculme School, I was called by a Sampford Peverell CC friend two years older and in the Exeter College cricket academy. They were short to play at Taunton School, I would get picked up and a tea, so a no brainer yes really. Little did I know at this point who I would be coming up against that day. Tom had scored a 100 in every single school game so far that season…we got him out for 98. Less than an hour after he walked back to the pavilion as if he had got out for just eight, he was charging down the hill (proper seamer’s run up) inducing me to nick behind for a solitary run, then edge even finer to the ‘keeper the following over. Just one run and one catch to show for my outing, but I was more than happy to have witnessed this school boy prodigy in action a couple years before he was opening the batting with Marcus Trescothick, becoming one of the County’s youngest ever captains and the finest player to come through all the County age group sides?
Tom Abell has to be regarded as the most successful so far of our 2010s Academy Graduates. His 2015 season’s 726 runs, for which he was awarded the LV Breakthrough Player recognition of his mark, made across the County game.
Expect Tom Lammonby to lead this category in the next generation (six years Tom’s junior) and Sonny Baker to pip James Rew and George Thomas as the 2020s best breakthrough players from the Somerset Academy.