3 days ago
COLUMN: Somerset are 'best equipped' side in white ball cricket
Despite Sundays first defeat of the season in the T20 Blast against Kent, I believe it's generally accepted that Somerset are the best equipped side and have been for the last 5 or 6 years in the shorter of the two white ball competitions, writes Merv Colenutt.
Somerset were probably not quite at their best in the victory on Friday over Middlesex, but the old and probably the best saying in the game, catches win matches certainly proved to be the case in the defeat of Middlesex, where poor old Leus Du Plooy dropped two straight forward catches on the mid wicket boundary and was out to a first ball duck.
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Somerset on the other hand, proved once again they are the best fielding outfit in the competition with Craig Overton once again pulling off an absolute diving stunner and the speed and aggression from the Somerset fielders in the opening power play of any game, so often sees the opposition score just one run, when other sides give away two runs.
Selection is always going to be of the main importance in any game and despite some grumblings among a small section, Lewis Goldsworthy did Somerset and himself proud by picking up 4 wickets in the defeat of Gloucestershire, this after bowling one over in each of the previous games.
Goldsworthy was the pick of the bowlers in that game and although not picking up a wicket against Kent on Sunday, he once again proved his worth by being the most economical.
Tom Banton batted superbly against Kent, yet once again there were a few rumblings before the game on whether the England man should bat at 6 and move Sean Dickson up to open.
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The game however revolved around a quite brilliant match winning century from Kent's Daniel Bell-Drummond a former prodigy of Gerry Wilson, cricket coach at Millfield School, who always held Bell-Drummond in high regard and on this rare occasion, made both Matt Henry and Riley Merridith look fairly ordinary, he batted that well.
One player who must be feeling a little unlucky at present in the eyes of both leading horse trainer Michael Blake and former player Martyn Wright, has to be Tom Lammonby who has to look on from the sidelines and i also believe Jack Leach, when the wicket is turning can still be a match winner, but this is all about the strength in depth Somerset have that no other county side can boast of.
One final thought on England selection, if Craig Overton was playing for Surrey and Jamie for Somerset, would Craig get the nod over his twin brother when it comes to playing for his country, as i said, just a thought.
