Ian Shepherd: Six needed. And that is could be the winning hit. It is! It's six for Lewis Gregory, and Somerset have one by six wickets. Tremendous win for Somerset. Chasing down 194 to win with Will Smead leading the way. Howdy Power! Hello there. This is Always Looking Bright Side of Life, Somerset Cricket Podcast. My name's Ian Shepherd. Joining me this evening to have a look back at Finals day. ⁓ I've got Steve Tancock. Steve, how is it exiled up north? How was it for you? Glorious being Well, finals day wasn't glorious, but at least the weather's still beautiful up here. Definitely. ⁓ also with me is Dan Kingdom. Dan, finals day. I didn't get chance to pop round and say hello 'cause it all seemed to be it was all over rather quickly in the end, wasn't it? It was, wasn't it? Yeah. Just for a mo yeah, for a decent chunk of the game we looked like winning it and then all of a sudden we didn't. And that was that. Yeah, as we were saying, out in the first semi for first time ever. Massive shame. Massive shame. And completing our quartet is Somerset C C C Digital and Media Marketing Manager. And along with me, one of two people who you can see in the press walks sort of doing this when they show the replay of that incredible David Willie boundary ⁓ assist catch with safe save that put paid to Craig Overton's ⁓ chance of double heroics in the weeks. Of course, Ben Warren. ⁓ Ben, ⁓ we were chatting briefly before we started recording about what we all kinda did ⁓ after the semi final loss. You said you didn't want to do yourself. I was pretty much of the same ilk, but it was kind of ⁓ yeah, we were sort of a bit all like lost sheep, weren't we? Yeah, it was a weird feeling. It was a weird feeling. ⁓ but we did stay. And it was a decent enough semifinal and a decent final, so yeah, caught up with some people ⁓ That I hadn't seen for a while. So ⁓ yeah, not the day we all wanted, but it was a day nonetheless. Yeah. ⁓ I was ⁓ well I was I I'm not like Harry. I can't I was who can go around and sort of find hundreds of people that he knows and ⁓ sort of you say, I was like, I just want to go home now. So ⁓ I was ⁓ diverted to that ⁓ flip out place near Wellington if you've heard of It's like a giant indoor trampoline centre ⁓ where one of my kids' friends was having a birthday party. So the whole family were there along with about ⁓ ten other kids and parents so I I'd stopped by there on the on the way back. ⁓ I felt like I had the family's bit of time out there ⁓ being here there and everywhere last week. But it was like a bloody oven in there. So I spent the I spent the re most of Saturday sweating there, watching the the final on my phone, watching Sonny Baker ⁓ bag of Fife. ⁓ Steve, you watched it on on the T V. What were your thoughts about about it all? Well, like Dan was saying I I I always go on that. If you take three wickets in the power play, you're I don't know what the stat is, but it greatly enhances your chances of winning. And we took three wickets in the power play and I thought that's great. And Chris Lynn is not the Chris Lynn that he was a few years ago. Hundred and forty three. I'm thinking even Edgmoston on finals day, that's probably twenty thirty short of par. Thank you very much. And then Well, we lost three wickets in the power play, so that killed that stat. my my thing I couldn't get my head round was and I think it put more pressure on Will Smead, TKC just didn't I I don't know what's wrong with him, but he just couldn't seem to time anything or get anything going, could he? And it was when he got out, it was I mean it wasn't for us, but it was almost like putting him out of his misery. And I've not seen him like that for a while. I don't know what you three thought, but it was slightly concerned. Well, it it's on my agenda. I mean, well, first of all, I was I was sort of really worried when he bumped into Lewis Gregory taking that catch. ⁓ my goodness, yeah. With obviously with the you know, he's got a really bad history of concussion and you know he still wears that sort of that that collar and I remember when he took the catch in twenty twenty three in the final he was sort of when he was getting mobbed by the guys, he was kinda like a bit ⁓ just can just a bit careful guys. You know I've you know pretty careful I'm ahead so I was really worried about that but thankfully it was more sort of ⁓ shoulder to shoulder than head to head. But ⁓ if you are listening, put a name on it kids. First thing you always tell you under eleven, so a name on it. But ⁓ yeah, he he doesn't look right. I asked Jason about it post match, he sort of says he he's fit. But if you there's a video that it wasn't on Sky, but it was on the Somerset socials where you catch a really good view of all the the banners that he's got on his hand and you know it it I understand that you wanna wanna protect it, but I He doesn't you're right, he just doesn't look like his old self. There wasn't It's when when protecting it hampers yeah, and it looks like he's hampering his hand, doesn't it? Yeah. And it weren't any of those sort of big booming left ed off drives that you associate with T K C that that go in and Yeah, he was tr he was trying to do the job, but I just I don't think he's right and ⁓ I just wonder if he's not quite got the confidence back in it yet or it just needs more time. It was quite a severe injury, you know sort of sort I sort of saw it up close, he sort of showed me the the pins and everything and it's you know, quite a damaging injury. So I hope you know, I hope touched wood that he is he is on the road to recovery, but he really didn't look like his old self and you do wonder if he's not got that power game ⁓ in it in his locker at the moment, that we'd have been better off maybe playing Tom Abel in that middle order role. Big call to bring him back though, isn't it? You know I mean he's obviously been in the squad so he's getting close, but yeah, I want Tom Abel for the champo. You know, I wanted him before the semi final and I you know, I just hope he can get through the next month's hiatus okay. Yeah, Tom Cold Camel, what did he make? It was yeah, twenty nine or thirty nine seven. Twenty nine or thirty seven, which is a very unkolacard strike rate. Just one four and one six in those well. In fact, you know, a lot of all the Somerset players of Arsmead found it ⁓ hard going ⁓ trying to find the boundary. sometimes it's a really fine balance though, isn't it? Because he was you know, they they were accused at Yorkshire of ⁓ of of of of not taking the game deep enough and albeit what what happened happened. But you know, if he hits a couple of sixes and gets us over the line, it it would have been deemed a really, you know, taking responsibility and a really sort of mature innings and ⁓ you know but the fact that that yeah you you know, I think that there was there's certainly some impact still on his yeah on his wrist. But ⁓ it is really fine margin. 'Cause I say if he if he just got away a couple of boundaries and ended up forty five knot out of forty five balls, it it ⁓ looks like a very mature innings. Yeah, I mean I I got no fault with his with his approach. I thought he he played, you know, there's plenty of players would have You know, maybe gone to pieces in a sort of a high pressure run chase. I thought he kept his head brilliantly, but I just don't feel like there was just something there. Like it's whether he couldn't sort of break the wrists when he is sort of following through or something like that. It just it just felt that he he's not his ⁓ he's not his old self. I I didn't feel Benny had that gear to go to at the moment. That's that's and I I know what you're saying, and he was batting, you know, if he knows he had his limitations, he thought, Well, I'll bat through at one end and let Lewis, Craig, Daniel, Sam's, etcetera, do it at the other end. But I I don't think and I'm not being wise. I hope I'm not being wise after the event. I just didn't feel that there was that change up of gear coming at any point. The the problem was we in these in these sorts of chases, when you lose these sorts of chases, the team that loses, they get accused of being too aggressive and going too hard at it and throwing wickets away. But this wasn't really that for the most part. I mean you can say maybe the Ruse perhaps played bad shots in the power play, but like again, like it is the power play. There's not really singles to be found. The fielders are all up. Like this these were two good bowlers. You can't really blame them for looking for the boundary. ⁓ this wasn't really a chase where we were too aggressive. If if anything, we we you we we didn't score quickly enough. But it wasn't I'm not I don't think the approach was necessarily wrong, but TKC out of form, guys kept finding I think it was probably mostly TKC but possibly others too. We kept seeming to just find the field is in the circle. We couldn't rotate the strike. That was the problem. Like there were just so many dots in the middle overs. ⁓ which which ultimately meant that we had too much to do at the end. I think it was forty eight off the last five overs. And on that pitch, you know, we're gonna struggle with that even with Daniel Sams and Craig still to come in. Like it was just one where we were on the back foot immediately, obviously being twelve for three. We s we you know, there was obviously that overall cropped up, which ⁓ by Smeed, which obviously did change the game for a bit. But then after that we just lost the momentum again, you know, and I just don't think it was an approach problem. It was just an execution problem. And North Antis, you've got to give credit to they bulged really, really well. ⁓ and we just on that we just failed to adapt to that pitch, ⁓ apart from Smead. and yeah, just ran out of steam. There was too much to do at the end. ⁓ and yeah, it's just really disappointing. I think a fit and a fit and firing Tom Abel would have won us that game, most likely. But yeah, just bringing him in before the semi, you don't know how he would have gone 'cause he had hasn't played in several weeks. So yeah, I don't know if there's anything we could definitely with a team selection, to be honest. ⁓ Do you think that there was a slight overcompensation for the headingly batting display in that that they was almost seemed so desperate to take the game deep and to be mature and to really ⁓ ensure that they had wickets in hand and and they weren't losing their heads and playing silly shots. Do you think there was a slight overcompensation and and the and the fact that they were just didn't quite free they weren't quite free enough to to to sort of hit hit boundaries and potentially take the put the pressure back on Northlands. I think that might be something that that could have happened. happened that we were so desperate to keep up keep the kits in hand after what happened on on Wednesday and what happened at the top of the water. I don't think so. I think we talked about Smeed, I thought he he played fantastically on in on ⁓ on on Saturday. ⁓ he looked like he wanted to be there you know sixty, seventy not out at the end. And as well I think you talked about what you said Ben but I think I think if Smeed had been in that mentality, he wouldn't have recognised the situation and gone, right, ⁓ I think I've got Proctor's number here. I can, you know, take twenty-eight off the last over with a power play. Because I was just begging for him to just l not do anything daft on that last ball, just maybe nudge it for a one and and keep the strike, but he just went no and it was there and he just blasted it over extra cover ⁓ you know, to complete a boundary every ball in that final over the power play. So I think they recognize the situation, right? Smead ⁓ particularly, but as as Dan said, they just there was little things that didn't quite go away. Obviously that brilliant ⁓ bit of boundary work from David Willie ⁓ saving the six and and you know getting the ball over to save save. Sam's catch was, you know, another meter and that's six. So if those both go our way, that's twelve. Yeah. ⁓ yeah, yeah. So, you know, I feel I don't want to say I feel like we used up all of our luck up at Headingley, but 'cause I think we still should have walked that chase. ⁓ and sort of just going back to Tom Abel point, I think his game his game is just finding pockets to start with, and I think that's not necessarily something you need to be in a great deal of form to be able to do. I don't know. I don't know if he I don't think he's played any club cricket or anything like that, so it would have been his first could potentially have been his first knockback in the middle. But you know, I remember saying it last year when Abe's weren't in great form, there'll come a time when you're on a bit of a sticky one, a bit of a dodgy one where you just need Tom Abel's class. And you know, if we'd have had a fit and firing an informed Tom Abel on Saturday, as you say that I'm I'm convinced you would have won that game. You look at the ⁓ disruption to the team as well, Banton obviously haven't He opened in the end, but he was gonna be at three, but even that's not ideal either. Thomas Rue had to go down to three. James Rue has kind of lost his form a bit in the last few games. TKC's obviously had a you know, struggle throughout the tournament. Gregory's coming back from an injury. Craig and Sams will probably have placed higher than than us up than his ideal 'cause obviously Goldsworthy, you know, could have played if if Goldsworthy was fit, he would have played instead of Leech, which would have given us some more batting as well. So it's been a story the story of the tournament really, hasn't it? Injuries and disruption. And that that did apply to that semifinal as well. ⁓ so you know, one way of looking at it, it's just, you know, it's an amazing achievement to get this far despite all the problems we've had. but yeah, it just the team hasn't been, you know, fully fit and firing like it's been in the years where we've won it, where we've had you know barely any disruption really. ⁓ so yeah, I think the team is been the most topsy turvy T twenty campaign we've had for a long time. Because I think The podcast we did just after the group stages started, and Ian and I were like, just tell us if there's a team that can how can anyone beat this Somerset side? Whatever they do to us, we'll beat them. And then straight away we looked like we couldn't beat a rice pudding, didn't we? For time. And then the last time I was on two weeks ago, I I was just saying, write it off. And then it was like, ⁓ my god, we've won again. Run again, you I can't believe this is happening. Obviously, beating North Hamps twice, who fair play, probably were the best team in the competition over the year. beating them twice, and then you know, yet again coming back from the dead in a quarter final, you sort of think, ⁓ yeah, everyone's gonna fear playing us, and it's just one of those things. And I say it all the time that's T twenty cricket, and when it's a one off game, it is you know. If we played North Hans five times in a semi final series, we'd have won three two or four one, I'm convinced of that. Despite all the changes. But that's how it is. You know. Well if you put hundred and forty three in front of a side, how many times should they chase it? Yeah. Eight out of ten? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. Trouble is when you're twelve for three, the game plan goes out the window, really, doesn't it? Yeah. Well, I think that's why Smeed and and TK C just recognized it, you know, take it deep and they and they really did take it deep. It's just, you know, Colo Camel was there, we just wasn't able to find the boundary as much as he he he would have liked. ⁓ probably Smeed as Well, credit to Sales and Harrison, 'cause those middle overs, they you know, I know it was so frustrating 'cause we just couldn't couldn't keep the board ticking over, could we? No, I mean Just looking at the economy rates, how often do you see three bowlers in a T twenty all complete their allocation going at five or under? You know, Carrison one for twenty thought he bowled really well. ⁓ Willie three for seventeen going at four point two five and and sales one for sixteen going at four. That's that's phenomenal. ⁓ you mentioned, you know earlier miss ⁓ missing goals worthy. I thought they went after leach, really I don't think that Potentially goals would maybe have gone for thirty-five in three. I mean it was Jack's first appearance at the finals day. and I think that the the one for three, ⁓ you know, is quite sometimes when you just have a singular game, pitch is put into context, but then when two teams then go out and bat on it and hit, you know, one, you know, a a pass score. I mean it wasn't quite interesting here. I I was listening to Peter Morse's post match press conference after the Knotts ⁓ Hampshire game and he said that one seven five was was par in the semifinals and ⁓ but that just sometimes you can get on a on a roll as a batting s side negatively and a as a bowling side likewise and that's why you know there were two scores of of of one forty and one thirty that but the the pitch itself was not a one forty picture it so ⁓ I thought it probably got better through the day. It did last year it got better through the day and I think it probably did as well on on Saturday. All sees cats arise. This is the new addition to our family. This is Elsa. ⁓ Thank you, Elsa. Are you not naming your pets after Somerset Legends? ⁓ no, we we rehomed her, bless her. She was found abandoned, heavily pregnant, and so she's now come to live with us. She's only nine months old, look. ⁓ bless her. So what happened to the kittens? You haven't got them as well, have you? They're in they're in the local animal welfare. We couldn't even we couldn't take any more kittens, so So this is Charlie's six. Everyone remembers Charlie from the past. We lost Charlie last October and she's now we've got three, but she's the newest edition, so and I thought she'd come and join this evening. So welcome to the Welcome to the And really weirdly, just very quickly, and Ben will get this, we brought her home and an hour later Liverpool sat on the slot. So it was the day of Arna and Elsa for us. ⁓ frozen, ⁓ very good. ⁓ what were you talking about there before Steve's cat movie? I remember that. Sorry, ⁓ other pictures, yeah. Yeah, I mean I I don't think that it changed a huge amount throughout the day. I mean it it's not like it took a huge amount of spin or ⁓ you know, and there was one shorter side towards the Hollies. So yeah, I think I think that one seven five was still about right for that for that wicket. ⁓ In all three games. Just trying to find our stats. If we have a little chat about James Rooks, his form seemed to sort of fall off towards the the latter end of the tournament. I mean do you think he was sort of trying a bit too hard? He sort of built up a nice reputation, you know, fantastic knocks at Edgeberson in the group stage against Warwickshire, that incredible hundred against Gloucester. do you think he was just maybe sort of just trying a bit too hard and not trusting what had worked in the earlier part of the group stages? No, I think he's still a young young player who's still learning his game, to be honest. And it's a long season for him, you know. ⁓ all the different formats and you know, playing called up to the test side back at Somerset. It's it's not easy. It can't be easy at all. It's just whether he perhaps goes to them too early occasionally, I guess. ⁓ and needs to take a bit more time to play himself in. ⁓ 'cause he he should be sort of the the mid lauder guy who sort of bats through and st in a similar sort of role to Tom Abel and and Sean Dixon as well to some extent perhaps, you know, finding those gaps and then, you know, finding boundaries in a perhaps slightly more conventional way, but then also But with the ability to play less conventionally as well. Like that that hundred against Gloucestershire was very inventive, like particularly sort of the second half of the innings from memory. So, you know, he is capable. just wonder, yeah, maybe he ideally he shouldn't be in the power play and he should sort of the guy who bats through the middle over as well, so he did lose those two any wickets, ⁓ which didn't help. Yeah, I'm thinking as well back, you know, in an ideal world with a fully fit T K C he comes in above James and Levin James, as you say in that middle order position with ⁓ you know, a player like Tom Abel, you're you're sort of guys you can find the gaps and get you twelve and ⁓ by finding ⁓ finding the pockets and finding the twos. I mean he he's had a very good season, his first sort of really cruel season of blast cricket. ⁓ twelve games, obviously Mr. Couple when he's away with England, best of a hundred and sixteen. ⁓ averaging forty three, striking a hundred and fifty. So numbers not to be sniffed at by any stretch of the imagination. ⁓ top of the averages was Jordan Herman, believe it or not, with fifty two. ⁓ next was Craig, forty five. ⁓ played every game again. Played every Champo games, played every ⁓ every blast game. And looking for it as a fiddle and raring f raring for more. Yeah. I mean he's off to the hundred now, but ⁓ I don't think we can we can omit the ⁓ fantastic efforts that Craig put in. He bought well again Saturday obviously. I mean Steve, did you manage to catch any of the the headingly knock or were you still? Yeah, fortunately we got back our plane got back from Malta and we got back home just after four. So annoying as it was that I couldn't If I'd have been working or whatever, I could have got to the game live, but at least I got to see it and still that amazing performance, which I must admit when it was eighty two for eight with what five hours to five and a half hours to go, I was thinking maybe I wish the plane had been delayed a bit, but ⁓ no, it was worth it in the end. Yeah, definitely was. I mean I I always felt we had a sniff on Wednesday, but I don't know, for some reason I thought no I'd like to find out. We're not going to do it again Saturday and and sort of though it came to pass. But you know, a little thing going our way, as you said, you know, the the Harrison catch on the boundary, the Willy brilliance, that goes our way. Yeah. We rolled ten wides as well, I think, which is unheard of for some set in T twenty cricket normally. So I don't know how you'd compare Craig's innings with Sean Dixon's last year. You'd have to sort of look at where we were in the chase and percentage of runs scored and do a bit of quite detailed analysis, but my sense was that that significantly outclips Sean Dixon's innings last year. Yeah. Because with with Dickko i it was kind of we just it it got out of reach just for the last two overs if memory so I think we we saw I think we needed like fifty or three and then we got maybe a dozen in the eighteen and we ended up needing thirty four or two. So yeah, something like that. Yeah, so it it felt like ⁓ w ⁓ we're still in it. ⁓ no we're not in it. With Craig we were like Wednesday we were we were out of it from like felt like the seventh over and it felt like a long you know, long torture for watching the last dozen overs and then slowly but surely we got back in it and then it ended up Sort of coincidentally about 40 off two again and he just went bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, and then all of a sudden it was all over with the ball to fare. And and cr Sean Dixon, I'm not diminishing what Dixon did last year, but he didn't he Lewis Gregory at the other end for the bulk of that innings. well Craig was at the end, so we had a Yeah, but I think Lewis was there for a chunk of it. Dixon would have battered with bull for a bit and they put on fifty four together and then he put on twenty four with twenty two with Gregory and then Green and got out straight away and then it was Craig and Dixon at the end. Yeah, that was the map. Yeah, they they've nobody else really got going. I think Dick How started quite slowly as well. It was I think it was a pitch you kinda needed to get yourself in on before you could start playing your big shots and that's what Sean did, but the others didn't really have time to do that. hence sort of got out earlier but as well just one thing about the the Headingley thing as well which which puts Dixons in sort of ⁓ as a as a fonder memory is well when it was at Taunton it would have been great if Craig was at Taunton. But whatever stadium it would have been in there it was sort of covet levels of crowd and it that kind of made it a little bit Yeah it yeah it was absolutely amazing celebrating in front of the Yorkshire fans. Obviously me and Matt were there and then there's a few other Somerset fans around us. Obviously the Yorkshire fans have been giving it the big one to the Somerset players and to Craig, etcetera. So they got quieter and quieter. We got louder and louder and then yeah, it was glorious celebrating in front of them. And those sixes in the last or each one of them getting up for those, like it was incredible. So I wouldn't change it, but definitely not. It's just a really bizarre occasion, the whole thing really like you know, it's just yeah. with all the football stuff and just yeah, so I remember I caught up with you Dan, didn't I, just before the just before the toss to get some food and like there wasn't even a queue for the food or anything like that. Like if you ⁓ anyone who's been to a T twenty game, like if you wanna try and get food half an hour before it, it's generally pre generally queues and things. But ⁓ yeah, it was just a bizarre day ⁓ with the football as well. ⁓ But yeah, certainly an incredible occasion for and that and that that has that was, you know, when you look back now, that was our that was our day. But you know, that was our that was our pinnacle and ⁓ it wasn't meant to ⁓ to go any further than that, unfortunately. The three of you are both far too young, but when I was watching it the last couple of overs, I obvious comparison, scrapes on the sort of rounder, but Both from Hundred and Forty Nine in the Headingley Test in eighty one where it was the same. I think he had Chris Old and Graham Dilley, which, you know, no disrespect to Riley, but there's not a lot of difference in what you'd expect. And he just swung for the fences in the test match. And if you if you get a chart, if you haven't seen it, watch it back 'cause he just he was having so much fun by the end and nothing he could do went wrong and everything the Australians tried to do. went wrong. And I think, you know, Craig is is on that level at the moment that once he gets going, there's you just can't stop him. And it was it in my head, it was just bringing back those memories and the commentary. Well you know, because I was fortunate enough to watch that live on the or on the tell, but as it happened as well. And you're like, this is almost history repeating itself. So yeah, it was that was our our moment of the T twenty campaign, wasn't it? Yeah, it's a shame. I mean as well you know, Jason talked ⁓ I spoke to us about at the end of play just sort about how much that had kind of taken out that emotional high and then the low of the football and you know, all of that and there was just such a a excitement of pure and hype around it that it you know, it maybe just took a little bit out of them and and as Ben said, you know, it was not meant to go any further but you know Just would have been nicer if North Ants had got two hundred and twenty and we'd have been under and thirty or that's come so close again and not knowing what might have been in that final. ⁓ playing Hampshire again, them having, you know, memories of last year. ⁓ you know, with a bit of a we're we're I quite a bogey side because to my definition of bogey side is someone who is consistently worse than you apart from when they play you. But you know, we seem to have the wool over Hampshire in T twenty cricket over the last few years. So yeah. Who knows? Who knows indeed. But no team has ever retained the blast still. And me and Dan me and Dan put the mockers on it 'cause we were going around like back and forth on was it's ⁓ Friday night go on if Jason Kerr win would it would Jason Kerr be the only coach to win the blast three times and lose me the only three time captain ⁓ that'd be good. So yeah, so we ⁓ it's our fault for putting the mockers on it. Sorry everyone. We'll win it next year, don't worry, 'cause we've won it alternate years recently as well. And we are spoiled because, you know, consecutive finals day appearance is it, eleven now, I think, Dan. We've been to the final to final state. It's six in a row, which is a joint record, and twelve overall, which is also a joint record. Both both with Hampshire. yeah, who I mean, yeah, we have yeah, ⁓ you're right, we have been absolutely spoiled the last few years. Like We can't complain too much. Like other so many other counties would love to be in the position we've been in. We've gained the past eight consistently. ⁓ yeah, exactly. Like winning it twice, four finals, in six finals in the last six years, like it it is it has been incredible. And hopefully there's more to come because like if we're fit and firing next season, if everyone's in top form and we've got a fully fit squad, like we should have another competitive campaign. Let's just say that. I mean who's I mean, you know, I'd I'd hope right now that the the negotiations are are sort of in early stages to get Riley and Daniel Sams back. I thought I you know, I hold my hands up. I was a bit critical of him early on in the group stages, but he really came to the party when he was needed in effectively what was a six knockout games at the end of the ⁓ end of the group stages in the quarterfinals. ⁓ I thought anybody's gonna be retiring. I think they've all got at least another year left in ⁓ there'll be another year experienced. We'll have another year for the powers it be to work out everyone's roles within that side and where they all sit. DK C's hand will be fitting firing again, so hopefully he'll be back to ⁓ full seam ahead. So ⁓ yeah. And the Roo brothers with another year's experience is quite a frightening thought for opposition. 'Cause I think that this year was o always probably going to be a slight transitional year with some of the players that left and and given the opportunities to like sort of of T Rue. So look, you know, I don't think anyone in sport wants you to kind of see a transitional year as an excuse to not perform. And you know, but I think that with with that transitional element of of the of the team, and if you add the injuries into it and and the disruption that they've had, then, you know, I think overall, if you look back and it and say, you know, you got to the sem you still made finals day, still got to a semi final, you still had some fantastic performances throughout the competition ⁓ and several players' reputation has enhanced and an overseas duo that that that you want back. I I I don't think you can call this a a a you know a bad year at all. ⁓ and and you know but the disappointing thing as we said is that once you get the finals day you always want to you always want more. But I think on the old overall I think you can you can chalk this down as a successful a block of cricket that somerset have played. Well, I'll tell you one man that will disagree with you, Ben, is Jason Kerr. Because he's always been very much of the opinion that the sides and I and I agree with him actually that, you know, he sets high standards for the players that are out there. He knows how good they are. And I think if you look at certain like particular finals day, he was saying like, Well, we should have chased that. We had the personnel to chase that and, you know, w regardless, he he's never to his credit, he's never hidden behind that transitional year, lost a load of players, this, that and the other. He's always said, no, the players that I've put out have been good enough, in my opinion, to win the games of cricket that have been in front of them. And I think, you know, to his credit, he's he's absolutely right. And you know, I think it's a great ⁓ ta ⁓ personality trait to have as a coach to be that honest with your players and say, No, you weren't good enough. You are better than that. You need to raise your game. Speaking of the future. Yeah. Speaking of coaches then, I've not had Jason's name mentioned for the England coach's job. I think he I'm not saying he should he's a nailed on search for it, but do we think he should be in the conversation a bit more than he is? I mean, Darren Lehman's they would all talk that was all they were talking about finals there is old Darren Lehman should be you know, they s England should be talking to Darren Lehman. I'm like, Well What's Darren Lehman done in first class cricket to ⁓ eclips Jason Kerr's record. The prob the problem is that Powers that be will probably take more notice of his performance coaching the Cardiff based Crisp team than they were what he's done for Somerset. And I'm being slightly flippant, but probably on their radar that features more. And you know it's chalk and cheese. Fortunately for us, we get the the best of Jason Kerr. But yeah, you know, Who knows? I mean I clearly they clearly want a a big name overseas signing 'cause it worked out so well for the football team, didn't it? So they clearly think it's gonna Yeah. And I mean being a big name international sportsman doesn't necessarily translate to being a a successful coach. I mean you look at yeah, I mean numerous Australians over the years that haven't had fantastic or even played test cricket at all. Did Peter Moores ever play Test cricket? It was only a handful of games. He got the big job. ⁓ Yeah, it's just I mean, you know, it's it's it's more of an open question really, that you know, do we think he's been in the frame? Do think he's been invited to send his C V in? And I'm just wondering why nobody's sort of ⁓ thought about it. Well, I think another coach of our parish, Justin Lang, is ahead at the moment. I think from what I see. Do we think JL will get it? I mean, have they got enough have they got enough in the bidden budget to keep replacing them if he keeps kicking them over and ⁓ when they'll just run outs? He's meant to be the favourite, isn't he? ⁓ George Sabelle's reporting is the favourite pick up, but it's just the opposite of McCullum. Like it's it's often how in football as well, isn't it? Stopping between a foreign manager and an English manager, and you know, this is like this is like a style swap, like just complete about face. Like Rob Key is meant to be more McCullum's mould to Now we're saying actually what we need is the opposite of that, even though that's not my thing, you know. ⁓ All the Aussie players kicked up a fuss and got rid of Langer because he he'd out they'd outgrown him as a coach. If you've got Langer, who's a very good coach at getting players to understand the rigours of international cricket and how it is a very unforgiving environment and really drilling that into them, that's the kind of coach you want for young players. But then when they're all three, four, five years into their international careers, they've outgrown someone like that. And that's when they need somebody like a Brenda McCullum, who is there just to as you say, that word vibes. But if you've got which is what he did, you've got players like Root, Anderson, Bearstow, Broad, all Met Stokes, many years into their international careers, maybe a bit jaded, maybe, a bit on the treadmill, all of a sudden this guy comes in and he's, you know, enthusiastic, charismatic, and they gives him a new lease of life, but then you look at players that have come in under his tenure and they've not fared so well. So maybe a langer is what they need. Maybe. Anyway, moving on then. Any more on the Vitality Blast? Because we have another whiteboard trophy ⁓ up for grabs in the next few weeks. I think we should just say well bowl Drake ball. ⁓ yeah, sorry. ⁓ yeah. He he is on there I on my thing there, ball white ball down. I forgot about that. Yeah. Joint best analysis in the semi final, I think, though. yes, I think it was, wasn't it? Yeah, one of the best seven finals in joint best in a semi, I think, yeah. Yeah, that big wicket across Lynn as well 'cause Linda just he eventually wasn't the force of bowl, but he just started to get going when ⁓ Paul Lee ⁓ nipped those ⁓ But he's a guy who gets a lot of stick from from some of our supporters and he bowls the horrible overs to bowl, he bowls the last over of the power play, which is when all batters are looking to smash it out of the park, every every single ball, and he bowls the the death overs at the worst end at Tormonton. So I feel like we should ⁓ you know, when He b he had a couple of games where he won completely ⁓ at his best, but you know, he gets a lot of stick and I feel like, you know, we should recognise Yeah, here here. And I'm I'm probably one who doesn't give him the credit he deserves so fit. Well said, Ben. Yeah. Second half of the comp he's been really good, particularly, and he's good you know, good sign going into the one day cup where he'll be a key player and a senior player and of course captain tomorrow. Yes, Captain Tomorrow, Lewis Goldsworthy ⁓ not recovered from ⁓ the concussion he suffered up at Headingley. So Jake Ball take care of all Lewis Goldsworth is now announced as captain of the ⁓ One Day Cup squad, which ⁓ does contain quite a few new names who ⁓ weren't ⁓ familiar to ⁓ most of us ⁓ a week or so ago. let's go through them. Sabin Pereira is the first one, ⁓ Sacco graduate who has been turning out for our seconds ⁓ over the last few weeks. Got a cut hundreds as well, got regular record in second team ⁓ cricket and we've given ⁓ a shot at the one they cut. Dan, do you know much more about him with his numbers and that? ⁓ well he's played for ten different county second elevens and he's twenty seven already. So he has been around the block plugging away to get a county contract. So he'll be absolutely desperate and fully motivated to make the most of this 'cause you know, even you know, he'll know that scoring runs in this comp you know, it could lead to a contract of us or it could lead to a contract elsewhere. He just puts his name out there, you know, he's so he'll be fully motivated and ⁓ He's yeah, he's he's he's been a heavy run scorer, I think, at at that level over the years. So the question is whether he can make the step up. ⁓ so yeah, really exciting to see. Another name is Johnny Connell, twenty-three year old old A twenty-three year old batter ⁓ from Berkshire, Ben Shirk, as well as another uncontracted player, although he has played a lot with the twos and is ⁓ academy graduate as well. So ⁓ he will keep wicket ⁓ in the absence of Then Hill, Thomas Roo, James Roo, Tom Banton and Tom Calder Camore. ⁓ thoughts on Golders as captain then? I think it's ⁓ it was pretty obvious that was gonna happen after he captained in that friend against Cornwall. head of Archie Born who's done it for England under nineteenth, so I thought was a a big call, but they obviously like something they see in Golders. think it's a big competition for Archie Vaughan. So I but I think he needs to yeah, I think it makes sense Gold Colt, whether he's a a a senior player now. And ⁓ but I think it's it's a big competition for Archie Vaughan. so I would let him have the freedom of trying to really establish himself as a heavy one scorer at Somerset. Yeah it's something is I think his bowling is we've always known what he's capable with the ball and he'll be very useful with the ball but it's a wonderful opportunity for him to to score heavily for Somerset because he's always shown flashes, but it could be a really nice competition for him to really kick on and and and become a a real threat as a as a run scor run scorer and you know who knows where that might lead into the last six weeks of the season. But ⁓ yeah, I think given Goldsworthy the the reins is a sensible move at this stage of his career. Yeah, he's not really claimed a spot Archie, has he? It's it's I my ⁓ my my opinion on Archie's I find it difficult to kind of know where his trajectory is. Where where which spot is he really gunning for? Is it as an opener? Is it as a six? Is it as a seven as a as an off spin and all rounder? Is it a seven as a batsman who bowls off spin? Is you know, where where is he whose spot is he gunning for in that side? It seems to me that he will almost just sort of come in somewhere where where he needs to be and then he'll bowl a bit of his offspring and then he'll come out the side again when he's not required. It feels like he's not like, you know, say opening the baton in the seconds and scoring hundreds of runs and say, Right, a bit like Josh Thomas did, give me a go again opening the baton, I feel totally equipped to do that now. It's i i it feels like he needs to get a plan of where he wants to be so he's I think with the bat though, I think he's got a lot of I think with the bat he's got a lot of potential. You know, I think that he's he's got all the shots, he's got time. I know he's had a pro few problems with a short ball, but he he times the ball very well as well. I think he he's almost threatening to become a heavy run getter in in top division cricket. But he needs he needs to be able to make those steps. And I and I just think this is a really fantastic opportunity to ⁓ And I think the responsibility of being a senior batter in that side probably will help him. Yeah. Because my sense is he sort of relishes that. He's not somebody who's going to be cowed by looking in the dressing room and thinking it's on me to get a chunk of the runs. I think he will I hope I'm right. I'm not cursing him, but I think he will respond well to that. Yeah, Tom and I will be back in the squad as well, had a game for Exeter on Saturday, I 2830 odd, something like that, but enough to ⁓ hopefully touch wood, put those elbow niggles behind him. one absentee from the squad is Alfie Ogborn. Do we know what's up with Alfie? Is it a bit of a preventative? Is it he had a r recurrence or something? Do we know? So there's a there's a back, ⁓ something to with his back. I think that they I think that they're being it is a little bit precautionary. They're wanting to bowl Somerset for victory in the County Championship in a few weeks' time. So yeah, I don't don't know the exact thing, but I know he's he's been he's trying to be looked after as best he can over this period. I'd be definitely something I think he was planning on playing some one day club cricket, but again I don't think they wanna They want to make sure his body's right to play six games of county championship cricket in in in August, September. So yeah, he may have I think there's something to do with his back and it's I don't know the exact diagnosis. It might be worse than than than we think or but yeah, I think that they're they're probably just looking at him to get him ready for ⁓ the back end. Definitely Sophie first said, No no thoughts of doing a Craig Overton and just making him play every game and he's fit. ⁓ in that way towards getting him fit probably ⁓ not gonna doubt Jamie Talk's methods if that's the case. Or yeah yeah, he's got a little bit of an issue with his run up as well, so maybe time to try and get that caught as well as getting himself off the off the protected area in his in his follow through. Not having him to blow though, it's not not having Alfie is a bit of a blow, and it's a it's it's a shame for him. Like obviously yeah, it's it obviously makes sense to manage him really carefully, but you know, this could have been a tournament a bit like Lassie really where he takes a proper sort of senior role and ⁓ you know develops his game continues to develop his game as you know when he's not got you know i he he learns to bowl when he's not got guys like Craig Overton and ⁓ Louis Gregory around him. So yeah, it's getting not to have him and getting it's bad for our chances of ⁓ competing in this tournament as well. Although the bowling attack is, you know, apart from that. largely ig you know it's experienced isn't it and it's largely pretty strong I think so I mean if you look at it yeah the bowling attack, Pretorious Lee Shaw Ball Feedham, bit of Thomas, bit of Vaughn, JC Language J C Language as well, possibly a bit of ⁓ you know sort of miss out dropped Thomas. So plenty of options there. So you really think of Lewis Skillsworthy when he's fit and goes as well. So you've got a hell of a lot of bowling options there. It's just It's the background that looks weak and think it's gonna as you say, Archie Vaughan obviously and then Laman being and Goldsworthy, we've both got excellent records in this competition over the last couple years. We're probably gonna have to score the bulk of the runs, you think? Yeah. And I think it's the it's it's the power hitting. Sort of it sort of dogged us a little bit a couple of years ago, three years ago, where we had to play a certain way. We had to sort of play old fashioned white ball fifty over cricket to kind of get up to competitive scores. ⁓ that changed a little bit as we adapted, you know, we had the you know, the ruse came through and and and really started to to to be able to get us to and Dixon was available. ⁓ but greener as well and greener as well. Greener, yeah. But I think there's I think there's some run getters in that that squad. I think it's and I admittedly have not really seen too much of some of the new newbies, but I'll just question if if if have we got the ability to chase down big totals, have we got the ability to set big totals on on good flat pitches? ⁓ 'cause the bowling, like you said, I think the bowling looks looks good. But that that would just be my my question is can we ⁓ can we hit enough sixes across the fifty overs to ⁓ to put teams under pressure? Well my man Josh Short hits a long ball, so Well ⁓ It's for that reason I'm surprised we haven't included ⁓ Oscar Carlman or ⁓ Zach Fukushic in the score 'cause both of them couldn't hit a long ball, I think, if just from what I've seen from D twenty scorecards, you they they're capable of scoring quickly. You know, they could have been sort of finishers down the order potentially, not necessarily playing all the games or playing together, but I'm just surprised you haven't brought them into the squad as options as well. But obviously, clearly we've got, you we've clearly we've gone with these guys some you know, these i these guys externally, ⁓ Sav Pereira and Johnny Connell. And by the sounds of it, Connell is a big hitter. I mean, he smashed a hundred off ⁓ fifty balls against Sussex earlier this season. So, you know, he's he's gonna be an interesting one to see how he goes. ⁓ he he could end up sort of playing that finisher role. ⁓ down the order, I guess. Just looking at a couple of ⁓ listeners' questions. Was there anything more on the other words? Starts tomorrow against Knott's at the magnificently named ground that I've forgotten, the the John Stratwell Centre. And it's in Nettleworth, or maybe it's in Sokholm, or maybe it's in Wellbeck, maybe it's in Market Warsop. No one really knows. But Are you going that? Because I hope to God you find out where it is on your on your way to your Google map. We are we are going, yeah, but ⁓ thankfully we went before when we played here in We played there in twenty twenty one, didn't we? We went then as well. ⁓ though that was a no result. ⁓ but yeah, weather looks better tomorrow. But yeah, basically it's in the middle of nowhere. So the the ver different sources put it in as being in a different place. Like they they ⁓ they they adjoin it to different towns, different wherever you look. One place will say it's in Sukhorn, one place will say it's in Nesselworth. ⁓ one place will say Market Warsop, but ⁓ yeah, basically it's a pretty random club ground. But yeah, not to be likely they play there quite a while now, so Well okay. Take bulls home ground. ⁓ Yeah. ⁓ that's good. So hopefully he'll ⁓ well we should know how the pitch plays and have a little bit of inside knowledge and not do a Nasser Hussein and get the toss completely wrong if if he does win it, ⁓ tomorrow morning. Well, anything more on the one day cup then? How do we think we'll fare? What what would success look like in the one day cup this year? Being in with a shout and not, you know, toward the end of the group phases, I think's my level of aspiration. Yeah, I'll go with that. And seeing Archie V I think it's probably more about individual, you know, a couple of these players having really strong campaigns is I know it's a team game in the context, it's probably more important at the moment. Yeah. I mean I think you look at player development, JT Langridge is one. ⁓ he's not ⁓ yeah not played any first team cricket yet this year so you think okay he's one This is his competition to shine out like our ⁓ Alfie did a couple of years ago to really develop and yeah, the younger players, ⁓ you know, James Steedham. and get lemmers back, lamb firing. So I think yeah. Bring those younger players on, you know, get get them bowling at professional cricketers week in, week out, learning how to bowl at ⁓ at top class players 'cause you know I mean who are who are not gonna have one after me probably. ⁓ Clark in the decent squad now. So Ben Slater's got a great list. Haynes is in there as well. ⁓ I've not actually looked at it properly, but here we are. Far Han Armor's good. Brett Hutton's obviously always a threat in county cricket. ⁓ Philip McMahon's a decent player. Carl Varane is available for them, he's obviously a very good player. Yeah, I think th if anything they're batting looks stronger than the bowling, just based on having a quick scan of the squad list. So Our strength is obviously our bowling and their strength is probably their batting then. So let's see what happens. Well best of luck to the guys anyway. ⁓ let's pop one as questions. ⁓ just one more thing. I was very encouraged by Jason Kerr's quotes actually on the website. He was very clear that we do want to try and compete in this competition and try and win it. We're not just treating it as development, which is what I believe the attitude in all the naturally a development competition to some extent because players are lost. Counties should be still trying to go all out to win it and go, you know, because that is how the players you do play develop the best. Like if you just treat it like a development competition, the players won't actually develop in the way you want them to. So treat it seriously, and then there will naturally be the development benefits that come out of it. And that seems to be what we're doing. Because while there's maybe some disappointment that we haven't promoted guys like Oscar Coleman or Zach Bukastic, by signing these guys from outside, we are showing that we do want to try and win it, that we are investing a bit of money into getting guys from outside to Yeah, do as well as we can in this club, which I'm encouraged by. Yes, definitely. ⁓ is Jason staying on as head coach then? He's not in the hundred this year. Yeah, no, he's ⁓ he's staying on the shit. ⁓ good stuff. Yeah. I r yeah I think that's really important for continuity purposes as well. I think that, you say Paul Tradle did do a good job, but I think having the same head coach throughout the whole season for all the different groups of players is massively important. Right, a couple of listeners' questions then. ⁓ Peter Wallace has quoted ⁓ Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, ⁓ quote about the the World Cup final ⁓ in twenty nineteen. I never seen anything like that. Get cricket on free to air TV every week now. ⁓ I think there is gonna be some cricket on free to air T V over the next ⁓ four weeks, but I don't think you can actually technically call it cricket. Mike Unwin proposes a slight tweak to Vitality Glad Finals Day. ⁓ Have the semi-finals of standalone games and then have the men's and women's final on the same day. And that would be your final day. Thoughts on that? Tough for fans though, isn't it? Because you're you know, you you I don't know, if that's say Saturday and Sunday, you have more weather jeopardy, but also you've got fans who've got to travel and then either s commit to staying overnight or travel twice, potentially. I I think logistically that's too much. It's a quick turnaround. I'm sure Ben would say it's a very quick turnaround from Wednesday evening to Saturday for what they've got to do. The turnaround from say a Friday or Saturday semi final to a final. Ooh, I don't know. No. I I like I like the all on one day format. Probably another podcast to discuss the the ⁓ new format. The thing yeah. I think the the one thing that the blast still has, that I that that's we're still sort of clinging on to is the fact that Finals Day works very, very well as as a spectacle. So ⁓ I get the the principle. the challenge would be to elevate women's finals day to the synth but I think that last finals day is still one the you know it it it's the one thing that it still has over the hundred, I think. ⁓ so I won't be tinkering too much with it. Men's Finals Day sorry, go on. I was just gonna say it was Hampshire and Nottinghamshire that had both their teams at both finals days, wasn't it? The Blaze and Hampshire or the Blaze, whatever they're called. Yeah. So fair play to any Hampshire or Nottinghamshire fans that did both of those. Yeah, because men's men's Farmers Day is a day is is a perfect day. Like I wouldn't change it at all. I mean it's just about making sure the women's finals day is the best day it can be. And this year the E C B completely mess I mean, there are reasons why it had to be the Friday, but I just really hope the ECB try harder in future to make sure that women's finals days A, not on a Friday, and B on a the day before or the day after men's finals day. Like those they should be separate Saturdays on separate weekends in an ideal world. It problem is it's difficult to find free weekends. Next year there's gonna be the ashes taking place in July, so the the men's finals day will be between the third and fourth tests, I assume. Women's finals day probably won't they won't want to crash with an ashes test. It'll probably end up being the day after men's finals day, perhaps on the Sunday. But they didn't want to do it this year, supposedly 'cause it was the reserve day of men's finals day, which is absolutely astonishing to me because like okay, yes, there's there was the men's ODI as well, but surely it's more important to get it on a weekend. Like it doesn't matter if it's the reserve it never goes to reserve they probably one time in twenty twenty when it was in October. Like put a women's finals day on the Sunday and give it a chance a bit more of a chance to thrive. But yeah as I say, ideal world, different weekends because the ECB I just They are obsessed with double headers, the idea of double headers and the idea of like all double header finals days. Yes, two days in a row and they say, ⁓ look, two unmissable days. But they are quite you can't call them unmissable, but then put them on consecutive days in different cities, making fan making it harder for fans to attend both of them. I just don't think they take this into account. I felt like, you know, if Somerset are in a final, you've got to be there. Potentially in the finals there, you've got to be there. ⁓ and it would have just been absolute bloody carnage. Yeah, I'd have gone to vote, but it would have been a nightmare. And a lot of Somerset fans understandably wouldn't have gone to vote. Like I don't blame them. Like 'cause it's logistically would have been a nightmare. And what if the women's finals there had been rained off and that would have gone to the reserve day? Well, yeah, that would crash with the men, it wouldn't be on sky probably. Like Yeah, it would be an absolute nightmare. So It's almost like there's this thing in the middle of summer which takes up a load of weekends and is completely immovable and means that everything else gets squeezed either side of it and there's nothing we can do. The hundred could take a lot less time if they just bit the bullet and just had games going on at the same time. If they did four or five games going on at the same time, then that would either In the hundreds. Yeah. Yeah, they're not gonna do it. That's not gonna happen, is it? No. The only way is to get rid of it and that isn't gonna happen anytime soon unless it just completely fails. I just really hope that this year people realise how bad a hundred is for the game with these people billionaire owners coming in and who don't give a fuck about English cricket, you know. Like are people gonna finally realise how parasitical the competition is and realise actually they should effectively boycott it and hopefully that leads to it dying eventually. But ⁓ it's wishful thinking, I know. Let's hope so. 'Cause we've got the money now, so it can die a horrible, painful death and nob nobody would ⁓ nobody would care. What a cheerful note to end this podcast on. ⁓ do we have any other business before we ⁓ before we knock this on the end. I don't think we well Andy Cleavers asked Not from me. Andy Cleaves asked if Savin Pereira could be that's where opening issue in County Championship but it's a little bit premature, Andy, but you know we'll ⁓ we hope somebody is. I mean I hope we get Jordan Herman back. He ⁓ he had a pretty good ⁓ good couple of games for us ⁓ early on in May and June. if there is nothing, we'll knock this on the edge. Just ⁓ just a note to say big game's coming up at Taunton Friday and Sunday. Got beer and soda festival on Friday and family day on Sunday, two of the two of our highlight days of the year. So ⁓ yeah, come on if you're a member, then make sure you come on down and tell your friends. We've still got a few tickets kicking around, but they're very, very Friday, so I couldn't really be a cider festival. What a perfect birthday present. ⁓ I I've I've already made the case. Trust me, I was like my very best lawyer's hat on. Your Honor, can you think of a better place to spend your birthday? But then after buggering off to Headingley on Wednesday and then buggering off to Edgewestern on on Saturday, I couldn't really ⁓ go off to ⁓ Torn on the Weisson after but I will be there Sunday with the family. ⁓ is the Ardvark gonna be there? Was it an Aardvark or an armadillo, whatever it's called? ⁓ there are animals present but I'm not obliged to be able to revolve I'm talking about the ⁓ I know it's Warwick on Sunday, isn't Works on Sunday. Well details will be revealed soon. I'll be there on I'll definitely be there on on on Sunday. anything else then before we go? No. ⁓ Good stuff. Right. Best of luck then to Jake Ball and the boys up at the ⁓ Whitbury Newtown Ledger Centre ⁓ tomorrow and obviously then for Gloucester and Warwickshire at the weekend. Thanks for listening. We'll catch up with you next week.