Dan Kingdom

Somerset managed to win nine County Championship games in 2019, our most in a season since 2007, but there was a perception that this was despite, not because of, our batting. This is certainly upheld by the statistics – at 24.99, Somerset had the second lowest runs per wicket of all Division One teams, with only Nottinghamshire below us on 22.78. The highest was Hampshire’s … [Read more...] about Somerset County Championship Batting Review 2019

For the last few years, Somerset have alternated between harrowing relegation battles and thrilling title fights in the County Championship. In 2013, 2015 and 2017, we were nearly relegated each time. In the intervening years, we finished second. There are many ways to describe how it feels to be a Somerset fan, but ‘relaxing’ is certainly not one of them. By this tenuous … [Read more...] about 2019 – The Talking Points So Far

After consultation with the counties, the ECB have announced a new structure for county cricket from 2020 onwards. Most of the changes were rumoured, but there are a couple of curveballs in there as well. I’m not convinced these alterations will benefit English cricket. When the County Championship was two Divisions of 9, every team played every other team an even number of … [Read more...] about Dan Kingdom: County Cricket’s latest structure – good for the game?

Sneaking through to the quarter-finals of last season’s Blast represented an improvement for Somerset after several years of declining t20 performances. The team was flawed, especially in the areas of seam bowling and overseas players, but things started to click after 2016’s bottom-placed finish. This season, Somerset have made a good start, winning three of their first … [Read more...] about T20 – my thoughts so far by Dan Kingdom

Somerset’s overseas replacement for Matt Renshaw is experienced Pakistan opener Azhar Ali, one of the world’s top batsmen. He has a compact technique, built around getting behind the line of each delivery. He averages 45 in test cricket and certainly knows how to knuckle down and play a long innings, with 14 test centuries and a strike rate of 42. First class cricket is his … [Read more...] about Azhar Ali to join the Somerset cause