Somerset have ‘so much to play for’ in season's last two weeks

Martyn Wright made a very interesting comment in comparing the present Somerset side to the glory days of Botham, Richards and Garner by saying that if Somerset do happen to pull off the double, you would have to compare their stats to that of the glory day teams back in the 70s.

That is a very good point as none of the present side have been selected for England at any stage, and this can only go a long way in proving that this Somerset squad are a bit special at both white and red ball levels.

Despite so much of Surrey’s money being put into attracting the best players from other counties in the hope of maintaining their status as the leading county side, no one can dismiss what Somerset have achieved by bringing so many young players through their own academy. It really is something special that every county member should be proud of.

Gilby Wall once again has not sat on the fence in his belief that the likes of Tom Abell would have gained more recognition by joining Surrey and, in recent weeks, several more members have agreed with that statement.

So what do the players need to achieve in the final two weeks of the season, besides winning all three games, two in the county championship and, of course, the Metro One Day Cup? On both counts, there is a lot to do to bring that long-awaited success.

Somerset will need to beat both Lancashire and Hampshire in the county championship to stand any chance of picking up their first-ever red ball title, but despite the fact that Somerset’s opponents Glamorgan are only a second division side in the final of the Metro One Day Cup, they can almost put out a first team, as the Welsh side lost very few players to the Hundred competition throughout the month of August.

Somerset’s selection will be interesting in the final this Sunday. Do Somerset stick with the very talented youngsters who have guided the side to finals day, or do they resort to the tried and trusted experienced players who have been the mainstays in helping Somerset get themselves into a title challenging position?

Having spoken to numerous members over the past week, the majority feel that Somerset should stick with the youngsters who have taken them to the final.

My take on it is in the fact I am not a supporter of the Hundred competition, but it has given us all the opportunity to see so many of our talented youngsters being given the opportunity to make their mark in an exciting 50-over competition and they have proved they can succeed on the big stage.