10 greatest cricketers from Somerset

Domestic cricket in England is renowned across the globe. The country has a rich culture of cricket and has subsequently produced several legendary cricketers with the passage of time.

There are 18 counties in England which play cricket and Somerset is one county that performs on a consistent basis and several cricketers from the county have piled on jaw-dropping numbers over the years.

In the slideshow, we take a look at ten of the greatest cricketers from Somerset.

#10 Harold Gimblett

Harold Gimblett was regarded as a batsman who preferred to fearlessly take on the opposition bowling attack. However, he hardly had opportunities to represent England at the highest level as the selectors wanted batsmen with a sound technique and calm character.

He made his Test debut against India in 1936 where he stitched together a brilliant knock of 67 runs in the second innings of the second Test. The knock, eventually, shepherded England to a 9-wicket triumph. In the next three years, the right-handed batsman only played a couple of more games.

Nevertheless, he was a regular fixture in the Somerset team and scored over 23,000 runs in 368 games at a marvellous average of 36.17. He died at the 63 in the year 1978.

#9 James Hildreth

James Hildreth

Ever since James Hildreth made his debut first-class appearance for Somerset in 2003, he has been a prolific run-scorer for the county. The right-handed batsman has been a success in the English domestic circuit in all formats of the sport.

At the age of 33, Hildreth has already scored over 15,000 runs in 234 first-class games with 41 hundreds and 68 half-centuries to show for his efforts. In his List A career, the experienced campaigner is inching towards the 5000 run mark.

In T20s, he has nearly 3000 runs with a top-score of 107 not out against Glamorgan in 2012. Even with loads of runs and experience, he is yet to represent England in international cricket.

#8 Brian Langford

Brian Langford

Brian Langford made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1953 at the tender age of 17 years. He was an off-spinner who was impeccable in his line and length and also preferred to flight the ball. From 1953-1973, he played 510 first-class and 66 List A games for Somerset.

Even as he picked up 1410 wickets in first-class cricket, he notched up 100 wickets in a season as many as five times. Apart from his guile and trajectory with the ball, he was also a handy batsman with over 7500 runs and a top-score of 68 not out.

He also led the Somerset team from 1968 to 1971. After retiring in 1974, he became the chairman of the county in 1980. The off-spinner died in 2013 at the age of 77 years.

#7 Arthur Wellard

Arthur Wellard

Arthur William Wellard was primarily a bowler who could bat a bit. It’s unfortunate that he couldn’t play much for England, but that doesn’t undermine the skills he possessed.

However, he would primarily be remembered as a batsman because of his ability to clear the ropes. While he scored 12485 first-class runs, he also muscled nearly 500 sixes, which was somewhat unusual for a cricketer of that era.

Apart from that, he bagged 1600+ wickets with 108 five-wicket hauls and 24 ten-wicket hauls. In an unofficial Test, the all-rounder ripped apart India with figures of 9/117. He breathed his last in 1980 at the age of 78.

#6 Jack White

Jack White is considered one of the best left-arm spinners Somerset cricket has ever produced. Apart from that, he was no mug with the bat either. Coming lower down the order, he played some useful knocks for England and Somerset.

In first-class cricket, he is currently Somerset’s all-time highest wicket-taker with 2,355 wickets in 472 games at an economy of just over two. In 1922, 1923, 1924, 1929 and 1938, he turned out to be the county’s highest wicket-taker in one season.

He also holds Somerset’s record for the best bowling figures of 16/83 against Worcestershire in 1919. In 15 Tests, he picked up 49 wickets and also scored 239 runs. He died in 1961 at the age of 70.

#5 Ernie Robson

Ernie Robson

Ernie Robson was undoubtedly a skillful cricketer of his era. He made his debut in 1895 and played till 1923. He was equally impressive with both and ball in a first-class career that consisted of 432 matches in 28 years.

He was impressive with the bat as he scored 12,620 runs at an average of 17.62. His highest score of 163 not-out came against the Oxford University in 1901. With the red cherry, he picked up 1147 wickets at an economy of 2.83.

He is also the fourth highest wicket-taker for Somerset. In May 1924, he breathed his last at the age of 54 after being diagnosed with cancer.

#4 Craig Kieswetter

Craig Kieswetter

Craig Kieswetter was one of England’s brightest prospect in international cricket. Along with tremendous wicket-keeping skills, the Somerset cricketer was also outstanding with the bat in hand. He was also a part of the England squad that won the ICC World T20 in West Indies.

In a career that spanned from 2007 to 2014, he played 115 first-class, 134 List A and 134 T20 games. Though his average can’t be regarded amongst the best in the business, he scored runs briskly enough to ruffle the opposition.

However, the curtains came down on his career following a nose injury, which he suffered in a county game against Northamptonshire. After the incident, he complained of impaired vision and soon after he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

#3 Andrew Caddick

Andrew Caddick (centre)

Andrew Caddick, the tall and lanky fast bowler from Somerset, was one of England’s most consistent bowlers in international cricket. The Christchurch-born cricketer played all his domestic cricket for Somerset since he made his debut in 1990.

Though he did not go on to play a substantial number of games for England, he impressed in the limited opportunities he got. In 62 Tests, he nipped out 234 wickets with 13 five-wicket haul to show for. In ODIs he only got 69 wickets in 54 games, but with a frugal economy-rate of 4 runs per over.

With over 1500 wickets in his career, he is arguably one of Somerset’s greatest cricketers. His last international game was against Australia in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

#2 Ian Botham

Ian Botham, with his all-round abilities, has been an inspirational figure in the history of English cricket. Apart from being a potent batsman, he was also lethal with the ball in hand and guided his team to victory on numerous occasions.

In every format of cricket, he performed exceptionally well for England. In Tests and ODIs, the right-arm fast bowler notched up 383 and 145 wickets respectively. Meanwhile, he also went on to score 14 tons in Test cricket.

Combining first-class and List A career, the former English all-rounder has 1784 wickets with as many as 62 five-wicket hauls. In a career spanning 20 years, from 1973 to 1993, he racked up nearly 30,000 runs and was an exemplary cricketer of his generation.

#1 Marcus Trescothick

Marcus Trescothick is one of the best cricketers Somerset have ever produced. The aggressive English opener flourished in all formats of the game. He had been a stalwart for England during his playing days in international cricket.

In 76 Tests, Trescothick racked up 5825 runs with 14 centuries under his belt. He also has 12 tons in One Day Internationals. At the first-class level, he has as many as 65 centuries. Playing T20s for Somerset, the former English batsman boasts off a strike-rate of 150, which manifests his big-hitting skills.

It is unfortunate that Trescothick had to retire from international cricket in 2008 due to stress-related illnesses. However, it’s heartening to see that the cricketer is still plying his trade for Somerset, now at 41.