In the wake of Somerset’s outstanding run to the semi-finals of the Champions League T20, former Somerset second XI captain Robin Lett reflects on the Cidermen’s achievement and speaks to one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
In the early hours of Monday morning, Somerset’s weary cricketers set foot on English soil for the first time in almost four weeks having ultimately seen yet another trophy slip agonisingly from their grasp. A gruelling season that started way back on April 14 at a cold and blustery Taunton finally came to a close with an agonising defeat at the hands of the eventual Champions League T20 winners, the Mumbai Indians, at a hot and humid MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
It had been an incredible journey from the moment the Cidermen touched down in Hyderabad to begin their campaign, with few critics and supporters giving this tired and shell-shocked side, fresh from an all too familiar defeat in another domestic final, much of a chance. Yet from the moment Somerset arrived in India – without the likes of Marcus Trescothick, Craig Kieswetter, Jos Buttler and T20 superstar Kieron Pollard – a side packed with inexperienced youngsters gave the fans back in Taunton a rollercoaster ride.
There were herculean efforts from one to eleven, with several young gladiators putting their names forward as stars of the future. There was the fairytale story of keeper Steve Snell – plucked from club cricket and thrown into the deep end in the absence of Kieswetter and Buttler – whose 34 not out took Somerset over the line in their first qualifying game against Auckland. And there were, of course, significant contributions from the more established players in the side, with Peter Trego and Roelof van der Merwe leading the way initially before Buttler and Kieswetter showed their class after they were released from England duty.
One young man that particularly stood out was 20-year-old seamer Adam Dibble. Untried in Twenty20 and with only a handful of first-team matches under his belt, Dibble was taken to India as cover but ended up forcing his way into the side at the business end of the competition. In his first game – the must-win showdown against Warriors with a semi-final spot at stake – he returned outstanding figures of 1-24 from his four overs.
“Up to that point in the trip I had been carrying the drinks and trying to impress in the nets,” Dibble told AOC. “It never really occurred to me that I might get a game and the side was doing so well I was just trying to do my bit as a squad player. When I was told I would be playing against the Warriors there wasn’t really time to be nervous. I just had to get out there and do the best I could. Fortunately I made a good start and only went for four runs from my first over and after that it was easy enough to settle down.”
Dibble was then selected for the semi-final – argubaly the biggest game in the history of Somerset County Cricket Club– and he didn’t disappoint, producing another superb bowling display in front of 41,000 fans to return figures of 1-20 from his four overs in a performance which, had Somerset been victorious, would have pressing for the Man of the Match award.
“Walking out to a crowd of that size was a special experience and one I’ll never forget,” adds Dibble. “Ultimately we just weren’t quite good enough on the day but it was amazing to be part of that journey and to be able to contribute and pull my weight was brilliant. Hopefully this will be a springboard for me. It has given me a lot of confidence for next season.”
Many fans may will view the tournament as yet another example of Somerset’s failure to cross the finish line and while in essence those are the facts, this should not detract from the scale of their achievement. Next season they will start all over again and for captain Marcus Trescothick the focus will surely be on finally ending their trophy hoodoo, but for now the players can enjoy a hard-earned rest after their Indian summer and reflect on what has been an exhausting season.
No Shame In Defeat For Somerset
In the wake of Somerset’s outstanding run to the semi-finals of the Champions League T20, former Somerset second XI captain Robin Lett reflects on the Cidermen’s achievement and speaks to one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
In the early hours of Monday morning, Somerset’s weary cricketers set foot on English soil for the first time in almost four weeks having ultimately seen yet another trophy slip agonisingly from their grasp. A gruelling season that started way back on April 14 at a cold and blustery Taunton finally came to a close with an agonising defeat at the hands of the eventual Champions League T20 winners, the Mumbai Indians, at a hot and humid MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
It had been an incredible journey from the moment the Cidermen touched down in Hyderabad to begin their campaign, with few critics and supporters giving this tired and shell-shocked side, fresh from an all too familiar defeat in another domestic final, much of a chance. Yet from the moment Somerset arrived in India – without the likes of Marcus Trescothick, Craig Kieswetter, Jos Buttler and T20 superstar Kieron Pollard – a side packed with inexperienced youngsters gave the fans back in Taunton a rollercoaster ride.
There were herculean efforts from one to eleven, with several young gladiators putting their names forward as stars of the future. There was the fairytale story of keeper Steve Snell – plucked from club cricket and thrown into the deep end in the absence of Kieswetter and Buttler – whose 34 not out took Somerset over the line in their first qualifying game against Auckland. And there were, of course, significant contributions from the more established players in the side, with Peter Trego and Roelof van der Merwe leading the way initially before Buttler and Kieswetter showed their class after they were released from England duty.
One young man that particularly stood out was 20-year-old seamer Adam Dibble. Untried in Twenty20 and with only a handful of first-team matches under his belt, Dibble was taken to India as cover but ended up forcing his way into the side at the business end of the competition. In his first game – the must-win showdown against Warriors with a semi-final spot at stake – he returned outstanding figures of 1-24 from his four overs.
“Up to that point in the trip I had been carrying the drinks and trying to impress in the nets,” Dibble told AOC. “It never really occurred to me that I might get a game and the side was doing so well I was just trying to do my bit as a squad player. When I was told I would be playing against the Warriors there wasn’t really time to be nervous. I just had to get out there and do the best I could. Fortunately I made a good start and only went for four runs from my first over and after that it was easy enough to settle down.”
Dibble was then selected for the semi-final – argubaly the biggest game in the history of Somerset County Cricket Club– and he didn’t disappoint, producing another superb bowling display in front of 41,000 fans to return figures of 1-20 from his four overs in a performance which, had Somerset been victorious, would have pressing for the Man of the Match award.
“Walking out to a crowd of that size was a special experience and one I’ll never forget,” adds Dibble. “Ultimately we just weren’t quite good enough on the day but it was amazing to be part of that journey and to be able to contribute and pull my weight was brilliant. Hopefully this will be a springboard for me. It has given me a lot of confidence for next season.”
Many fans may will view the tournament as yet another example of Somerset’s failure to cross the finish line and while in essence those are the facts, this should not detract from the scale of their achievement. Next season they will start all over again and for captain Marcus Trescothick the focus will surely be on finally ending their trophy hoodoo, but for now the players can enjoy a hard-earned rest after their Indian summer and reflect on what has been an exhausting season.