Glamorgan complete their pre-season preparations by travelling to Taunton on Good Friday, 2 April for the start of a three-day friendly against Somerset.
After their intra-squad practice match at Sophia Gardens, plus the warm-up game against the students of Cardiff UCCE, the West Country side represent the first county opposition for Glamorgan’s cricketers as they prepare for the start of the County Championship and their away match next week against Yorkshire.
Somerset were the runners-up in the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020, having also been runners-up in Division One of the County Championship during 2019. Their progression to the final of the first-class competition last summer was based on a series of decent victories in the group games including the 289-run victory over Glamorgan in the opening contest at Taunton during the first week of August.
Glamorgan’s bowlers had started well as the home side slipped to 149-8 before the last two Somerset wickets added 147 runs. Their captain Tom Abell also scored an impressive century in their second innings, whilst his opposite number Chris Cooke posted 82, but his defiant efforts could not avert defeat with the Welsh county’s batsmen being ‘Overtoned' by twins Craig and Jamie with each recording five-wicket hauls in the game
Glamorgan’s previous visit to Taunton for a County Championship match had also ended in a resounding defeat, with their match in 2007 seeing Somerset win by 299 runs after Andy Caddick had claimed 4/48 to see the West Country side to victory.
With the Welsh county celebrating the 100th anniversary of their elevation to first-class status, it should not be forgotten that it was at Taunton in September 1997 that Glamorgan clinched their most recent Championship title, with the foundations for the historic ten-wicket victory being laid by a brilliant hundred from Matthew Maynard, ably supported by a century from Hugh Morris before, on the third evening of the game and amidst joyous scenes, Steve James hit the winning runs.
The Welsh county’s first innings total of 527 from that game in 1997 remains their best-ever on Somerset soil whilst Javed Miandad’s unbeaten 200 during 1981 is still the highest individual score made by a Glamorgan batsman at Taunton.