WE’RE READY WILLING & ABELL

Cidermen skipper Tom pins hopes on youth and bitter experience

TOM ABELL believes a perfect blend of youthful exuberance and bitter experience can combine to see Somerset finally get their hands on a red-ball trophy.

The Cidermen go into the fiveday Bob Willis Trophy final missing a host of key men and with a long history of falling at the final hurdle.

They have never won a County Championship title and finished second in three of the last four years, losing to today’s rivals Essex in an agonising rain-affected final round last summer.

Yet despite talent leaking from the club with Jamie Overton going to Surrey and Dom Bess off to Yorkshire, and star batsman Tom Banton away at the Indian Premier League, Abell insisted their time has come.

And despite the might of Essex in front of them, he insisted there was a great chance of taking silverware back to Taunton. “I don’t feel we go in as underdogs at all,” said Abell. “I’ve every confidence and every faith of the ability within our squad.

“We’ve seen that real exuberance of youth through this summer. Some of our younger players have really stood up and been counted in pressure situations as well.”

In seamers Craig Overton, Jack Brooks and Josh Davey, and spinner Jack Leach – Bess is in the 13-man squad and could yet play – Somerset have an experienced and potent bowling attack.

They are not short of runs, with Abell and Tom Lammonby scoring two centuries apiece this season, and wicketkeeper Steve Davies and George Bartlett also reaching three figures.

Winning the toss will be important on a fresh wicket at Lord’s this morning, given a drawn match will be decided on first-innings runs. Banton would have been handy in that regard but Abell believes his decision to play in the IPL – which prompted an “appalled” John Cleese to take to Twitter and write “Shame on you Tom” – was understandable.

“Bants was desperate to play in this final but has responsibilities and commitments he has to fulfil,” said Abell. “That’s the nature of the beast with the player he is and the position he is in.

“He is in demand all around the world.

“In an ideal world we’d have Jamie Overton available as well but he’s a Surrey player now. But our bowling is a huge area of strength and I believe we can count on taking 20 wickets.

“There is obviously that heartache after last year. We felt we needed to improve in certain areas. I feel we’ve done that.”