Testing times for skipper
GLOUCESTERSHIRE skipper Graeme van Buuren could have been forgiven for feeling the weight of the world on his injured shoulder when hurt in a fall during the County Championship match with Somerset at Bristol.
The South African had already seen the start to his first season as captain blighted by injuries to teammates and disappointing results, which had him average just 11.75 with the bat in eight innings.
As van Buuren was helped from the pitch after dislocating his shoulder trying to prevent a boundary last Thursday, he cut a disconsolate figure, aware that on top of everything else that he was out of an important match and faced a lengthy recovery. What he may not have known was that opposite number Tom Abell endured an equally harrowing start as Somerset captain back in 2017.
So harrowing, in fact, that Tom was reduced to tears on the team coach after bagging a pair against Hampshire at Southampton.
His side had failed to win any of his first seven Championship games at the helm and he had registered 11 scores of eight or less in 14 innings.
At the tender age of 23, the pressures of captaincy had become too much and Abell dropped himself for the following game against Yorkshire at Scarborough. Having taken time to gather his thoughts and seek advice, he returned to score 96 against Surrey at Taunton. The crisis was passed and five years later Tom is rated, not only a shrewd skipper, but an England prospect with the bat. Hopefully, van Buuren can take some comfort from Abell’s experience because he is facing a similar test of character.
Captaining a county side is a demanding job as Graeme’s predecessor Chris Dent admitted when stepping down at the end of last season after four years in charge. It is particularly difficult when the team are losing and van Buuren could hardly have faced a stiffer first couple of months in the job.
Apart from Gloucestershire, only Surrey, with their far greater resources, were required to play six Championship First Division games back-toback at the start of this season.
Somerset missed the fifth round of games and went into the local derby on the back of a week’s break. They were at full strength, while Gloucestershire were decimated by injuries and fielded three new loan signings. No wonder the club’s performance director Steve Snell called for a review of the Championship schedule in April and early May when I spoke to him after Somerset’s biggest ever victory in the derby fixture.
Gloucestershire would have faced a tough time adapting to First Division cricket. But their task was made harder by being required to play six four-day games in successive weeks.