Trophy winning captain is returning to England soon
GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S Tom Smith must surely rate the most underrated white ball bowler in county cricket.
Season after season the 33-yearold left-arm spinner goes quietly about his business, squeezing the life out of opposition innings in the middle overs of one-day games.
Smith has taken 147 T20 wickets, maintaining an impressive economy rate of just over seven at over through the course of 150 appearances.
In List A cricket, his record is 85 victims, while conceding an average of 5.3 runs an over. But the statistics tell only half the story.
how many wickets has he created for team-mates like Benny howell and, more recently, Graeme van Buuren by tying down batsmen to such an extent that they have to take chances at the other end?
Watching Tom take a typically miserly two for 37 from nine overs in what turned out to be a thrilling Royal London Cup match at the Bristol County Ground on Tuesday, an experienced Essex cricket writer was moved to observe: “he always bowls well against us.”
That set me thinking. Somerset’s players would say the same because Smith has often starred in derby games over the years, and it wouldn’t surprise me if batsmen at other counties feel the same way.
After Essex had edged to a thrilling victory off the final ball of the game, I asked Tom if he felt his efforts had gone under the radar when it came to international recognition or even selection for the new hundred competition.
“It’s an interesting question and I am not sure of the answer,” he said. “I feel like I have been very consistent with my white ball bowling over the last three or four years.
“With The hundred, I understood the initial picks because there were some very good spinners chosen, but after that I was very hopeful that someone might want me.
“I would have loved the recognition. It wasn’t to be, but all I can do is keep on performing and hope that an opportunity comes one day. I will be 34 in a few weeks, so it needs to come soon.
“I guess one thing that goes against me is my batting. I don’t have that power, which is so much a part of T20 cricket. possibly, I miss out because I am not considered the all-round package.”
Tom’s continued success in the county game is all the more praiseworthy for having overcome the loss of wife Laura to cancer in 2018, leaving him the single parent of two young daughters.
he considered retiring from cricket. Instead, he has found a way of combining his playing career with being a busy father to six-yearold Rosie and Clara, who is four and about to start school.
“I have been with my girlfriend Georgie for about a year now, which helps,” he said. “It’s an extra pair of hands, but she is a doctor so also not around at times.
“Cricket is a difficult career as a parent, but we stumble along. When both the girls are in school, child-care should be more manageable.”
Tom’s latest contract with Gloucestershire, signed last year, ties him to the club for another two seasons after this one and he is already thinking beyond that.
“There is a player-coach role in the contract, which kicks in at the end of next year,” he told me. “That might be moved forward slightly, and I have applied to do my Level Four coaching qualification this winter.
“I will try to learn what I can from the coaches already at the club and would love to think I could play a part in producing future spin bowlers for the first team.”
If there was an award for modesty and amiable personality in sport, Tom, despite all he has been through, would be a frontrunner.
When I suggested it would be a shame if he were remembered as no more than a high-class bowler who never made the international scene, the response surprised me.
“Actually, I would happily take that,” he said. “I never set out 15 years ago expecting to be considered one of the better slow leftarmers in the country, so to be called a great county bowler would suit me just fine.”
TRophy-winning Somerset captain Jamie Cox is looking forward to catching up with some old friends when returning to England next month.
The 51-year-old Tasmanian, who led the cider county to victory in the 2001 C&G Trophy final, told me as much in an email this week as he prepares to take on a new job with the MCC.
Cox has been appointed to the role of Assistant Secretary (Cricket and operations) and starts work on September 15.
he will be responsible for the programme of 500 fixtures the MCC play each year and its overseas touring schedule, as well as overseeing the operation and maintenance of the facilities at Lord’s, including the indoor cricket centre.
That will mean working under another familiar face to Somerset supporters, Guy Lavender, formerly CEO at Taunton and now MCC chief executive and secretary.
Although he will be based in London, Jamie hopes to find time to renew the many friendships he made as Somerset’s popular skipper between 1999 and 2004, particularly as he will be leaving his family behind in Australia.
“My wife helen and the kids won’t be coming over until the new year. We are waiting for the world to settle down a bit,” he told me.
Jamie, who scored more than 18,500 first class runs and 6,000 in List A cricket during his playing career, moved into sports administration and completed a Law degree with open University when it ended.
he went to hold senior roles with the Australian Institute of Sport, Cricket Australia, the South Australia Cricket Association, St Kilda Football Club and Cricket Tasmania.
For all that, he looks back most fondly on his years with Somerset, which began with a century in his first innings and saw the club finish runners-up in the County Championship in 2001.
Jamie averaged 47.43 in first class games during his six summers at Taunton, with 17 centuries, including a best of 250 against nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. he topped 1,000 runs in a season four times.
“helen and I loved our time at Somerset,” he told me. “We still talk about it often and made so many friends.”
I count myself among them. Jamie was always a pleasure to deal with as captain and I wish him nothing but success in his new job.