Somerset County Cricket Club first-class matches

This article is a summary of 2,747 first-class cricket matches played by Somerset County Cricket Club to the end of the 2020 season.

First-Class Status

Somerset is generally regarded as a first-class team from 1882 to 1885 and from their entry into the County Championship in 1891.

The record is complicated by a number of matches that W G Grace played for Gloucestershire against Somerset between 1879 and 1885. Wisden and Playfair recognise all of these as first-class and they are included in Grace's career figures, which have been his accepted figures since 1916 and are used in the Wikipedia article about Grace. The earlier matches in the series are not regarded as first-class by some statisticians and this article on Somerset CCC matches does not include the matches that are in dispute. For more information about this issue, see Variations in First-Class Cricket Statistics.

Some publications also include a match organised by Somerset against Cambridge University at Cambridge in 1892. Somerset only had 10 players and enlisted two additional players (Gregor MacGregor and Norman Cooper) in what became a 12-a-side match (although only 11 players fielded). The match was retitled Cambridge University v H.T. Hewett's XII, Hewett being the captain of the visiting side. The match was won by Hewett's team.

Notes

The 23 inter-county matches played between 1882 and 1885 were before the County Championship started. All inter-county contests since 1891 have been in the Championship except for the following 8 friendly matches:

  • 1919 v Worcestershire at Worcester
  • 1919 v Worcestershire at Bath
  • 1948 v Glamorgan at Newport
  • 1949 v Glamorgan at Taunton
  • 1950 v Glamorgan at Cardiff (Arms Park)
  • 1951 v Glamorgan at Taunton
  • 1957 v Sussex at Bristol (Imperial)
  • 1957 v Sussex at Hove

Worcestershire did not compete in the Championship in 1919.

All but six of the first-class matches played by Somerset have been eleven-a-side. The six others were twelve-a-side matches played against Oxford University in 1893, 1896, 1899, 1902, 1903 and 1904. Twelve Somerset players played against the South Africans in 1912 when Harry Chidgey was replaced by Bruce Hylton-Stewart after being injured. In 1885 against Hampshire at Southampton, Somerset only had nine players.

Most first-class matches have been of three-day duration. From 1988 to 1992 six Championship matches each season were four-day matches and from 1993 all Championship matches have been of four days. The first four-day non-championship match was that against the Australians in 1997. Since then the matches against New Zealand (1999), West Indies (2000), Australians (2001), and Sri Lanka A (2004) have been four-day matches. Four matches against M.C.C. between 1882 and 1891 were two-day matches as were the 15 matches played in 1919.

Two matches played under the single-innings rule for matches which have delayed starts have ended in results, both defeats for Somerset. The 1954 victory by Yorkshire at Bradford is included as a draw while the 1986 victory by Derbyshire at Taunton is included as a defeat for Somerset. This is in line with the Championship tables at the time.

Summary against each opponent

In the following table the County Championship summary is limited to matches played from 1891. Inter-County matches played between 1882 and 1885 are listed separately as are County friendly matches. Bob Willis Trophy games are included in the County Championship totals.

OpponentSeasonsHomeAwayAll
FirstLastPWLDTAPWLDTAPWLDTA
Derbyshire19122013621827172661824241283651412
Durham1992201617836183693511816
Essex1895202072142830174223021114736585211
Glamorgan19212020752218357316253211483843671
Gloucestershire189120201003629359722393611975868711
Hampshire1895201910025314411022636402015167841
Kent189120198225302781164718163417745
Lancashire1891201879183624117884129115726775312
Leicestershire192020075019102151141819101332840
Middlesex18912017821639278194626163258553
Northamptonshire19122020591918221631218331223136551
Nottinghamshire189220196524122966141933131383162
Surrey189120198622283687124827173347663
Sussex1892201590262538190224028118048656611
Warwickshire190520207025202569122037139374062
Worcestershire1901202089303227882826331117658586011
Yorkshire189120199115413588125125179279260
County Championship1269362427478261272266533471252542626960950411
Gloucestershire18821885202030305050
Hampshire18821885440040408440
Kent1884101010102020
Lancashire18821884202020204040
Surrey18831885202020204040
Inter-County 1882–188511470001201200023419000
Glamorgan19481951200220114013
Sussex1957100110102011
Worcestershire1919110010012101
County Friendlies410300402200812500
Oxford University18922000431028710111321011111
Cambridge University1895200814635134452710710
Cardiff MCCU2012201921012101
Durham MCCU2005201520022002
Leeds/Bradford MCCU201410011001
Loughborough UCCE2003200731023102
Australians1882201329116122911612
Indians191120111122711227
New Zealanders192720151306713067
Pakistanis1954201681348134
South Africans19012008131102131102
Sri Lankans1991199820112011
West Indians192320001728717287
MCC18821891210120114112
Philadelphians1897190321012101
Australian Imperial Forces191910101010
Combined Services195911001100
Pakistan Eaglets196310011001
Young Australians199510101010
South Africa 'A'199610011001
Pakistan 'A'199710101010
West Indies 'A'20021000110001
Sri Lanka 'A'200411001100
All First-Class18822020141338448853536133127558249026274766610481028512

The match against Oxford Universities in 2000 (which included Oxford Brookes University) is included here in the Oxford University totals. The match in 2008 against Cambridge University UCCE is included here in the Cambridge University totals.

Summary on each home ground

Currently first-class matches are only played at Taunton. Only 2 other first-class matches have been played on the following grounds. These were matches played at Taunton between East Africa and Sri Lanka, after both teams had played in the 1975 World Cup, and a West Indies A v India A match in 2018. Bob Willis Trophy games are included in the County Championship totals.

In the following table click on the 'CA' to access the Cricket Archive Records section for the ground.

VenueRecordsSeasonsCounty ChampionshipOtherAll First-Class
FirstLastPWLDTAPWLDTAPWLDTA
Taunton, County GroundCA1882202077021625130122118204849188823629935032
Bath, Recreation GroundCA189720062347182814216872557790884
Bath, Lansdown CC (Combe Park)CA188411001100
Bristol, Imperial Athletic GroundCA19571966822410019225
Frome, Agricultural ShowgroundsCA193219611897218972
Glastonbury, Morlands Athletic GroundCA19521973185211185211
Knowle, Knowle CCCA1926192831113111
Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Downside SchoolCA193410011001
Street, Millfield SchoolCA196110101010
Taunton, Taunton ValeCA2012201520022002
Wells, Rowden RoadCA193519511145211452
Weston-super-Mare, Clarence ParkCA191419961885169683030191517268
Yeovil, West HendfordCA1935193951315131
Yeovil, Johnson ParkCA195119671224612246
Totals1882202012533544244732614427595710139738148353036

Between 1882 and 1885 10 inter-county home matches were played at Taunton (3 won, 7 lost) and 1 at Bath, Lansdown CC (won). Since 1891 2 friendly inter-county home matches have been played at Taunton (2 drawn), 1 at Bath, Recreation Ground (won) and 1 at Bristol, Imperial Athletic Ground (drawn).

Season by season summary

In the following table the final position is given together with the number of teams in the County Championship so that 5=/9 means that Somerset were equal 5th out of the 9 teams competing. From 2000 the County Championship has been divided into two divisions shown here as D1 for Division 1 and D2 for Division 2. Bob Willis Trophy games are included in the County Championship totals.

County ChampionshipAll First-Class
HomeAwayAllPosition
YearPWLDTAPWLDTAPWLDTAPWLDTA
18828161
18837151
18846150
18856150
189162406321125615=/913661
189285128341168533/917863
189382248260164848/918594
189483238350166736/917674
18959531815211768318=/141961031
1896813482421637611/1419397
1897824281521639411/14183105
18988044816116110513=/14172105
1899823380531628613=/1518297
19008251826016411111/15174112
1901924382601174103112=/151961031
190294239351187747=/1520776
190383141935117665110/15197661
19049351926118511212/15205132
19059144906318110715/16191108
19069243926118410411=/16184104
19079360906318312314/16193133
1908101541018120213516/16202135
1909823382421647511/1617485
19109081907218015316/16180153
19118161807116113216/16171142
1912814381431628614/1618297
19138143817016211316/16162113
19149270110190193160115/161931601
19196311161231243415=/15155451
1920104601034320710310/16227114
1921113621155122811310/17258143
1922123811233624611710/17256127
192312552124622491149/17259124
19241135311162312297628/172410862
1925130851337326315815/17273168
192613148132551263913114/1727310131
1927131481325626391414/172731014
1928121561236324411914/172541110
1929143831409528317815/17304188
19301443714086284111313=/173041214
19311435614365286111113/172961112
193214635142482887137/17298813
19331334613364266101011/172761011
19341224612165243101115/172531111
19351326513355265111014/172851310
193613634133732691077/172810108
1937144731437428714713/17297157
193814824142752810997/172910109
1939143651435512861110114/1730811101
194613715135532612684/17281468
1947136521327426812611=/17288137
1948132921335526514712/17295177
194913580133732681539/17298165
195014554143382888127=/17308913
1951143831427528515814/17305169
19521425714077282121417/172921215
19531411031419428219717/17292198
1954141941419428218817/17292189
19551446414011328417717/17294187
19561445514010428415915/173041511
195714464145812891458/17329158
195814851144462812973/172912107
1959147431419428813712/173110138
19601616916457325111614/173451316
19611656516592321015710/173411158
1962166371664632127136/173414713
1963144281464428106123/173110714
196414455144372888128/17298912
196514752141672881197/173091110
196614752146262813783/17301479
196714338142482857168/17305817
1968132741143472751111112/1729511131
1969121381206624191417/172511014
1970123451226424510913/17245109
197112606121472474137/17257414
1972100191041520421411/17214215
1973105051022620721110/17217212
197410523101272064105/17236512
197510136103522048812/1722598
19761044210343207857/1722796
19771042411122721641114/172274111
19781172211227229495/17249411
19791140710118121511518/172461171
19801023511112821351315/172345141
1981114251160522102103/172411211
198211236114342266106/17236611
1983121381224624371410/172537151
198412318123632467117/17267811
1985121471203924171617/17271818
198612345110381233713116/172537151
19871221912021024231911/17242319
1988111461142522561111/17235711
1989113351113722461214/17234613
1990112361111922341515/17243516
1991111281113722251517/17242616
199211416111372254139/18235513
199384409432178725/1818882
1994962181521777311/1818774
199583329423177559/1820776
1996933382331756611/1819577
19978125921617331112/18204412
199894238251176749/1818675
199984139234176474/1819658
2000810781431624105/9(D1)184410
200183148314166282/9(D1)17638
200281258053161788/9(D1)171781
200383238161164847/9(D2)18486
200481348323164574/9(D2)18558
200581438332164758/9(D2)17476
200681438251163949/9(D2)16394
2007850385121610151/9(D2)171115
2008812582061632114/9(D1)184212
2009810782151631123/9(D1)163112
201084048224166282/9(D1)16628
201184318242166734/9(D1)17674
2012840481161651102/9(D1)175111
201381348224163586/9(D1)17368
2014821582151642106/9(D1)174211
201582248242164666/9(D1)18477
201684138206166192/9(D1)176110
201772327232144646/8(D1)14464
20187402173221472412/8(D1)147241
20197502074301493202/8(D1)1510320
202022000320164020Runner-up64020
Totals1269362427478261270266533471252542628960950411274766610481028512

Abandoned matches

  • 1895 v Lancashire at Manchester
  • 1901 v Worcestershire at Worcester
  • 1903 v Hampshire at Bath
  • 1914 v Northamptonshire at Taunton
  • 1924 v Essex at Bath
  • 1924 v Glamorgan at Cardiff
  • 1968 v Derbyshire at Bath
  • 1977 v Derbyshire at Taunton
  • 1979 v Gloucestershire at Bristol
  • 1980 v Lancashire at Bath
  • 1983 v Oxford University at Oxford
  • 1986 v Sussex at Horsham

All these matches were abandoned because of bad weather, except for the match in 1914 which was abandoned because of the impending war.

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