People talk about the unpredictability of English weather and the discussion is done to such an extent that they say even a day may provide the feel of four different seasons.
During Bangladesh team’s five-day stay I felt it and got the first hand experience of a day with sun, rain, hot and cold.
And, to be honest, the experience is not very enjoyable.
Somerset County Ground at Taunton was beautiful and it could be observed from press box hills.
The ground is historical and significant for cricket fans as three of the greatest cricketers of all time played together for Somerset in mid 70s at this ground.
The spectacle of Sir Vivian Richards mercilessly thrashing the bowler, the “big bird” Joel Garner bowling terrorizing toe crushers from the height of second floor and the prowess of Sir Ian Botham with cherry and willow are still the most treasured memories of the cricket lovers in the neighborhood.
Richards played 191 matches for Somerset from 1974 to 1986 and scored 14,698 runs with 47 hundreds while his fellow West Indian Garner played 94 games from 1977 to 1986 for Somerset and took 338 wickets.
And Sir Botham, arguably the greatest English all-rounder, played 172 matches for Somerset from 1974 to 1986 and scored 8,686 runs and also took 489 wickets.
There is a museum situated just beside the Somerset Cricket Board office and obviously history has been preserved for the renowned club.
The first day I entered the ground, I wanted to visit the museum but it was closed.
It was only opened during the match-day between Bangladesh and the West Indies and finally I could manage some time to visit there in the innings break.
Three greats, Sir Botham, Sir Richards and Garner’s big portraits are slated in the wall with their career record and statistics for the club.
The club’s honor board and other information are also mounted.
Apart from these three great cricketers some notable players of the recent past like, Marcus Trescothick, former English captain, world T20I champion Craig Kieswetter, whose career ended shortly due to a horrible accident while wicket-keeping, also feature for Somerset.
And Jos Buttler, one of the best batsmen in shorter formats in the current circuit, played his age-level cricket and early career of first-class cricket for Somerset.
The SCG has a long history.
According to a source, the earliest confirmed reference to cricket in Somerset is a match on July 13, 1751.
The game was played in memory of the late Frederick, Prince of Wales, who was a noted patron of the sport.
But officially, the Somerset County Cricket Club were formed around 1875.
The experience of observing the items at the museum of SCCC, which navigates one through the evolution of cricket, is a great experience for a cricket romantic.
