Depleted Somerset CCC call Steve Snell in again
Steve Snell will swap the microphone for his bat and pads when he returns to the Somerset squad at Edgbaston tonight.
Wicketkeeper Snell, who answered Somerset's SOS in the CB40 and Champions League t20 last year, has again been summoned for this evening's Friends Life t20 clash with Warwickshire.
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Steve Snell, left, and Nick Compton
The 29-year-old, without a permanent first-class county since leaving Gloucestershire in 2010, has been working for BBC radio – and commentated on Somerset's win over Warwickshire eight days ago.
Tonight, he is likely to be commentated on rather than commentator after being named in a 12-man Somerset squad.
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Somerset will finalise their XI after assessing the Edgbaston wicket – but both Snell and fellow wicketkeeper Jos Buttler are expected to play.
Director of cricket Brian Rose said: "We've still got a question mark about the 11 who are going to play – but I think Steve Snell will be heavily involved in the match.
"He could play because of his experience – that will be a key issue.
"Steve played in a practice match at Taunton recently and he looked as if he hadn't missed any cricket at all. I was very impressed with his keeping and his fitness.
"I would not have any hesitation for him to play at Edgbaston."
Somerset took Snell to India for the Champions League last autumn after Buttler and Craig Kieswetter were required to face West Indies in two Twenty20 internationals that clashed with the beginning of the tournament.
He played in three matches, scoring 34 not out and winning the man-of-the-match award against Auckland Aces in the first, following that contribution with scores of four and six not out in Somerset's back-to-back wins over Kolkata Knight Riders.
But despite the showcase of such a major tournament, Snell remains without a first-class contract.
"I find it very strange that Steve is not playing first-class cricket for some county," said Rose. "Unfortunately for him, it can't be at Somerset, because we have two wicketkeepers.
"There is a chance he could come in if both Craig and Jos are playing for England – but that still wouldn't give him a full-time job.
"But he really impressed us when we were in India and I would be confident he could do a job for us if he played at Edgbaston."
Somerset head into tonight's game (7pm) with their last 12 available players, as Marcus Trescothick remains sidelined through injury and Kieswetter, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, George Dockrell and Kevin O'Brien are on international duty.
The 18-year-old Overton twins, Jamie and Craig, are also unavailable as they are sitting their final few A-level examinations.
Lewis Gregory will make his first Twenty20 appearance of the summer, fresh from taking a confidence-restoring five for 22 for Somerset's second XI against the MCC Young Cricketers on Monday.
The 20-year-old has struggled in first-class and CB40 cricket this season, but Rose has belief in the young paceman, who became something of a 20-over talisman for Somerset last year.
"We will wait and see what happens in this game, but I don't think it will be long before Lewis gets his confidence back," said Rose.
"It has been a difficult season all round with the weather and the staccato nature of the play – and that's for everyone, not just Lewis. But we have a lot of belief in him."
Somerset (from): P Trego, N Compton, C Meschede, J Buttler, J Hildreth, A Suppiah, S Snell, A Thomas, L Gregory, M Waller, S Kirby, A Barrow.
Comments
by FromMendip
Thursday, June 21 2012, 12:06PM
“This is like the pre-war Somerset when they often struggled to get eleven players for a match and mediocre 'gentlemen' amateurs were frequently recruited to make up the numbers.”