About

Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club compete in the BCEW National league .  The club will play each county once and competes against eight counties.

The visually impaired cricket club play their home games at Wombats CC (Bishops Lydeard).  Matches are played with a larger ball (size of handball) that makes a sound and the wickets are larger.  Each player much be registered blind or partially sighted.  Each player is then placed into one of four sight categories.  The team is then made up of different sight categories, with no more than two players from the high partial category.

Get involved

Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club are a very friendly and sociable club.  The club is always looking for new players.  For more information please watch the vide below and the read the playing guidance.   For further information, please contact Steve Gass or contact the Club Chairman Alan Mabey

The club have an open training session during the spring, where new players are welcome to come along and try the game,

History

The Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club was officially formed in 2011, after a successful trial through 2010 ensured that there were enough players interested to create the team. Despite being a very young club the team have gone on to achieve a number of successes in the past 8 seasons.

Seasons’ Review

2019

The season began with a bang for Somerset’s Visually Impaired side as we secured our second title in the T20 Final at Wolverhampton. The competition was weather postponed from last September and we battled through near-Arctic conditions to beat Yorkshire in the Semi-Final and then fend off eventual 2019 National League winners, Northamptonshire in the Final.

The League campaign was another successful one securing a consecutive runners-up finish after four wins, a draw and unfortunately two losses.

For the third time in our history a 30-over Cup Final place was established but we came unstuck against a very determined London Metro side at the Brightside County Ground in Bristol. En route to the Final we took part in our first Bowl-Out as the weather tried to hinder the competition.

To compliment a fantastic season a number of awards and nominations from governing body BCEW were claimed:

Captain Ed Hossell won Partially Sighted Fielder and was jointly awarded PS Player (also nominations for PS Batsman and PS Bowler)

The now legendary Steve Cook claimed the only title missing from his collection, Total Batsman, to become the game’s only player to have won every award for his sight category (also nominated for Total Player and Total Fielder)

Nominations were received by:

Vice-Captain Heidi Linegar – Wicketkeeper, Low Partial Player and Female Player

Chairman Alan Mabey – LP Player (whilst daughter Sharnie Mabey won Best Female Player at the end of season Development Festival event in Leicester)

Rob Crisp – PS Player, PS Bowler and PS Fielder

Kathryn Jelfs-White – Female Player

2018

This year saw the ever-improving squad secure their best league finish; a very impressive second, including the league’s best bonus-point haul.

In the cups SVICC again reached the semi-finals, unfortunately being defeated in the 30-over tournament by the eventual Cup winners Sussex.

A successful T20 Cup and Finals Day was had in May 2019 after the rain stopped the competition from taking place in September 2018.  Read the match report here

BCEW’s end of year awards were dominated by Somerset with four trophies and 11 nominations:

Partially Sighted Player – Ed Hossell – Nominee – Rob Crisp
Total Player – Steve Cook
Women’s Player Nominees – Heidi Linegar and Kathryn Jelfs-White
Partially Sighted Batsman Nominee – Ed Hossell
Total Batsman Nominee – Steve Cook
Partially Sighted Bowler Nominee – Ed Hossell
Total Bowler Nominee – Steve Cook
Partially Sighted Fielder – Ed Hossell (retained) – Nominee – Rob Crisp
Total Fielder Nominee – Steve Cook
Wicketkeeper Nominee – Heidi Linegar
Most Promising Player Nominee – Rory Hossell

And of course the award that means the most to a team who prides itself on playing fair and friendly is the Spirit of Cricket Award. The Umpires Panel again selected Somerset in recognition that they always play this great game the right way.

International honours also abounded as the brace of brilliant brothers, Ed and Rory Hossell were selected by England VI to travel to take on India and Sri Lanka in a tri-series, whilst Kathryn Jelfs-White toured Barbados with UKVI Women. An amazing accolade went to SVICC skipper Ed Hossell who was selected to captain England VI before they embarked on their tour; the icing on the cake to top a fabulous season.

Bettering all of these achievements next season is going to be tough but they are definitely up for the challenge!

Match day for the VI team

2017

Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club enjoyed another strong season in 2017, again finishing fourth in the National League winning four matches and losing three.

The season actually began with the rearranged 2016 BBS Cup final against Warwickshire, played at Bath Cricket Club. An excellent 131 from Vice Captain Ed Hossell led Somerset to 178 all out, which Warwickshire chased down with five wickets remaining.

Ed Hossell carried on his fine form into the national league, smashing 170 not out and taking 4-15 as Somerset beat Yorkshire by 191 runs. Somerset’s best win of the season came away at Lancashire. After restricting their hosts to 165/6 after 40 overs, Somerset lost Ed Hossell first ball with 20 overs to chase 166. Not to be deterred, Rory Hossell smashed 99 and Graham Glover unbeaten on 28 as Somerset won by eight wickets with an over to go.

Somerset narrowly lost by 25 runs in the BBS Cup quarter-finals to Metro and lost heavily in the quarter-finals T20 Cup against Warwickshire.

National Recognition

Ed Hossell and Steve Cook were recognised at national level with the Partially Sighted Fielder of the Year and Total Bowler of the Year awards respectively, whilst they along with Graham Glover, Phil Frounks, Heidi Linegar and Rory Hossell were nominated for various other awards.