DURING their time on the Somerset Cricket Academy the county club invests a large amount of time and energy developing young players talents so it is always sad to see them depart.

In recent years Jamie Overton is probably the most high profile player who came through the Academy to have moved elsewhere, but Dom Bess has departed along with young pacemen Nathan Gilchrist and now George Bartlett.

Two players who have come up through the Academy but this season seem to have gone off the radar are Tom Banton and Lewis Goldsworthy.

Banton made a considerable impact in white ball cricket early in his career and played T20 for England but lately seems to have been overlooked by his country. In red ball cricket he seemed to have developed his game but hasn’t featured for Somerset for a while.

Goldsworthy, an all rounder from Cornwall, is another who has proved himself more than capable in all formats with both bat and ball, but despite proving himself in the Second XI and also in the One Day Cup he hasn’t featured.

Meanwhile in the first innings of Somerset’s innings at Hampshire the top order disappointed again, which has sadly become too regular this season.

The good news on the batting front, however is that Andy Umeed, who had a fantastic run in the One Day Cup was the top scorer out of the Cidermen’s first innings total of 137 with 43.

A reminder that Western Storm are playing two matches at Taunton in the next few days the first of which is on Sunday against Northern Diamonds before they entertain Central Sparks on Wednesday, September 13, both starting at 10.30am

Somerset are next in action when they host Kent starting on Tuesday September 20 at 10.30am.