Explosive batter Will Smeed has changed his mind about being a white-ball specialist and is set to play County Championship cricket after signing a new contract with Somerset.
Will Smeed has decided to play all formats of cricket for Somerset, reversing his earlier choice to focus only on limited-overs games. This means he could be making his debut in first-class cricket this summer.
In 2022, Smeed, then 21, made news by choosing to concentrate on white-ball cricket. He stated at the time that he needed to focus solely on limited-overs formats to become the best cricketer he could be. This was seen as a significant move, highlighting the increasing gap between limited-overs and first-class cricket. While many players have accepted white-ball contracts, often retiring from red-ball cricket at the same time, Smeed was notably young to make such a decision.
However, after a hamstring injury prevented him from playing in last summer’s Hundred tournament, Smeed played Second XI County Championship games for Somerset. This experience led him to reconsider his focus, and he now aims to play for Somerset’s Championship team.
“I really want to play more cricket than I did last summer,” Smeed said. “After getting injured, it felt like I hadn’t played much at all. Playing some second XI red-ball games at the end of last year was enjoyable and made me think about pursuing this option.”
He added, “Watching Somerset’s Championship team last year was amazing, and their wins were incredible. I definitely want to be part of that team.”
Smeed has already scored a red-ball century for Somerset’s second team at the age of 16. So far in his career, he has mostly played T20 cricket, with only one List A appearance for England Lions. In 2022, he was the first player to score a century in the Hundred and has since played in franchise leagues like the CPL, PSL, and SA20.
Somerset’s Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry, commented, “Will has immense potential, and his return to playing multi-day cricket will definitely strengthen our batting options in the County Championship.”
Hurry also mentioned, “When Will initially signed a white-ball contract, he made it clear that he might return to red-ball cricket in the future. Our members and supporters will be thrilled that he is now available for selection in all formats for Somerset.”
