Somerset Cricket: Taunton, Viv Richards, Ian Botham & the Unfinished Trophy

Somerset County Cricket Club, founded in 1875, play at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton. Despite being one of county cricket's most passionate clubs and home to legends Viv Richards and Ian Botham, Somerset have never won the County Championship — coming close on many occasions.

The Taunton Ground

Taunton's County Ground has an intimate, friendly atmosphere set against the Quantock Hills backdrop. With a capacity of around 8,500, it may be small by major-county standards but generates one of the loudest atmospheres in county cricket.

The Viv Richards and Ian Botham Era

Somerset's golden era came in the late 1970s and early 1980s with overseas legends Viv Richards (West Indies) and Joel Garner, alongside England all-rounder Ian Botham. They won the Gillette Cup (1979), Benson & Hedges Cup (1981, 1982), and NatWest Trophy (1983) but the Championship eluded them.

The Near Misses

Somerset finished as runners-up in the County Championship multiple times — in 1981, 2010, 2016, and 2018 — each time falling short at the final hurdle. This heartbreak has become part of Somerset's folklore, creating a determined fanbase that keeps returning.

• Viv Richards — arguably cricket's greatest ever batter, played for Somerset 1974–1986
• Ian Botham — England all-rounder, 5,200 Test runs and 383 Test wickets
• Joel Garner — West Indies fast bowler, feared by batters in the 1980s
• Marcus Trescothick — Somerset's greatest modern batter, 5,825 Test runs for England