Tom Abell

Tom Abell spent seven years captaining Somerset after taking on the job as a 23-year-old, and emulated his old team-mate James Hildreth in never quite graduating to international level despite his consistency at county level. Abell won a call-up to a depleted England squad for an ODI series in Bangladesh in early 2023 but was ruled out after straining his side while bowling for the Lions, and remained uncapped as he entered his 30s.

A graduate of Exeter University who grew up in Taunton, Abell had the captaincy thrust on him at a young age and struggled in his first season in the role, dropping himself to the 2nd XI midway through the year after a pair at Southampton. But he gradually grew into the role and became one of the best leaders in the county game, captaining Somerset to the Royal London Cup in 2019 and turning himself into a valuable short-form player in the process. After starting his career as a defensive opening batter, Abell transformed his game to adapt to the demands of T20 cricket and became a regular on the franchise circuit, winning the SA20 with Sunrisers Eastern Cape and captaining Welsh Fire in the Hundred.

Abell was named Young Wisden School Cricketer of the Year in 2013 after a prolific summer at Taunton School and made an accomplished 95 in his maiden first-class innings against Warwickshire at the age of 20. His first century, in 2015, came during an opening stand worth 272 with Marcus Trescothick, which felt like the official connection of two generations of Somerset batters. While primarily a batter, Abell also bowls some occasional medium pace and is widely considered one of the best fielders in England.