The season belongs to the champions but Somerset also deserve great credit for the way they pushed Essex all the way
By Gary Naylor for the 99.94
Cricket Blog
It wasn’t just the weather that was miserable at Taunton – or was it? Somerset failed again in the quest to raise the pennant over the pavilion, too much time lost to rain, too many wickets to get, too much history hanging in the dank air. But (though I can’t speak for them) I suspect fans – and, I hope, players – do not consider second place to be that joyless descriptor “first loser”, but second winner. Maybe it’s the length of the matches, maybe it’s the season starting in spring and not concluding until
England looks very different, glorious in its autumnal beauty, but finishing second after a season fought long, hard and true is worth – and here comes an old-fashioned word – honouring.