IT would have been difficult for Somerset supporters to look at the scorecard of Sunday’s T20 match between the Birmingham Bears and Lancashire at Edgbaston without a deep sense of remorse.

The top scorers on either side – Jos Buttler’s 80 for Lancashire quickly overshadowed by a brutal 76 on debut by Adam Hose – were players who, in an ideal world, would still be playing for Somerset but decided their futures were better served elsewhere.

Hose’s out-of-the-blue departure last week represents the latest blow to a Somerset side who, despite picking up momentum in the T20 campaign, have endured a difficult summer to date, particularly in the County Championship.

The 24-year-old was blossoming into a strong batsman in all three formats of the game – a rarity in the modern era, as Buttler’s white ball-focused career since leaving Taunton testifies – and his mid-season exit harms the club’s chances of survival in the top division.

Matthew Maynard insisted after last Wednesday’s victory over Hampshire that Hose “would not be missed that much”, but those who have watched him develop this season may beg to differ.

As a powerful, potentially match-winning player with his best years in front of him, Hose is exactly the sort of player Somerset should have been trying to build the team around and could have been the cornerstone of the middle order for the next decade.

It would be easy to blame Hose, and many supporters are, for his apparent desertion of a struggling team for a relegation rival midway through the season.

It is worth remembering, however, that there are two sides to every story and Hose’s will be worth listening to should he ever choose to deliver it – the batsman politely declined the County Gazette’s offer of a chance to have his say after last week’s sudden exit, but it seems likely others will be following Hose out the door come the season’s end.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the club insisted that “no definitive decisions have been taken” regarding the futures of any of the playing staff, but one-day captain Jim Allenby had already broken rank in all but confirming to the BBC that he will not be at the County Ground next summer and there are rumours swirling about other white ball specialists on the payroll.

Meanwhile, the fact Dean Elgar will play no further red ball cricket this season is a fresh hindrance in the fight for survival, and it can only be hoped that new arrival Fakhar Zawan is able to fill the considerable void left by the South African at the top of the order.

Realistically, Somerset need to win at least half of their remaining six County Championship matches to stand any chance of staying in the top tier.

Given the questionable scheduling of the domestic calendar means four of those are in September – with the last match against Middlesex concluding as late as the 28th – that could be a tall order, especially as Somerset approach the run-in without knowing who will be captaining the side.

Stand-in skipper Lewis Gregory suggested after the T20 win over Hampshire that Tom Abell will return to the role against Surrey next week and, given there is now a Hose-shaped vacancy in the middle order, that option is certainly on the table.

Abell has scored runs for the Second XI in his first team absence and was brought back into the fold against Sussex on Sunday, and a return to form on the Championship stage would be a timely boost for both himself and the team. 

What has been strange over the past week or so is that, for all the off-field turbulence, the performances on the pitch have continued on an upward curve.

If the momentum built up by recent T20 victories can be carried into next week’s crunch Championship clash with Surrey, the situation could be looking a lot brighter in seven days’ time.

It is all to play for with just under two months to go and whatever happens Somerset have ensured that, as ever, there are no shortage of talking points as the season reaches its climax – Monday evening’s members Q&A could make for interesting viewing.