SOMERSET’S new County Championship captain Tom Abell flew back to Western Australia yesterday to resume his winter playing Grade A cricket for Fremantle, writes Richard Walsh.

The 22-year-old homegrown talent, who played through the Somerset age groups and graduated through the Academy, spent the Christmas holidays with his family in Taunton, but now it’s back to business as usual – and scoring runs.

“There’s games starting this weekend and I’m looking forward to the second half of the season over there,” Abell said.

“Fremantle are going pretty well so far and, hopefully, we can back that up after Christmas and push for some finals.”

He added: “I think that going away for the winter and getting some game time in is a real bonus.

“When I came back from my stint in Perth at the beginning of last summer I felt in a really good place and I felt it enabled me to hit the ground running.”

Regarding his own form, the Somerset skipper said: “I feel like my batting is really coming on over there, plus I’m always working on my fielding, and bowling.

“It’s a great environment to be around and I definitely think that it is having a positive effect on my game.

“In terms of preparation for what the summer is going to hold, I couldn’t ask for too much more.

“I’m getting all my training done as well as playing, so I’m not missing out on anything like that,” Abell added.

“It’s very competitive out there – the standard is very high.

“You’re playing a very serious level of cricket every weekend, and you are certainly put under pressure!”

Looking forward to the start of the 2017 season in England, the new captain went on to say: “It’s not always too much fun playing in the snow when you can’t feel your fingers, but I can’t wait for it to all start again.”

Before setting off Abell had a special message for all Somerset CCC’s followers, as the club looks to build on last year’s second-place finish in the County Championship.

“As a team we’re desperate to replicate some of the form that we showed towards the back end of last season,” he said.

“The support we get throughout the season is always superb, and to see what it meant to the supporters at the end of last season was very special – that will stick with me for a very long time.

“Hopefully we can go one better this year and repay the faith that they show in us.”

***

ABELL'S clubmate Michael Leask, meanwhile, has been back home in Aberdeen and training with the Scotland squad.

Last season the all-rounder scored more than 700 runs in all formats for Somerset 2nds, as well as picking up seven wickets at 30 in T20 and three at 14 in the Trophy.

Leask, 26, who also played for Taunton St Andrew’s, was with the Scotland set-up to prepare for today’s trip to Dubai for a T20 tournament.

Reflecting on 2016, he said: “Last summer was a bit of a mixed bag; the 2nd XI stuff went really well but when I got into the first team it didn’t quite happen for me, and so that is my focus for 2017.”