page_title: Somerset Women cricket team
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Somerset Women cricket team / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Steph Davies directing the field during the LV County Championship match between Somerset and Nottinghamshire at North Perrott Cricket Club Ground in Somerset.
context_page_description: The Somerset Women cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English ceremonial county of Somerset. Somerset women's team have spent their entire time bouncing between Divisions 1 and 2; during which time the league structure has ranged between 4 and 9 teams per division. The best placed finish has been fourth. In terms of honour's Somerset have finished as Women's County Championship Division Two Champions on four occasions. In 2019 following relegation they again find themselves competing in Division Two.
  Whilst Championship success has eluded the team the County has had more reward in producing a steady stream of international players; probably the most well known being the current England vice-captain, Anya Shrubsole.
  'Unfortunately International commitments and time pressures has meant that Anya has departed Somerset in 2019, and is now representing Berkshire.
context_section_description: The first match that is recorded as being played by 'Somerset Women' was contesting in 1961, when the Somerset side hosted the Women's Cricket Association (WCA) at the British Cellophane Ground in Bridgwater.  The WCA were at the time the women's equivalent of the MCC.  The one-day, single-innings match was drawn with the WCA 1 run behind the total set by Somerset, with two wickets remaining.  After this match there are no more recorded until Somerset's entrance into the Women's County Championship in 2000.  In previous years, the teams competing in the Women's County Championship had not corresponded directly with the men's counties sides, with East Midlands and Thames Valley among the teams that represented areas covering two or more counties.  For the 2000 season, these teams no longer competed, being replaced instead with specific county sides. West of England women (sometimes just West women) became Somerset women.  For their first season under their new guise, Somerset competed in Division Two of the championship, finishing third (out of six).
  Having done so in the 2000 season, Kath Wilkins continued as Somerset captain in 2001, when the club once again finished third in Division Two. Hannah Lloyd took over the captaincy for 2002, a season which saw Somerset drop to fourth in Division Two, where they remained in 2003.  The following season saw an upturn in the club's fortunes, as they finished top of Division Two, winning four of their five matches.  The Australian, Jenny Wallace, finished with the competition's highest batting average, 121.00, making a highest-score of 93*, as she shared a partnership of 155 with her captain, Lloyd, in a 47 run victory over Middlesex.  In addition to her part in that partnership, Lloyd had a successful season with the ball, taking 11 wickets in the competition, second only to Berkshire's Heather Booth.  Due to a reshuffle of the divisions, Somerset remained in a four-team Division Two for 2005, and once again finished as champions.  Somerset finished fourth of four in their first season in Division One during 2006, seeing them move straight back down to Division Two the following season.  After a third-placed finish in 2007, Somerset finished as runners-up in 2008, enough to see them move into a newly expanded Division One for 2009.
  With a young squad for 2009, the county targeted stability under new captain Steph Davies, settling for remaining in the top division.  The bowlers performed consistently well throughout the season, although Anya Shrubsole suffered an injury which saw her miss much of the season.  In contrast, the batting was troubled, with late partnerships frequently saving Somerset from trouble.  A pair of wins early in the season against Surrey and Berkshire helped the county to secure their target, eventually finishing in fourth, behind Kent, Sussex and Nottinghamshire.
caption: Steph Davies directing the field as captain in 2010
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