Somerset rue missed chances after sixth Championship runner-up finish since 2010

Somerset captain Lewis Gregory and director of cricket Andy Hurry have identified missed opportunities earlier in the season as key to another unsuccessful County Championship title challenge. BBC Sport reported their assessments on Monday after Somerset finished runners-up for the sixth time since 2010, with Warwickshire securing the championship on Saturday.

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Somerset had led the table by four points with two matches remaining, leaving them in control of their attempt to win the competition for the first time. Defeat by Yorkshire at Headingley in their penultimate fixture changed the race, allowing Warwickshire to take the initiative going into the final round. Somerset remain one of three counties never to have won the Championship.

Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset, Gregory said the decisive opportunities had come in the middle of the campaign, rather than only during the closing fortnight. He recalled two matches in which Somerset had established strong positions but failed to turn those advantages into victories. In his assessment, winning those games could have left the county in a much stronger position before the final stages.

Hurry singled out consecutive defeats against Yorkshire at Taunton and Glamorgan in Cardiff in May. Yorkshire recovered from a first-innings deficit of 112 runs to beat Somerset by 75 runs. Glamorgan then won by two wickets, recording their first home victory in Division One. Those results preceded the later defeat at Headingley on 18 September that handed control of the title contest to Warwickshire.

In comments to BBC 5 Live before Warwickshire were confirmed as champions, Hurry said converting such positions into wins would be an important focus. He praised Glamorgan's resilience in Cardiff while acknowledging that Somerset had not achieved the results they wanted in matches they believed they should have won.

Gregory said the squad was disappointed but expected players to benefit from the experience. Hurry also pointed to progress across the team, praising the bowling attack and contributions from the top six in the batting order. He said Somerset's approach had developed during 2026, while stressing that the club's ambition remained winning trophies consistently.