Somerset have turned to former Australia all-rounder Erin Osborne to take charge of their women’s side, handing the 36-year-old a three-year deal that kicks in straight away. She succeeds Trevor Griffin, who stepped down after the county completed their maiden season in the fully professional Tier-1 structure.
Osborne’s playing résumé is solid: 121 caps for Australia between 2009 and 2016, plenty of overs of off-spin, and handy lower-order runs. She called time on her domestic career in 2022 and, since then, has worked across several coaching roles with the ACT Meteors in Canberra.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Somerset as women’s head coach,” Osborne said. “This is an incredible opportunity to work with a club that has a proud history and a passionate supporter base. I look forward to building on the strong foundations already in place and working closely with the players, coaches, and support staff as we strive for continued growth and success.”
First-up, there’s work to do. Somerset prop up last season’s Vitality Blast table and, while they were tidier in the 50-over One-Day Cup—six wins from fourteen—they still fell just short of the knockouts. Sorting the T20 batting order and finding a strike bowler in the Powerplay look obvious priorities.
Director of cricket Andy Hurry explained the choice. “Erin was the standout candidate for the position, and her knowledge and experience, aligned with her drive to succeed, really resonated with the panel, and will stand the club in good stead moving forward. Her coaching path to date has seen Erin gain a thorough understanding of how to construct effective programmes, inspire players, and improve performance across female and male pathways. These traits will prove invaluable as we look to build on the inaugural year of professional women’s cricket at the Cooper Associates County Ground.”
Hurry added, “Erin has established an excellent reputation as a coach in Australia, and we are excited to see her lead Somerset Women into the next stage of our journey.”
The new coach arrives in Taunton later this month; pre-season planning, including a possible warm-weather camp, is already pencilled in.
