Thomas given Somerset limited-overs captaincy

Somerset have handed the captaincy of their 50-over and T20 sides to Alfonso Thomas, easing the load on club captain Marcus Trescothick, who will continue to lead in Championship cricket.

Thomas, who at 38 is only a year younger than Trescothick, has become a local favourite since first arriving at Somerset in 2008. He captained Somerset at the 2011 Champions League, when Trescothick remained at home, and has experience of playing T20 around the world, including for IPL and Big Bash franchises.

"Alfonso has played a huge amount of T20 cricket in the last few seasons both here and abroad," Somerset coach, Matt Maynard, said. "He has tasted success in the IPL, the BPL and the Big Bash.

"His experiences of the intricacies of the T20 game at the highest level make him the ideal captain for the shorter form of the game. Marcus will continue to lead the side in the County Championship and will still fulfil the crucial role of club captain."

Thomas has spent the winter recovering from a broken ankle, sustained while playing golf, but is ready for another campaign across all formats, having finished the 2014 season as Somerset's leading Championship wicket-taker. He said that wanted the limited-overs teams to "be brave and play entertaining cricket" as Somerset seek their first silverware since the 2005 Twenty20 Cup.

"I think the one thing we have identified in our one-day game is to try and get our youngsters coming through - and to just try and be brave and play entertaining cricket - and hopefully that will get the crowds in," he told the Somerset Gazette.

"I see my role as talking to our young bowlers, trying to work out what they're thinking and what they are trying to execute and where it's going to take them four years to work it out for themselves - I'd like to think it'll take them one or two years which gives them an extra two years to be good quality."