Jake Seamer - Personality and Style

Personality and Style

A personable man, Seamer was a popular captain of Somerset. He had some quirks to his personality, and Roebuck goes as far as describing him as an eccentric. During his childhood he would often cycle from his home in Shapwick to Taunton, a distance of over 15 miles, to watch Somerset play cricket. When he began playing for the county, prior to starting at Oxford University, a number of his childhood heroes were still in the side. In one match, Seamer had been dismissed, and passed one of these heroes, Jack White coming to the wicket. White asked what kind of bowler Jim Cornford was, as he had not seen him play before. Seamer, unsure, bluffed and stated that he bowled outswingers. Shortly afterwards, White returned to the dressing room, irate, and declared "the fellow bowls bloody inswingers." Bespectacled, Seamer dressed smartly and was proud of his Somerset heritage, often putting on a broad accent when he was in London.

Unlike most amateurs of the time, Seamer prioritised defensive play when batting; he watched the ball and minimised the risks, valuing his own wicket. This careful style was exemplified by his innings in the University match of 1934, when he helped Oxford salvage a draw by batting for two hours with the tail, during which time he scored 24 runs. Despite his circumspect batting technique, Seamer enjoyed his cricket, and in a more relaxed setting he once scored a century before lunch: playing in the Sudan, the match started at seven in the morning to avoid the worst of the heat. Before their opponent's innings, Seamer and his team-mates got them drunk to improve their chances of a win.