Tom Smith-Boulder Rolling

Tom Smith's 2015 diary — A story of courage, determination and resilience

The contrast between Tom Smith's 2014 and 2015 seasons could not have been starker.

In 2014 the all-rounder enjoyed the best personal season of his career to gain England Lions recognition and then dominate Lancashire's end of season awards after being named both the Championship Player of the Year and the overall Player of the Year.

He took 54 wickets and hit 773 runs in the County Championship matches and his quick scoring at the top of the order was an integral part of Lancashire's success in reaching the NatWest T20 Blast final, earning selection for the Lions' one-day series against the A sides of New Zealand and Sri Lanka in August.

To cap a memorable year, Tom married fiancée Holly in December 2014.

Tom's 2015 started well when he was named Lancashire Captain for the new season and it was a proud moment when he led the team out at Derby to start the new season.

And then it all went horribly wrong.

Injuries never arrive at a good time in a player's career, but to be side-lined after leading your team for one match was particularly cruel.

Tom's response was to fight back hard, but it took him to the limit-and beyond.
'Boulder rolling' is a phrase frequently banded around the Lancashire dressing room to put some momentum behind a success.

In Tom's case it represented a motivation to comeback from a potential career-ending injury, and one which tested his courage, resilience and patience to new limits.

During his rehabilitation, Tom kept a diary throughout 2015 to help him chart his progress.
As a result Boulder Rolling is an extremely honest and, at times, eye-opening account of what it is really like for a professional sportsman to be out of action with a serious injury.

Tom also provides a narrative on Lancashire's spectacularly successful 2015 season, albeit one from inside the dressing room, which saw the team gain promotion to the First Division of the County Championship and win the NatWest T20 Blast trophy.

Twelve months after experiencing the disappointment of losing the 2014 T20 final, Tom found himself back on the pitch at Edgbaston celebrating Lancashire's success with the rest of the team.

The irony wasn't lost on him, but by then Tom's own boulder was rolling in the right direction.......

Published: Friday 6th May 2016, 200 pages with photos. Copies signed by the author.
Price (Signed copies): £4.00 including postage (UK postal addresses* only)

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