Somerset head coach Osborne on life as a leader

As women's cricket continues its transition to a full-time professional game, Somerset head coach Erin Osborne is relishing the chance to help her young squad flourish.

The former Australian international took charge in Taunton at the start of this campaign, and says she hopes to use her experience from Down Under to help her players adjust.

Indeed, the 36-year-old, who took over from Trevor Griffiths on a five-year contract last November, is hoping to learn from her mistakes now she is on the other side of the boundary ropes.

"I actually found the transition quite difficult because I had a full-time job while studying, which created a nice balance. Cricket wasn't my world," Osborne told BBC Radio Bristol.

"The struggle was when it became full-time, I didn't have that balance right of what I was doing away from cricket, and the pressure did get to me at times, so I'm hoping some of what I experienced can help expedite the transition for our young players coming through."

Osborne spent much of her career juggling a A$5000 (£2,664)-a-year cricket contract with full-time employment and studying, then switching to cricket full-time in her final few years before retiring.

"I knew I wanted to give back to the game, and coaching was a natural fit, and opportunities came much sooner than I thought they would, so I fell into it a little bit," she said.

"I wanted to test my skills in a different country and Taunton is a great place to be based.

"I am still getting used to the how chaotic the game is compared to in Australia, but I am amazed how well I have settled in."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the colder winters of the northern hemisphere have taken the most getting used to.

"I've noticed in my first winter how often we train indoors - it's very different so just trying to come up with ways to continue to provide learning opportunities in an indoor school that simulates what they do on an actual cricket field," Osborne said.

"But that is one of the things about branching out and trying new things - it is definitely improving my coaching skills."

Osborne is in the infancy of her coaching career, but is already focused on how she wants to pitch her approach as a leader.

"I don't want to be that coach who is like 'this is how I did it' and 'back in my day...' because the game has evolved so much," she explained.

"If I were to play now I would be hit over the fence every ball because my skills would not be good enough, that is how much the game has evolved, which is exciting.

"The young cricketers coming through now are super skilful, so all I can really talk to is the pressures and the mindset, guide them, and create an environment that allows them to explore, make mistakes, and continue to evolve their cricketing skills.

"That is what I hope to achieve as a coach here and develop a group of cricketers who have dreams of competing at the highest level."

Some in her ranks have already reached that peak, and Osborne has been able to witness the effect of having of Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean and Heather Knight - all involved in England's T20 series win over New Zealand last weekend - in and around her team.

"They understand what it is like to be high-performing athletes, something which a lot of our team are still figuring out," said Osborne.

"To have them around the dressing room, seeing how they prepare and recover has been invaluable to our group, and our players have gained confidence from having them in changing rooms.

"It's now about getting that confidence up when they won't be around."

She added: "The wonderful thing about women's cricket now is that it is accessible for the broader public, whereas before growing up I didn't know women played cricket. My goal growing up was to play for the men's Australian cricket team!

"Having England on TV is going to help inspire the next generation, seeing all the 10-year-olds in the indoor school recreate the shots and bowling actions. That is what is going to create the sustainability and longevity."

So far in 2026, Osborne has overseen three wins from eight One Day Cup games, and one win from two Vitality Blast matches.

"I know where I want to get this team to and it is going to take time. We need to understand that we are on a five-year journey when things don't go our way," she said.

"I don't just want a team that is successful for a year, I want longevity and to build a sustainable pathway where we are producing local talent coming through and myself and the club are on the same page with that, it's another reason why Somerset is perfect for me."