Big news for Somerset fans and T20 Blast followers—star bowler Riley Meredith will sit out the first six matches of the upcoming campaign after earning a call-up to the Australian national team. The 29-year-old paceman, who has been a key weapon for Somerset across three seasons, will represent Australia in the One-Day International series against Pakistan and the T20 tour of Bangladesh from May 30 to June 14.

Meredith was originally set to play the entire Blast competition for Somerset, fresh off helping the club secure last year's title and reaching the final in 2024. His absence is a significant blow—he was the top wicket-taker in the 2025 Blast, claiming 28 scalps in just 14 matches, making him one of the most feared seamers in the tournament.

The matches he'll miss include home fixtures against Hampshire (May 22) and Glamorgan (June 4), plus away games at Warwickshire (May 24), Glamorgan (May 29), Gloucestershire (June 5), and another trip to Warwickshire (June 7). Fans can expect his return for the highly anticipated derby clash against Gloucestershire on June 26.

"Representing your country is the highest honour you can achieve in sport, and we're obviously pleased for Riley," said Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry. "But the current world cricket schedule means situations like this can always arise. We'll be working behind the scenes to explore all our options until Riley is available later in June."

Meredith isn't the only Australian making an impact on the Blast schedule—Gloucestershire all-rounder Liam Scott will also miss six matches after being named in the same Australia squad. For Somerset, the challenge now is to fill the void left by their pace ace and keep their title defense on track.