'From the Pavilion' (if you're a member you'll have seen it or it will drop through your door early this week) has a good indication of what we can expect as a side at the beginning of the season.  This is nearly it.  Nixon McLean hasn't surfaced in England yet (there are rumours of him being sighted in the islands and he is expected this week-end) but the rest of the boys are here and seem to be playing.

On Friday, we saw most of our first team bowlers. Simon Francis was about the place but wasn't playing but Andy Caddick was stomping in - from the River end which was unusual - and looks like his old self.  His action is roughly the same, differences are almost indistinguishable from the addick we know and love.  Richard Johnson was taking up the Old Pavilion station and also looked fit and healthy. Aarron Laraman was nippy and skiddy as first change and we got our first look at Thos Hunt, our ex-Middlesexian for Janet to moan about this season!  She won't be complaining too much on this showing - a considerable number of no-balls blighted his first time on the Taunton strip and he has some work to do.

The spin department had good and surprising news.  John Francis seems to be a jack of all trades - he may be our spin option in games because he turned his arm over quite a lot and got his first wicket.  The other good news was that Keith Dutch has not been completely dispensed with for the longer game.  He was 12th man for this game and was in Mr Anderson's squad list for the strongest Somerset line-up as an option at number 6.

It is always hard to guage in these games, how hard the professionals are tryng and therefore how good the students are?  Monty Panesar is a name that we know but there rest are usually associated with a first class county, albeit at a seconds level in the main.  They found it hard to get the ball off the square for the first 90 minutes but they kept our main strike force out and worked at their innnings.  It wasn't pretty but we weren't exactly tearing through them!  Laraman broke through first and then it was a war of attrition as Adams and Nash made decent totals and others chipped in.  As the total rose, wickets went with Caddick taking 2 for 80 off nearly 30 overs (a good run out which showed no problems) and Johnno got 2 for 69 off 24.  Francis J bowled a tidy 6 overs for 11 and Hunt's day wasn't completely awful, he took 2 for 85 off his 17 but the 13 no balls really needs some work.  304 for 8 declared was the final tally - that put them in the driving seat at the end of Day 1 and gave our batting line-up something to work for on Saturday.

So how did we do? The new opening partnership of Peter Bowler and John Francis met a young fella called Wigley and were part of a traditional Somerset scenario 'Bowls' went LBW for 7 and Frankie J went 3 later the same way to the same bowler for 12.  19 for 2 chasing 304 - been here before? But good news.  Neil Edwards can hold up an end under pressure! When he made his maiden century last season he threw his bat and hit everything - this time he worked at an innings and made slow but steady progress.  He went to Panesar with 40 but had built a platform with Cox of 101.  Good news - we seem to have found a number 3 (he is pencilled in here along with Matt Wood - also a good sign).  Mike Burns didn't stay long as Wigley castled him for 1 but that brought Matt Wood to the crease needing to show something to his employers.  He did just that with his Aussie teammae as they put on 135 before he went for 57 with Somerset in a much stronger position.  Coming in at number 6 was probably not what he wanted but doing the job expected of him will have given him loads of confidence and the selectors a headache that I'm quite happy to see them have!

Jamie Cox by this time was making hay.  The usual cynics were biting his back as he walked out but the best way to shut them up is to make some runs!  They weren't there when he passed a hundred (cricket must have got too good for them) and at the end of the day he was unbeaten on 144 with Laraman helping out with 13 before he became Wigley's last and most impressive wicket of the day (lots of flying stumps).  Rob Turner finished off the afternoon with a 'nurdling' exhibition and we came in single figures shy of the Loughborough total.

I thought we would declare overnight but I've been proved wrong as we've passed their total and are batting on.  We must be going for the 'get as many as you can for an hour' scenario followed by 'bowl 'em out cheaply' one.  We may need to be a bt more impresive in our second spell wth the ball to do that - they seem a determined bunch!

Good things from the last couple of days.  The grit of the younger batsmen and the promise of more backbone behind the willow.  The form of a certain Tasmanian - a joy to watch in this kind of mood.  The picture of Caddick and Johnson putting together over 50 overs and taking 4 wickets (a few more would be nice).  A good all-round buy in John Francis - still to convince me with the bat but it is early days and he did look committed out there in all aspects of his game.  Laraman looking fit and ready for it....and all this with Nixon in the wings.  Roll on the real stuff next week!

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