BATHING!

V HAMPSHIRE CC1 @ BATH

Changeable weather, a long lay off and quite a few expectations to fulfil in order to get our season into some sort of order is where we are at the start of the Bath Festival. If Robert Appleyard and his team have done their usual excellent job then the venue will be as ready as always and at least the ground and other staff from Taunton have had long enough to prepare rather than dashing up the day before.

Somerset are looking to set themselves for a Championship campaign of some stature and after two weather affected draws where we had winning positions, we do not need the weather to intervene again in the next four days. We still do not have a fully fit bowling attack with the injury to Steffan Jones still keeping the Welshman from an extended run in the side. We haven't yet had a set replacement for him either because of the availability of Caddy. Simon Francis is probably favourite to take the third seamer slot today but personally I would rather see Graham Rose provide the experience and stability of a proven performer. I'm all for blooding the new talent....but we need maximum points.

Sunday's game against Leicestershire is even more important. Without a win in the NUL yet we need a full game and four points. It is probably past the point where we can wait for our one day form to get into high gear. Not only do we need a boost before our real C&G run starts against Hampshire on the 19th, but I don't want to be looking for points in a rainy September to stay up...I certainly don't want to be relying on "Vera D" for our First Division future around the 18th of said month!

Here's to a good, well attended festival. Thanks to the volunteers who make this event possible each year. Thanks to the county for keeping faith with this important aspect of the county game, especially in a large county like ours. For the Bath only contingent...enjoy your week and for the visitors, put your hands in your pockets and give some money to the 'Friends of Bath' fund raisers so that we can watch the game in these surroundings for many years to come.

Avid readers of this drivel who come from far and wide, if you want to say hello, I'll be the idiot in the fold up chair with the Somerset shirt or jumper (or both if it's as cold as it is this morning) on...it's the one with the website advert on the back of it. If it's piddling down, then look for the same idiot in a very large Drover's coat - sort of western cowboy look without any sense of 'cool'. Come and say hello, I'll talk to anyone!

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