TRACTOR'S TALES.

Welcome once again to Somerset's Bath festival week. The car parks are full, the trains are packed, the supermarket shelves (at Bath Spar) are emptying, the pubs are busy, and the weather forecast is for continued sweltering sunshine all week. Once again it's time to reclaim our bit of this recreational ground for our national sport; egg-chasing move over.

The team had a very good few weeks leading up to our last home tsl game. We'd beaten Scotland in Scotland, drawn with Lancashire at Taunton between the downpours (full credit to the sterling work by Groundsman Frost and his team), then a fantastic championship win against Northants in Northants. At the start of the 3rd day there, I thought if we could just bowl out Northants for 100 in their 2nd innings, and then perhaps lose just 3 or 4 wickets ourselves chasing around 153, we could have Saturday off. Would you believe it, I was spot on with this one. A brilliant, and pleasantly surprising first championship win, and in three days at that.

Then came that last home tsl fixture against Sussex on bank holiday Monday. It was probably one of the best one-day matches I've seen. Putting the result to one side for a moment (because we lost), it was a baking hot day, a good sized crowd, cold Blackthorn to hand (then rapidly to mouth), 600 runs in 90 overs, good bowling, fielding, and that incredible Ian Blackwell show; 134 runs off just 71 deliveries including 10 fours and 10 sixes (four of them off one Mushtaq Ahmed over). Now any side that successfully chase 297 deserves their win, but then again we didn't deserve to lose. As Jimmy Greaves once said to Iain St.John during a tie-break round of KerPlunk, It's a funny old game, Saint!

This year our visitors in the Frizzell championship are newly relegated Worcestershire. They arrive without Hick, Moore and Solanki (well they might take a wrong turn perhaps), whilst Richards, Garner and Marks return for Somerset - I can dream, can't I? Both teams are without Ian Botham who has departed to that commentary box in the Sky.

We last played Kent (newly relegated from the tsl) in a 2-innings Twenty20 friendly in Guernsey at the end of 2003 as part of a Keith Parsons benefit tour. My memory of that encounter is fading fast (I couldn't remember much the day after), but I think we lost off the very last over. More memorable was our 5 run victory in the C&G semi at Taunton three years ago. Remember that run-out by substitute Simon Francis? Kent do.

Give both teams and their supporters a genuine warm welcome (because I hope to be at the return fixtures)!

Celebrity birthdays this week include Bonnie (Can't find her way In France) Tyler, Mick (Lend us a quid - Money's too tight to mention) Hucknall on Wednesday, Liz Hurley, Prince Philip (and ssshhhh, Blackie) on Friday, and if the 4 dayer lasts that long wish a happy birthday to Hugh (one half of A Bit of Fry and Laurie) Laurie on Saturday. I'm sure any Americans here on Sunday will be celebrating the birthday of George H Dubya Bush (that's George Dubya's dad).

Here's hoping for Somerset victories this week, and indeed next. Don't forget we entertain those Aussies at Taunton next week. Local police have received countless reports of stolen front and rear components off classic cars. Yes, they are expecting a bumper crowd at the county ground on Wednesday!

COME ON SOMERSET!!!