Andy Caddick missing from Somerset team to face Glamorgan

Somerset go into their championship match against Glamorgan at the County Ground in Taunton this morning knowing that if they are to keep up their challenge for promotion back to the top flight they need to gain maximum points.

The Cidermen who are currently in fourth place in Division Two with one victory and a rain affected draw from their three matches will be looking to beat the Welshmen, who earlier this week were defeated by the surprise table toppers Gloucestershire, who have opened up a nineteen point lead over second placed Derbyshire.

Somerset will be without England paceman Andy Caddick who was ruled out of the match with an injury to his right foot after a fitness test on Tuesday. His place goes to Simon Francis, whilst nineteen year old Gareth Andrew who made such an impressive debut against Durham in the NCL comes into the twelve, and is a serious contender for a place in the starting line up.

The Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "We are playing good cricket in the county championship and we will be looking to carry on from the Derbyshire game. Hopefully we will get four days of cricket and get the right result for ourselves and stay up amongst the leaders."

Mike Burns is also only too well aware of the need to get the right result from the game and added: "Even though Glamorgan have just been beaten by Gloucestershire every side in this division is dangerous, and contains some potentially match winning players like Matthew Maynard and Mike Kasprowicz."

The last time that the two sides met at Taunton in 2001 it was Cidermen who were victorious by an innings and 67 runs, thanks to centuries from Bowler and Ian Blackwell, and a strong bowling display from the pacemen. Somerset supporters will be hoping for a repeat performance from their team in the match starting today.

Somerset v Glamorgan -- Peter Bowler, Marcus Trescothick, Mike Burns, Jamie Cox, James Bryant, Ian Blackwell, Rob Turner, Aaron Laraman, Richard Johnson, Nixon McLean, Simon Francis and Gareth Andrew.