Torrid start for Somerset as Reeve quits as coach

Somerset have confirmed that Head Coach Dermot Reeve will be leaving the club at the end of the season to concentrate on his media career. The news was the main talking point at Taunton on a day when only 37.3 overs were possible due to heavy showers.

Somerset closed on 73-3 after winning the toss, with Peter Bowler's unbeaten 29 steadying the innings after a torrid start against Chris Silverwood and Matthew Hoggard.

Reeve was not at the ground and it is his many absences this summer due to increasing commitments as a television commentator that has led him to sever his four-year connection with the county.

Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson said: "Dermot came to us and explained that he no longer felt able to devote sufficient time to his coaching activities.

"We would have liked to retain him. Since joining us in 1997 he has sorted out the dressing room, made the team play smarter cricket and ensured that every player is aware of the importance of nutrition and diet. "Unfortunately for us, he is also a very accomplished broadcaster and it seems that is where his future now lies."

It was Reeve who persuaded Jamie Cox to join Somerset when the Tasmanian was relatively unknown in this country. The signing has proved an outstanding success and will be the coach's main legacy.

Cox won the toss against Yorkshire, but may have been regretting his decision to bat first by the fifth over when he fenced at a good length ball from the lively Silverwood and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Simon Guy.

It was a sweet moment for 21-year-old Guy on his Championship debut after Richard Blakey had been surprisingly left out following a disappointing season with the bat. The young replacement caught the eye with his busy style and missed nothing.

Hoggard had been released from the England squad in time to travel down for the game and he produced a gem of a delivery to send Mark Lathwell's leg stump cartwheeling soon after the first rain break.

Lathwell had made only eight, courtesy of two boundaries to third-man, and continues to struggle in the attempt to recover his best form after missing the whole of last season with a knee injury.

Somerset were then 16-2. But Piran Holloway and Bowler rode their luck against some pacey seam bowling as Hoggard completed an eight-over spell with 1-15 and Silverwood kept going for ten overs to return 1-13.

Both bowlers would have been more effective with greater accuracy. But there was plenty of zip to ensure the batsmen never looked comfortable.

Holloway had battled away for 74 balls to reach 15 when carelessly clipping a leg stump half-volley from Gavin Hamilton straight to Gary Fellows at square leg.

The partnership with Bowler was worth 35 and Keith Parsons ensured there were no more mishaps before more heavy rain ended proceedings just before the scheduled tea interval.

The umpires did make an attempt to restart play at 6pm, but the rain returned in time to scupper that hope.