Anderson answers early season critics whilst Cidermen are thwarted by the weather

Mike Burns and his Somerset team were thwarted by the rain at Derby on Friday as they attempted to win their second successive championship match of the season, and will hope for better weather when they resume at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning.

Despite the umpires making three separate inspections during the early part of the afternoon any hopes were abandoned when play was eventually called off by umpires Mark Benson and Allan Jones just after three o'clock.

Back at the County Ground in Taunton, chief executive Peter Anderson reflected on the Cidermen's season so far. He told me: "Some people have expressed disappointment following the team's defeat by eight runs in the championship match at Bristol, and our National Cricket League defeat when we played Durham last weekend. We were pretty poor against Durham make no mistakes about it, but our bowlers who were criticised did have a wet ball to contend with."

He continued: "There are several very pleasing signs however from the season already. Our quick bowlers are bowling sides out in sixty overs, and that is a vindication of coach Kevin Shines tactics of putting a strong bowling side out because to win matches you have to take twenty wickets, especially in Division Two."

"The batting is coming together now and it is pleasing to see Jamie Cox scoring runs. Peter Bowler and newcomer James Bryant put together a gutsy performance against Durham in the championship when the pressure was on us, laying the foundation for a good win, and our newcomers are also beginning to find their feet in this team."

He went on: "The young players at the club are a great value to us and there are several of them waiting in the wings ready to make their mark. Players like our rising star Gareth Andrew, Michael Parsons, Robert Woodman, Steven Wheeler, James Hilditch and Richard Timms all show great potential, not forgetting Tom Webley and Cornishman Michael Munday who are both playing first class cricket for Cambridge UCCE and Oxford UCCE respectively."

"Again this is a vindication of our coaches Kevin Shine and Mark Garaway who have worked hard in the development field with these promising young players, and down through the age groups there are some lovely little gems waiting for their chances," he added.

Regarding the current crop of injuries at the club the Somerset boss said: " Early season injuries started with Matt Wood who was hospitalised after contracting a virus at Southampton. That affected his availability to play, and has set him back, however thankfully he has now fully recovered and is playing again."

"Matt Bulbeck having had a history of back injury has had to rest from bowling for three weeks because of a suspected stress fracture of the back, and Neil Edwards who had such a successful tour to Australia with England at Under 19 level has been suffering from glandular fever, but is now thankfully ready to resume light training."

The chief concluded: "The whole of our pre season was upset by the virus that several of the players contracted at Southampton which is why we often had to use fifteen or sixteen players in the warm up matches."