Chair goes in to bat

In an online Q&A session the club chairman Giles Clarke tackled the grievances of irate supporters with commendable restraint. No, he did not want to comment on Michael Burns' alleged shortcomings as captain, nor on charges that the coach Kevin Shine does not "command enough respect". But yes, the club is striving to improve things on the field.

Their president Roy Kerslake is reviewing all matters cricketing with help from two former captains, Ian Botham and Brian Rose, and from that unsung contributor to the success of the national team, the ECB's performance director Hugh Morris.

And yes, Clarke is still proud of what he has accomplished during his 18 months in the chair, including the promotion of cricket in primary schools and establishing agreement among politicians that the club is critical to the success of Taunton. There are also plans to redevelop the ground to host different sports and thus try to bring greater financial independence.

But above all, Clarke found satisfaction in "the successful destruction of the plan to reduce the number of first-class counties to nine, proposed at a First-Class Forum chairmen's meeting in February, which would definitely have had serious consequences for Somerset." Clarke has recently decided to take on negotiations for the new TV contract on the ECB's behalf because "the result is so important to Somerset".