Fury in Somerset over Wisden comments

Critical comments about the county cricket system in England by the Editor of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack have provoked an incandescent response from the Chief Executive of one of the leading counties.

Writing in the newly-published 2002 edition of the "Cricketers' Bible", Graeme Wright warned that county cricket is at risk of disintegration unless radical changes are made.

"The county system survives on a confederacy of mediocrity," he wrote. "Take out the centrally-contracted bowlers and the standard of county bowling is deplorably low.

Wright suggests the possible replacement of county cricket with a city-based system, which he believes would revive flagging attendance. "County cricket drifts along in a backwater," he wrote. "Cities are marketable commodities in a way that counties, states and provinces are not."

The Chief Executive of Somerset, who won last year's Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy and were runners-up in the CricInfo Championship, is incensed. After hearing Wright's comments in an interview with BBC Breakfast News, Peter Anderson has written him an open letter, which is published on the Somerset website.

Anderson said: "Wisden seems totally unaware of the changes first-class counties are making to the way in which they prepare their players, play their matches, identify and coach emerging young talent and publicise and popularise the game with the young in their areas.

"It seems fashionable in this country to ignore rural communities as politically and economically unimportant. However, reducing the number of first-class counties and basing those left on city-based clubs would leave huge swathes of the country and its population without a cricket team to watch within reasonable travel distance."

Mr Anderson then calls on Somerset supporters who visit the club's website to support him in his response.

For only the second time in the Almanack's history, there are no England players in the traditional list of "Five Cricketers of the Year". Three Australians, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie and Damien Martyn, are included along with Zimbabwe's Andy Flower and VVS Laxman of India.