Holloway and Gazzard heading back home for the start of the new season

Two of the Somerset Cornish contingent, Carl Gazzard and Piran Holloway who have spent the winter over in Western Australia, have enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent months.

Piran Holloway told me: "Things have not been going quite to plan over here recently. Scarborough Cricket Club, the team that I coach, have just won the one-day competition for the first time in their history so that has been very positive from that perspective."

He continued: "However on the personal side of things it has been a tough six weeks because I have had problems with my back. Unfortunately this has meant that it has been impossible for me to train. This is a shame because I was very fit before Christmas. As a result I have been reduced to working in the pool and consequently I have lost a lot of weight which is a bit disheartening."

He went on: " The good news however is that I have been able to continue batting and that is going really well and I am really excited about the season that is approaching. I hope we can put last years misery behind and start from a fresh perspective."

Regarding Carl Gazzard, the Cidermen's young reserve wicket-keeper, Holloway said: "Carl has suffered a similar fate and has not played for a month with a bad hand. Even worse he has not been able to bat at all because it aggravates his problem that appears to be soft tissue damage as nothing has showed up on the scans/ x-rays. I have told him to focus on getting fully fit for the season because that seems like all he can do. Still he has had an impressive season over here with the gloves and has improved a great deal with the bat."

Holloway concluded with some news of another of his 2002 Somerset team mates when he said: "On a lesser note I have bumped into Peter Trego over here and he is working really hard. By the looks of the work he has done to his batting it should be an exciting year for him at Kent."

Within the next few days both of the players will be leaving the warmth of Western Australia behind and heading for home to prepare for the new season a prospect that they are looking forward to.