Laraman impresses with his early form

Aaron Laraman who joined the club from Middlesex during the winter has already made quite an impression on the Somerset scene.

Yesterday the twenty four year old opened the innings at the Hampshire Rosebowl in impressive fashion and hit a quickfire 73 to set his side on the way to a four wicket victory in the final match before the new season starts on Saturday.

The young all rounder is enjoying his new surroundings and has settled in well into the house that he has just bought on the outskirts of Taunton.

He told me: "It's all going well for me down here in Somerset and I am very pleased with the set up at the club which is better in fact than I expected."

He continued: " Every body has made me feel very welcome and since I moved in November last year I feel very much part of things which is good. During the winter months I have been working on my batting and my bowling."

How did he feel about the coming season I asked. "I'm really looking forward to the new season, and I am feeling pretty confident about things. I hope to be a first team player, although there will be tough competition for places. I see myself as first or second change bowler and batting at number eight in the side, although I opened in one day matches for Middlesex last season," he told me.

He continued: "I think that the track here will suit me. I'm pretty tall so I will get good bounce when I am bowling and it will also help me when I am batting as well. It will be good for my game."

Judging by his early form the Somerset supporters are likely to be seeing a lot of Aaron Laraman and will no doubt be hoping that he will carry on where he left off yesterday and help the county on their way to many more victories this season.

Meanwhile Keith Dutch had a bit of a shock at the Rosebowl earlier this week when chief executive Peter Anderson asked him to autograph a cricket bat that he was going to use for fund raising purposes.

After looking at the Somerset names that were printed on the bat `Dutchy' announced that his name wasn't there, but he signed it anyway.

Luckily it didn't seem to put him off because the former Middlesex all rounder went out and made a major contribution with both bat and ball towards yesterday's victory, after which Mr Anderson pronounced: "If he keeps on playing like that then he won't appear on any listings!!"