Passion statement

A trophy in the cabinet after barely a month: Brian Rose could not have wished for a more encouraging start in his drive to reacquaint Taunton with passion. "We seemed to have the right mix," says the director of cricket about his side's Twenty20 triumph. The key, he feels, was the speed of the outfielders, which put such pressure on Leicestershire in The Oval semi-final that the holders lost eight men for 66.

"People did the right things at the right time," he adds. "It's got to help people develop in other forms of the game. You're under intense pressure; there's no hiding place." Nor did the slow bowlers' success - 16 of the day's 39 wickets - surprise Rose. "It contradicts the argument about not playing young spinners in one-day cricket."

Never mind the speed, at 247 balls; Graeme Smith's 311 against Leicestershire in the Championship made many wonder whether Viv Richards or Ian Botham ever hit such a sustained peak of brutality. But Rose says the South Africa captain's brief tenure was memorable for other reasons. "Graeme's contribution was enormous. With the Twenty20 just starting when he arrived and us bringing in half a new team, it was a real challenge and the combination worked very well. He's put a lot of energy and passion back into the club."

Moment of the month Matthew Wood's cover driving during Smith's triple-hundred. He is a player maturing by the innings.