Piran Holloway sets his sights on becoming a first team regular in 2003

Somerset batsman Piran Holloway who is spending the winter out in Perth in Western Australia with grade side Scarborough has set his sights on becoming a first team regular in 2003.

Last season the left hander who hails from Cornwall played in six championship matches, and made 336 runs at an average of 30.54, whilst in his eight National League appearances he scored 163 runs, including an impressive unbeaten 112.

For Holloway, who will be thirty three in October, this will be his sixteenth season in the first class game. After being educated locally at Millfield and Taunton School he eventually signed for Warwickshire for whom he made his debut in 1988, before returning to the west country to join Somerset in 1994.

During a break from his training `down under' he told me: "Things are going very well for me over here. Despite having a suspected broken finger I have been practicing and things seem to be going really well. I have found a couple of things to improve further on the strides I made last season and I am expecting a good season this year. With a bit of luck I will get a chance this season, so I am making sure that I am in the best possible form when I return for the start of the season back in England."

Somerset's reserve wicket-keeper Carl Gazzard is also spending the winter playing for Scarborough CC. Regarding the young `keeper's progress Holloway told me: " Carl has been working really hard on a couple of areas of his game and I am really excited about his batting. I think he will do really well. Lets hope the amount of one day cricket doesn't hinder his progress as it does so many young players."

With the three new signings that Somerset have made all expected to play in the first team competition for places is certainly hotting up.