Somerset enjoy record financial year

Somerset may have endured a testing time on the field in 2013 but their performance off it has been described as "outstanding", as they announced a record pre-tax profit.

The club struggled to keep their head above water in the County Championship, staving off relegation in the final week of the season, but financially they operated more successfully and revealed a trading surplus of £468,703 before tax - a record result.

"These results are a continued demonstration of our business model working well and our readiness to proceed with the next substantial phase of the redevelopment of the county ground to international standard," the club's chairman, Andy Nash, said.

"It also enables us to maintain our position as one of the highest investors of any club in our cricket squad. On behalf of all our members, I should like to pay tribute to the outstanding work of all my colleagues, on and off the pitch, whose collective efforts have achieved another stunning set of results."

Somerset again enjoyed some of the best attendances for T20 in the country and hosted the touring Australians. Like all counties, they benefited from excellent weather in 2013.

"This has been another superb year for the club with total income up by 5 percent from last year," honorary treasurer, Malcolm Derry, said. "Direct income from membership and gate receipts showed 12 percent growth on 2012.

"While all income categories delivered results in excess of budget, particular mention should be made of catering and commercial departments who both exceeded targets by a considerable margin."