Somerset stars turn out for charity match, but Seconds lose out in Bristol

Marcus Trescothick, Ian Blackwell and a whole host of Somerset stars will be turning out to play in the Harry Burden Memorial Cricket match that is taking place at the new Taunton Cricket Club Ground in Gipsy Lane at Staplegrove on the outskirts of Taunton on Sunday afternoon.

The match is the highlight of a festival of cricket that is taking place to mark the opening of the club's new ground, and follows the official opening that will be performed by England star bowler Andy Caddick at 4.15pm.

The Harry Burden Memorial Match will start at 4.30pm and will be played between a Taunton XI and a Somerset Celebrity XI, who in addition to Blackwell and Trescothick will include Jamie Cox, Peter Bowler, Mike Burns, Keith Parsons, Nixon McLean and Rob Turner as well as former player Andre Van Troost and the Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson.

The Harry Burden Match will be umpired by Headley Thorne and former first class umpire Ray Julian who lived locally in Taunton for many years, who is returning to the town especially for this occasion.

The Harry Burden Memorial Match first took place in 1996, in memory of seven year old Harry who was a keen cricketer and played for Taunton Under 11's but sadly died of leukaemia just before his eighth birthday.

As a result of his death a Memorial Fund was set up at Taunton CC by his friends and members of the club with the intention of benefiting young cricketers in the area. When the Tony Coles Charitable Trust was set up by Somerset CCC in 1998 with the same objectives it was decided to incorporate the Harry Burden Memorial Fund within it.

Activities get underway at Taunton Cricket Club at noon with a display of basic skills from the club's colt section that is followed at 1.30pm with a twenty overs match between a Taunton CC XI and Somerset CCC Academy XI.

The festival of cricket will be a real family occasion with plenty of food, a licensed bar will be open all day, an ice cream van, prize raffle, `bowl at a star', face painting and live music afterwards and a chance to meet the Somerset players.

Entry on Sunday will be £2 for adults and £1 for children with all the funds raised going towards the Harry Burden Memorial Fund which is part of the Tony Coles Trust that helps young cricketers across the south west, a very worthy cause.

Meanwhile Somerset Second XI lost their 3 day championship match against Gloucestershire by 54 runs at the County Ground in Bristol on Friday afternoon.

In their first innings the hosts scored 318 for 8 declared with two wickets each for Michael Parsons and James Hildreth.

Somerset replied with 340 for 8 declared, with Wes Durston making an unbeaten 104, which came from 83 balls and included five sixes and eleven fours, Piran Holloway made 43 and Aaron Laraman 42.

Batting for a second time Gloucestershire scored 380 for 4 declared leaving Somerset requiring 359 for victory off 72 overs.

The Cidermen put up a brave effort, but despite a century from Holloway who made 133 and 48 from Hildreth the visitors were al out for 305, to give their Gloucestershire counterparts victory by 54 runs