'We are expecting to get promotion in both competitions' says the new chairman

Somerset County Cricket Club held their press day at the County Ground in Taunton on a bright but rather chilly Friday morning.

The main news of the morning was the announcement made by Andrew Caddick that he would retire from International One Day cricket, a decision that will be disappointing to those involved in the England camp.

However whilst the decision to retire from the one-day scene by the thirty four year old probably came as no great surprise, the likely outcome is that he may well now be available on more occasions during the season to play for the Cidermen

After the decision was announced Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "Assuming that Andy Caddick is available for us during the triangular one day series an opening attack of Caddick, Nixon McLean and Richard Johnson is a mouth watering prospect. Back that up with the batting of new signing James Bryant and Neil Edwards who performed so well on the England Under 19's tour to Australia and we are well equipped to achieve our overall goal which is to win a competition and get promoted."

The coaches words were echoed by chief executive Peter Anderson who said: "Our aim this season is to get promotion and Andy Caddick's decision to retire from One-Day internationals means that he will be available more for Somerset which is very good news for the county."

Caddick's England team-mate Marcus Trescothick was equally upbeat about Somerset's chances this season. He said: "I'm hoping that we will get promotion in both leagues in 2003. With the players that we have at the club we'd expect to be in the top flight "

New skipper Mike Burns was also in buoyant mood and told me: "The boys have all looked very impressive indeed over the last four days when we have been outside practicing on the grass. Aaron Laraman, who joined us in the winter from Middlesex has looked particularly good and I reckon that he will play for England in the next two or three years."

New chairman Giles Clarke was in no doubt as to what he was looking forward to this season. "We have got a strong playing squad, membership is running at the same level as last year and we are expecting to be promoted in both competitions," he said.

Meanwhile a few tickets still remain for the Appeal Year Opening Lunch that is taking place on Friday April 4th when former Somerset player and first class umpire Roy Palmer will be the guest speaker.

The lunch is also being held to acknowledge the major contribution made to the club by former chairman Richard Parsons who stepped down just before Christmas after fourteen years of stewardship.

The tickets are priced at £27.50 each and anybody who is interested should contact the main office at the County Ground on 01823 272946.

Roy Palmer is one of well over five hundred players who have represented Somerset since they gained first class status in 1891, and the details of every single one of them has been recorded in a new book that is to be published in the very near future.

The book which is entitled `Somerset County Cricket Club Players, Photographs and Statistics' has been compiled by local author Eddie Lawrence, can be collected from the Somerset Cricket Museum by subscribers from the middle of April. The book will go on sale to the general public shortly after that date.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards the Somerset Cricket Museum.