What a difference a year makes

Twelve months ago Keith Dutch was playing club cricket on the day of the C&G final. Tomorrow he will be taking centre stage at Lord's for the showpiece occasion against Leicestershire.

Dutch has become Somerset's premier spinner since the club plucked him from the obscurity of Middlesex second XI cricket at the end of last season.

The 28-year-old admits that he was close to quitting playing and moving into coaching before Somerset came in for him.

Now Dutch is thankful he did not take that step after a season which has also seen his batting improve, culminating in a decisive half-century in the C&G semi-final win over Warwickshire.

Dutch said: "It will be great to go back to Lord's after supposedly not cutting the grade there with Middlesex.

"I was released from my contract at the end of last season - and it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

"It was not a surprise because I played a lot of second XI cricket for Middlesex and always did pretty well, but I never seemed to get a run in the first team.

"I am sure there are a few players languishing in second XIs that are unfulfilled.

"They hadn't in my eyes given me enough opportunities to try and prove my worth. Maybe a few will be there for the final.

"Things have changed there with Richard Johnson having also come to Somerset and Mark Ramprakash going to Surrey.

"But I won't have anything to prove when I go back to Lord's and now I am playing for Somerset and the most important thing is for us to win the final.

"Last year I was playing club cricket at the time of the final. I normally was by that time of the year."

Dutch admitted: "It was probably half and half as to whether I would give up the game when Middlesex released me.

"I was actually asked if I was interested in going on the coaching staff at Middlesex because I had done some of that with the youth system at the county.

"But I just felt I would give it one more year somewhere else and then if I couldn't prove to myself or to anyone else that I could make it then that would be enough.

"I actually signed a two-year contract with Somerset but we were open with each other and I said 'let's see what happens after one year' and either they or I would know whether to carry on.

"They have been brilliant to me and I've had a bit of positive backing from the staff here.

"The most important thing is that I'm playing week in and week out and if I do have a few failures I know I'm going to get another chance to perform.

"I wouldn't say I've had a fantastic season but I have just seemed to peak at the right times.

"If someone had said at the start of the season that I would get my maiden Championship century and play a key part as the main spinner, I would have settled for that.

"But as things go along you get greedier and hungrier and now I want to bring the trophy back to Somerset. The nearest I got to a final with Middlesex was four quarter-finals.

"The semi-final was the biggest day of my career and hopefully there will be a bigger one to come."