Young guns get Cidermen's reply off to a good start

Somerset's young guns gave a good account of themselves on the first day of their three day match against West Indies `A' at Taunton today.

At lunchtime it looked as though it might have been a very different story, as the visitors went into the interval on 150 for 1 off 37 overs.

During the afternoon session however the Somerset bowlers started to rein the game back in and eventually the West Indies were all out for 370 at 5.25pm.

Matt Bulbeck bowled well early on without success, but was rewarded during the afternoon and ended with the impressive figures of 18 overs, 3 maidens 4 for 47, and there were three wickets each for Keith Dutch and Keith Parsons.

In reply the Somerset opening partnership of Matthew Wood and Neil Edwards had taken the score onto 60 without loss by the close of play.

The tall left handed Edwards who was making his first class debut, looked particularly confident on the front foot as he drove fiercely, bringing up the fifty, and ending unbeaten on 29, with his Devonian partner Wood on 28.

At the end of the day acting skipper Keith Parsons told me: "I was very pleased with the way that we played today. The boys did well to bowl them out, and then our openers made a good start for us. The wicket is already taking spin and tomorrow we will be looking to get as many runs as we can."

Chief Executive Peter Anderson said: "This was a good days play for us. Our young batsmen gave a very good account of themselves at the end of the day."