Your Starter for 2007

By Grockle
February 5 2007

It's 2 and a bit months before the first Somerset side takes to the field at home against Johnno and the 'Sex. Who do you believe will walk out to represent the Wyvern on April 18th? There's been a lot of speculation but is it possible to call it now?

Somerset v Middlesex @ Taunton Wednesday 18 April 2007

Well we can say for certain we will have a captain.  Not someone standing in for an injured player or for someone who hasn't arrived yet from some far foreign field!!

 Justin Langer will be here well before the first game to get his side into shape for a more representative attempt at the domestic competitions than we have been used to in the past few years.  We fully expect him to lead out the batting side in that first game as one of the two openers.  But with whom?

 First choice would obviously be this man.  The Mighty Marcus Trescothick an opening partnership for the dream worlds and quite possibly the best this county will have seen for a very long time. His employers - the EWCB - will not risk him early and although we expect to see him in Somerset whites well before we see him in his country's kit again, April may be too soon.  It is more likely to be this man instead who accompanies the Aussie to his first 2007 strip.

 Matt Wood relinquishing the VC spot for the moment to concentrate on his batting which fired all too rarely last season in a sputtering batting top five.  You want him to open if MT isn't ready but he may stay at 3 and give the opening spot to one of two players.

 A new and more confident John Francis whose form left him almost entirely last year but who has shown his ability to partner the greats when he walked out more than once with Ricky Ponting in his first season with us.  Or Neil Edwards who waited a long time for his chance last year but took it when it came and showed himself to be solid and confident in front of the stumps in a line-up that suffered from almost terminal lapses of belief.  If Wood doesn't open I'd personally expect Edwards to get the early nod.

And if Woody does partner Justin in the top two? Well then another possible option enters the lists to fight for a place.

 I'm not sure any of us are quite certain what Arul Suppiah will become yet.  A man who took up the challenge of holding down the number 3 spot in a fragile line-up last year when everyone else had failed.  But he is more than that.  Anyone who saw him bowl against Surrey will know he is more than a handful with the ball and most of us saw more than one stupendous piece of fielding during the season from the hands of the man from Malaysia.  he could put in a bid for the Number 3 if there is a chance.

At four it is more cut and dried.  We all expect our fourth batsman to be a man who left it so late last season to show his true worth that whatever party was still going was on its last legs.  He promised so much so often but still needs to put it all together in a more elongated spell.  The spot will start in the hands of the magnificent James Hildreth

 Whether it stays there will depend on the work of the front end and his own opening form.  If it sparks early then we are in for a really exciting ride at Taunton.

At 5, at least for the beginning of the season, we all expect a welcome return of the man from Derbyshire who has missed out on so much because of that horrendous injury last season.  He should be in the World Cup squad but his fightback to fitness hasn't left him with enough time and therefore he will be walking out for us in the middle order.  Ladies and Gentlemen..a warm welcome back to Mr Ian Blackwell

 We all hope that the shoulder is totally healed now and we expect mighty things from this expressive batsman and thrifty bowler, especially in partnership with that one day wonder from Down Under Cameron White.

 It is expected that he won't be here at the start of the season but speculation is rife that he might miss the cut for the Aussie squad and may be arriving early.  If that is the case then he will take the 6th place and possible alternate with his British team-mate.  Two massive hitters and decent support spinners in the same side...can't wait until they are both in a game when they click at the same time....hope it isn't Mushtaq on the receiving end again!!

If CW isn't back in time we have a possible mystery man at number 6 (or even at Number 3)!  There is speculation about McKenzie but it may give a chance for early glory to a man who sparked a little last year and will be looking to fight his way into the firsts this year as well. 

 Peter Trego may be pulled in as a makeshift number 6 unless the confidence and prowess of

Wes Durston who made more than one stand last year keeps him out.

You'll all have to wait for part two to see who gets the other spots!!