Mark Garaway Somerset's new assistant coach and Director of the ECB Reginal Academy recently started his new job at The County Ground.

Mark, who is twenty eight years old is no stranger to Somerset since he sent several years of his childhood living in West Somerset.

His family then moved to Ventnor in the Isle of Wight where Mark played for the age group teams.

Whilst playing for the Under 16's he was spotted by Hampshire County cricket Club, and made several appearences for the county Under 19's and Second Eleven in the same season.

Mark, who was a wicket-keeper batsman, made his first team debut for Hampshire in 1996, but because of the presence of Adie Aymes his first team appearences were limited so he started to develop his interest in "coaching and managing players" he told me.

He played his last game for the county in 1999, and in January 2000 took up the post of Cricket Development Officer with Hampshire. Somerset Coach Kevin Shine rates his new assistant very highly.

"Mark is a skilled developer of young players, a good communicator and a talented coach in his own right. He will fit in very well with the environment that we have created here at Somerset" the coach told me.

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