Over the next few weeks the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy will be touring the country as part of a campaign to draw attention to the new cricket season and to highlight the building societies involvement in sponsoring the major limited over cricketing competition in this country.

What more appropriate place could there be to launch the tour than in Taunton the county town of Somerset, the current holders of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

Between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday afternoon two Somerset cricketers, Keith Dutch and Keith Parsons, will join officials from Cheltenham and Gloucester at their premises in North Street in Taunton town centre to launch the tour of the trophy.

Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me: "We are delighted and honoured that Cheltenham and Gloucester have chosen to launch their campaign here in Taunton. We are also delighted that Cheltenham and Gloucester have chosen a town like Taunton in the middle of a rural area rather than a city for the launch."

Mr Anderson continued: "It is fitting that Keith Dutch and Keith Parsons, the Somerset heroes of the semi-final and the final of last year's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy victory, should both be in attendance on Wednesday."

The Chief Executive concluded: "The players are very confident that winning one of the limited over competitions is well within their reach, and they will of course be doing their best to make sure that Somerset retain the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy this season."

Somerset fans are invited to go along to the Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the trophy and the stars that helped to win it for them.

Those fans who turn up at the building society with the token from last week's Somerset County Gazette will also be able to have their photograph taken with the trophy by a professional photographer free of charge.

© SOMERSET