The Christmas meeting at Taunton Racecourse on December 28th was a popular venue for Somerset cricketers past and present.

Watching the steeplechases in front of the main grandstand there were almost enough players to make up a Somerset XI, and it was good to have the chance to catch up with some of the `old boys'.

Matt Wood and Keith Parsons were the two current players who I spoke to and both were enjoying mixed fortunes, but there were plenty of faces from the past enjoying a good days racing.

Chairman of the First Class Umpires Association Allan Jones was enjoying his day, and nearby was another Somerset favourite Dennis Breakwell, `Jonah's' old sparring partner from his playing days.

Those who have lived in Taunton for any length of time will recall when the pair could be regularly seen at the end of a day's play driving into town in a rather dishevelled white Ford Escort van!

Merv Kitchen another of the Somerset fraternity who is now a first class umpire was also in attendance. Merv is a keen follower of the turf, in fact during one closed season not so long ago the left hander from Flax Bourton worked as a bookies assistant on local courses.

Left arm seamer Mark Davis who now works at Millfield School is another who regularly attends the Christmas meeting but whether or not he had backed any winners it was difficult to tell!

A couple of other former players who were present were Keith Parson's twin brother Kevin who was on the staff at the County Ground for a while, and local all rounder Roy Sully who made one Sunday League appearance in 1985.

In addition to the eight who have been mentioned add another three from the numerous other cricketer's who have been around the Somerset scene at some stage but never quite made it into the first team , who were also at the races, and quite a formidable line up begins to emerge!

In the depth's of winter with the rain pounding against the window it's interesting to muse on the batting line up of this Somerset XI, before looking in the diary and discovering that the 2003 season gets underway at Taunton in just 104 days.

© SOMERSET