After staying in their London hotel overnight, the Somerset players set off at 11am this morning to make the long journey north to Scarborough in preparation for their third round Cheltenham and Gloucester match against the Yorkshire Board XI tomorrow.

After their disappointing one day form so far this season Somerset coach Kevin Shine is not taking the opposition lightly.

He told me earlier: "This is a tricky tie for us with a long drive to get there. We will be playing against a team of club cricketer's who will be of a decent quality and who will know their wicket. We will not be underestimating them, that's for sure."

With Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick on test match duty for England the Cidermen have added opening batsman Matt Wood, and the experienced all rounder Graham Rose, both of whom spent Monday at a rainy Southampton with the Somerset seconds, to the squad to make the journey.

In 2001 Somerset faced Cambridgeshire at March at this stage of the competition, and after a couple of early scares they progressed to the next round thanks to a century from Mark Lathwell, and four wickets from Jamie Grove, neither of whom are with the club this season.

Assuming that the Cidermen beat the Yorkshire Board XI today and Hampshire dispose of the Kent Board at Folkestone the pair will meet at Taunton in the next round on June 18th or 19th.

© SOMERSET