With the first class season just underway, the official Somerset website is launching a regular feature entitled `hero of the week'. The selected `hero' could come from any one of the Somerset teams, from the under 11's right the way through to the first team.

We hope that the `hero of the week' feature will be of interest to all ages, and in particular will help those who are fairly new to Somerset cricket to get to know a bit more about some of the players who are at the club.

The questions that will be used for this feature were kindly sent to the website by Thomas and George, two keen young Somerset supporters, who were converted to the game after watching their first ever cricket match when they visited the County Ground last summer whilst the Australians were playing. Since then they have been totally hooked!

When I asked Somerset coach Kevin Shine to nominate the first `hero of the week' he told me: "You have set me a real poser, and I've worried all day about who it will be!"

He continued: "However I suppose it will have to be the old dinosaur himself Peter Bowler who is the first hero for us this year for his batting performance against Sussex at Hove. In the Somerset first innings he just missed out on what would have been a thoroughly deserved century."

Peter Bowler, who is a right hand top order batsman, was born in Plymouth in Devon, but brought up in Australia. He has been on the English first class cricket scene since 1986 when he made his debut for Leicestershire.

In his debut innings he scored 100 not out against Hampshire. He moved to Derbyshire in 1988, and on his debut for them he scored another century, this time against Cambridge University.

Peter joined Somerset in 1995, and captained the county for the latter part of 1997 and 1998. He was granted a thoroughly deserved benefit in 2000.

During his time with the Cidermen Peter Bowler has enjoyed considerable success with the bat. Up until the start of this season he had played in 121 first class cricket matches, and scored 7365 runs at an average of 42.08, including 1000 runs in a season on three occasions. His highest score for Somerset is 207 against Surrey at Taunton in 1996, and he has made 22 centuries.

Peter Bowler has also taken 13 first class wickets with his occasional off breaks at a cost of 39 runs apiece and taken 82 catches.

Peter has made a substantial contribution in all of the one-day competitions, and was Somerset's leading batsman in the NUL National League last season with 560 runs at an average of 50.90, which included one century.

When I caught up with Peter at the County Ground earlier he gave me the answers to the following questions that were posed by Thomas and George.

Q. What sports do you enjoy, apart from cricket?
A. I enjoy rugby union. When I was younger I used to play quite a bit but now I just watch.

Q. Who was your idol when you were young?
A. Rick McCosker, who was the opening bat for Australia and New South Wales was my hero. I was an opening bat when I was growing up in Canberra.

Q. Who is your favourite pop star or band?
A. Reef.

Q. What do you do in your spare time?
A. I spend time with my family, and preparing myself for life after cricket. I am studying to be a lawyer.

Q. Where did you go to school, and when did you start to play cricket?
A. I moved about a lot when I was young so went to school just about everywhere, but I spent quite a long time at Daramalan College in Canberra. I started to play cricket at school when I was nine, but didn't' start to play age group cricket until I was twelve.

Q. What is your favourite food?
A. Steak is my favourite food, and I quite enjoy pasta.

Q. How much training do you do every week, are there any special exercises?
A. I train three or four times every week. I don't have any special exercises I just do everything.

Q. What has been your most memorable match for Somerset?
A. My most memorable match of Somerset just has to be the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy final at Lord's in 2001 when we won the cup.

Q. Apart from the County Ground at Taunton, which is your favourite cricket ground and why?
A. The Oval and Lord's are my other two favourite grounds. The Oval because I have scored a lot of runs there over the years, and Lord's because we won the cup there last season.

Q. What are your cricketing ambitions?
A. To be part of an improving and winning Somerset team, and to play for England, although I think that the selectors are leaving it a bit late!

Thank you to Peter Bowler for telling us a little about himself, and good luck for the new season.

Thank you also to Thomas and George for sending in the questions to help us launch the `hero of the week' feature for 2002.

© SOMERSET