The Centre of Excellence in Taunton was a busy place to be on Saturday morning where ECB South West regional coach Keith Tomlins was leading a group of cricket coaches from across the region who are working towards gaining their Level 3 qualification.

The former Middlesex player is in charge of the seven day course, that started on Friday morning at the County Ground and will run over the next three weekends.

Two current Somerset players, the 2003 skipper Mike Burns and young opening batsman Matt Wood, former player Mark Davis and Somerset Under 14's coach Mustafa Sheikh were amongst those attending the course.

Before the course started Mark Davis, who is now the cricket coach at Millfield School told me: "I'm looking forward to the next three weekends. I know from looking at the programme that we will be following that it will be pretty intense and hard work, but it will be well worth it."

Somerset coach Kevin Shine who was at the Centre told me: "To have four Somerset representatives on this course is something of an achievement in itself and bodes very well for the future of the game in the county. We already have more Level 3 qualified coaches in Somerset than in any other of the first class counties."

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