Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson has once again spoken out strongly in support of the English summer game.

Speaking at the County Ground he told me: "For a number of years several leading national media commentators have tried to state the case that interest and playing the game of cricket is dying. The facts that they choose to ignore do not support this view."

In 2002 despite being relegated to the second division in both the county championship and the National League interest in Somerset County Cricket Club and cricket in general across the south west seems to be as strong as ever.

Membership of Somerset topped the 7000 mark and the official club website received a record breaking 1.5 million hits during the month of August, with Ciderman supporters logging on from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, U.S.A. and Hawaii.

Mr Anderson continued: "Cricket is very much alive and well in Somerset and the south west of England. This season over 7000 members joined the club and we enjoyed new record levels of hits on our website."

Referring to a recent report from the ECB the he continued: "This document tells us that more adults and juniors are playing cricket in Somerset and Devon and Cornwall, where we also have a large number of members, than before,which is very good news for the Club."

He concluded: How much longer do we have to put up with these people saying that the game of cricket is dying?"

© SOMERSET