Sabres targets improvement
Source -
somersetcountygazette.co.uk
Cameron White is confident Somerset will give a much-improved showing in this season's Twenty20 Cup which gets underway on Friday.
The Cidermen start their campaign with a trip to face Warwickshire at Edgbaston (5.30pm start).
Their first home game is against Northamptonshire on Sunday (2.30pm) and they are also at Taunton on Wednesday when Gloucestershire are the visitors (5.30pm).
Last year, Somerset produced some spectacular displays but their overall form was patchy and they failed to get progress past the Midlands/Wales/West zone.
After failing to qualify for the semi-final stages of the Friends Provident 50-over competition, Somerset will be eager to make amends in the shortest form of the game.
And, a look at their line-up would suggest that they are ideally suited for this explosive style of cricket.
Last season the Cidermen blasted Gloucestershire out of the water in their opening Twenty20 game, when they set a new world record total of 250-3. But after that they disappointed and failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Somerset also had two of the three highest run scorers in the competition with Justin Langer hitting 464 runs to head the table and White ending third by scoring 403.
White also included two centuries with his unbeaten 141 at Worcester a new record.
Despite his personal triumphs, White is anxious that the team is more successful in 2007.
He said: "Last year, despite some good individual performances, we didn't get beyond the zonal stages.
"But if you look at the make-up of our side this season we have got a very good all-round one-day team, so you would hope that we can do a lot better."
The Victoria State captain, who played his part in helping Australia beat England in a Twenty20 international during the winter, is certainly looking forward to the start of this year's competition.
He said: "I had so much fun last year, and playing at Taunton in front of full houses is a really great atmosphere.
"The format of Twenty20 cricket suits my game pretty well because I can just go out there and try to hit the ball, which is what I enjoy doing."
Before the start of Sunday's match, Somerset are holding a Family Fun Day, starting at noon, with activities taking part on and around the ground.
Following the match, there will be a Twenty20 Women's match between an Invitation XI and an England XI.
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