Somerset Chief Executive was back in the West Country today after spending time at Lord's earlier in the week attending the First Class Forum, whose remit is to come up with a format for county cricket that will be introduced in 2003.

Peter Anderson told me: "A draft paper was issued to all counties to initiate discussion, which contained the views of the structures working party. We were pleased that they agreed that there must be a county championship in order to prepare Test match cricketers. We were also pleased that they cannot see a way of reducing the county championship from the two division 16 match format that there currently is."

He did however express reservations about several other aspects of the paper. "The spectre of regional cricket once again reared its head, particularly in relation to tourist matches, and it was also suggested that the Academy team should play fixtures against them. This would mean less cricket, which does not please Somerset.

"Counties like us want to retain matches against the tourists, which of course always raises the issue of county coaches wishing to rest their key players from these matches.

" Somerset have no objections to a couple of Academy players being drafted into the county side in the same way that we played the two Pakistan Test players against the Australians last summer, and we are happy to see these matches as trials."

Mr Anderson also expressed his reservations at the prospect of Scotland being admitted into Division Two of the Norwich Union League in 2003, thus creating a second division of ten teams.

"What happens when other nations want to join, like perhaps Ireland or Denmark? This is a threat to the system that we now have."

" It could be a forerunner to less County Championship cricket being played in favour of an increased one-day programme of matches," which again is not what Somerset would want to see.

"Everything in the draft paper is England-orientated, and I think that there is a hidden agenda to reduce the number of counties playing first class cricket. This could be the thin end of the wedge."

"Eleven counties have now got the ground capability to hold Test matches or one-day internationals. We are one of seven who do not have this capability because our ground is not up to scratch, and we are therefore in danger of being squeezed out."

"The eleven counties will have a higher earning capacity because of staging the internationals, and will be able to pay more and therefore get the best players."

The First Class Forum will meet again in February for further informed debate before the proposals are put forward in March.

© SOMERSET