THE Cooper Associates County Ground at Taunton was a sight to see on Tuesday when Somerset hosted the second of two Schools Days during their championship match against Warwickshire which concluded on Wednesday afternoon.

Those who attended on Monday were unlucky to encounter rain at the start of their day, which prevented them being allowed onto the pitch at lunchtime, but on Tuesday almost 1400 school children from across the south west, as far afield as Mousehole in Cornwall, descended onto the outfield.

The school parties who sat together in the Trade Nation Stand cheered every run and wicket and created a great atmosphere for the players of both teams, and on both days the youngsters were treated to some great entertainment.

In addition to watching the cricket a range of cricketing activities took place around the ground that everyone seemed to be enjoying, but it was at lunchtime that the schools made the biggest impact.

To watch so many  young people out on the field enjoying themselves, taking part in both ad hoc and organised games and having a throughly good time makes this sort of thing all worthwhile, so hats off to Somerset for organising such a great event.

By tea time the Trade Nation Stand was empty and the noise level was reduced by several decibels, as the youngsters departed for their home back in the south west, taking with them happy memories of what for many will have been their first ever visit to Somerset CCC and to some their first ever cricket match. 

Meanwhile, on the pitch after being put into bat, Warwickshire were reduced to 40 for four on Sunday morning but recovered to reach 412, in reply to which another disappointing batting display saw the Cidermen all out for 284. The visitors scored 281 for eight second innings leaving Somerset to chase 410 for victory or bat all day for a draw.

Somerset now take a break from red ball cricket and over the course of the next two weeks play the remaining Vitality Blast T20 games starting with a trip to play Essex at Chelmsford on Friday evening before they come back to Taunton for the local derby return match against Gloucestershire at Taunton on Sunday afternoon starting at 2.30pm.

On Friday, July 12, they entertain Surrey starting at 6.30pm, then travel to Hampshire two days later before hosting Sussex on Thursday, July 18, and then bring the curtain down on the group fixtures with an away match against Glamorgan in Cardiff on Friday, July 19.

Currently, Lewis Gregory’s team sit in third place behind Surrey and Sussex, so will be looking to climb back into the top two  to ensure a home fixture in the quarter finals.