After a frustrating Benson & Hedges Cup tournament, our year has really hit full swing in the past couple of weeks. Touch wood, all of the rain seems to have passed and the recent sunny spells have brought out the best in the Sabres. Three very satisfying performances, against quality opposition, have hopefully set us up for another exciting season.

Meeting the reigning champions Surrey first up at home was always going to be tough but also a great indication of how we were situated. Despite a break in the rain, the first day and a half was frustratingly lost due to saturated surrounds and bowlers' run-ups. It was the wettest April on record in the south-west and the river at the rear of the ground was constantly at dangerously high levels but there is nothing more annoying than not playing when the sun is shining.

The English game tolerates 'creative' captaincy more than the Aussie game

By 3:00 pm on day two, the run-ups were still less than ideal but we decided to start. There seemed little prospect of them getting any better and abandoning the day again would have driven us all crazy. I won the toss and nervously decided to put Surrey in - the wicket looked nice to bowl on but on three similar ones last year I lost the toss, was put in, we made 450+ in the first innings and won all three games comfortably! Thankfully it turned out to be the right decision as we bowled Surrey out for 180 with Caddick, Bulbeck and Jones all terrific. The form of the latter two was particularly pleasing as their workloads will be high when 'Caddy' disappears to 'Team England'.

All but five overs of day three were again lost to the rain, just enough time for both Piran Holloway and me to get out, making prospects of a result unlikely without some creative declarations. The English game tolerates 'creative' captaincy more than the Aussie game and the prospect of batting last on an improving pitch was enough to get me interested. Surrey captain, Adam Hollioake, was however keen to pursue his first innings bowling points, so we batted out the last day, finishing at 8-302. A pleasing result - Somerset 10 points, Surrey 6. Top of the table - 'bloody beauty'!! Somerset v Surrey - Scorecard

Gloucestershire have been something of a bogey team for us in recent times. There is a great rivalry between the south-west neighbours but members of both teams get on well together. They had beaten us four times in a row, most famously of course in last year's Natwest Final at Lords. They are an interesting side - for one they would easily be the shortest first-class team I have played against! I have been guilty of underestimating them but they combine excellently and are very well led by Mark Alleyne.

A large Bank Holiday Monday crowd and a warm sunny day (at last) at home was the perfect scenario for a re-match. I was delighted to finally win a one-day toss (maybe only because the coin was tossed by our young supported mascot and not by me!) and decided to bat first. This was slightly against the norm at Taunton as it is generally a difficult ground on which to defend a score but I had a theory that Gloucester are far more comfortable bowling second than chasing a target.

Everything looked to be going off the rails at 4 for 20 but Keith Parsons rallied the bottom half to scramble us up to 181 all out. Under normal circumstances this is never enough at Taunton but by 7:00 pm we had bowled out Gloucester for 173. The press reported it as a game they threw away but from where I stood there were more definitive reasons. Our bowling and fielding was superb and simply smothered what was a nervous run chase. To quote a corny 'Caddickism' we played in a fashion that enabled us to have twelve fielders on the ground - eleven Sabres and a twelfth man called 'Pressure'! It was a vital victory as it was our first of the season, in front of a four thousand strong home crowd and in some small way it was retribution for the Natwest Final disappointment. Bloody beauty - top of the one-day table also. Somerset v Gloucestershire - Scorecard

From here it was off to Hampshire (or Warneshire as it will probably be renamed shortly), where I wanted to ensure that the momentum of the previous week's success continued on.

It was no surprise to discover that we were to play on a Warne wicket (whoops that should be spelt w o r n!), which had been previously used for one-day cricket, despite there being three other fresh and almost prepared wickets from which to choose. The customisation of pitches to suit the home team strengths is a definite problem for cricket in England. Hampshire are not to be blamed, as all counties do it, and I now know that, whenever Caddick is on the team sheet, we will more than likely play on lifeless pitches. I shouldn't complain as he seems to bowl better on these than on livelier pitches, where he seems to just beat the bat twice an over and get frustrated.

The customisation of pitches to suit the home team strengths is a definite problem in England

Anyway, needless to say I called incorrectly again and we bowled first and did wonderfully well to knock them over for 232. Of the thirteen overs remaining to be bowled that afternoon, twelve were bowled by Warney and off-spinner Shaun Udal, partly due to the dulling light but mainly due to the wearing pitch conditions. We lost the wickets of Trescothick and nightwatchman Caddick, both to Udal, and crawled to stumps 2-13, still a pleasing days work.

Day two was always going to be tough work and not surprisingly Warney opened up again and got his first wicket early when Holloway was unluckily given out caught behind after about fifteen minutes of play. Fortunately, he did not take another and a good batting performance took us to 319. I was delighted to contribute 153 and now feel in excellent form as a result. I take great pride in performing against quality opposition, especially when they are Australians and it is an innings I will treasure.

Warney bowled well but I think may struggle a little if he continues to come across pitches with a lack of bounce like this one. His spin and other variations are far less potent when the ball is bouncing at no greater than shin height. He still has a great 'presence' on a cricket field and is sure to have a major impact upon his teammates and the competition.

Heading into the last day eighty runs ahead and down two bowlers (with Stef Jones and Matt Bulbeck injured), we were very aware of the need to do early damage. Enter the Caddick show - 7-63 later, Hampshire all out for 124 and we needed forty to win, a task we achieved for the loss of me for 4. Bloody ripper - still on top of the table! Hampshire v Somerset - Scorecard

Leaving the ground it was difficult not to be a little sentimental as Hampshire will be moving to new ground next year and it was therefore the last time we will play there. Personally it has provided some super memories with 216 and 129 there last year and 153 this year but the one memory that most clearly remains is the last thing I saw when driving out the gates - a pear sitting on top of Warney's BMW, representative of the number of runs he scored in the game! Seems like his new team mates are a brave lot with a well developed sense of humour!!

Jamie Cox from Cider Country