Ian Blackwell and Richard Johnson are both busy making their final preparations prior to meeting up with their England team mates and jetting off for the Hong Kong Sixes on Wednesday.

Both players have told me how much they are looking forward to the tournament. Ian Blackwell said, "I've been told it's a pretty low key event, but I'm going to take it as seriously as I can. It will be a good experience for me, and if I play well it could do me a lot of good."

The former Derbyshire player who has enjoyed his best ever season in the first class game went on, "It's a pity it's only a short trip, but it's a slight consolation for not being picked for anything else.They are testing me out to see what I have got to offer. I'm definitely looking forward to it."

Richard Johnson, who after joining the Cidermen from Middlesex during last winter ended as the leading wicket taker told me, "I'm really looking forward to playing in the Hong Kong Sixes, it should be a lot of fun and I've never been there before.It's a different from of cricket, and if we do well people will look up."

The full England squad who are making the trip is Matthew Maynard,(Glamorgan) who will captain the side and keep wicket, Ben Hollioake (Surrey), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Mark Ealham (Kent), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), and Ian Blackwell and Richard Johnson.

Altogether there are eight sides competing, with England being drawn in the same group as Australia, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan who provide the opposition for their first match.The other group consists of South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.

The group matches will be played on a round robin basis, with the winning teams going through to the next stages. Each game will consist of five overs with every player apart from the wicket-keeper bowling one over, and batsmen retiring after they have scored 31 runs.

The tournament will be played over two days and the team will fly back to England on Sunday November 12th.

© SOMERSET