Minutes after leaving the field and receiving his "Man of the Match Award" Taunton's very own Keith Parsons said, "Up until now the fans have always harped back to the last time we won a trophy in 1983.

Hopefully now they will talk about 2001 and the year we won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy. It's been a long time coming but lets hope that we can now go on and win a few more trophies."

It really is no surprise that the twenty eight year old who was born and brought up in the county town has become a successful first class cricketer. His father Alan played cricket for Somerset at Minor County level back in the 1970's, and is still very involved with Taunton St Andrew's Cricket Club, who have just won the prestigious West Of England League.

Keith attended Bishop Henderson School, where the Headteacher Headley King was a real cricket enthusiast, and still regularly watches Somerset. Keith then moved on to The Castle School where he fell under the influence of Barry Jones who organised one of the first tours by a state school to Barbados in the late 1980's of which Keith and his twin brother Kevin were members. From Castle Keith went on to Richard Huish College in Taunton, where he was a vital part of a side run by another cricket fan Bill Maidlaw, that enjoyed considerable success.

Even though he came from a cricketing family, his brother Kevin skippers Taunton St Andrew's, and joined the Somerset staff at the same time as his brother in 1992, Keith admitted, "I didn't really go and watch much first class cricket as a boy. At weekends I used to go along with my dad and brother to watch and then play for St Andrew's."

What did he feel were the strengths of the 2001 side compared to the 1999 side that lost to Gloucester in the Nat West Final. He told me "We've had a similar side now for the last two or three years, and we all know our role in the game and the targets that we are aiming at. In the past we tended to bat to 5 or 6, but now we bat down to 8 or 9, which means that even going in later on you still have a chance."

When Rob Turner came to the wicket with Somerset on 176 for 5 what did they, "We said that we must bat sensibly for the next few overs, until slog time came, which is what we did."

What about the last over during which he hit the penultimate and final balls of the innings bowled by Phil De Freitas for six. He said "We were looking for at least a run a ball. It felt good out there and the ball was coming onto the bat. I went into the red zone and both shots came out of the middle of the bat."

How did this visit to Lord's compare to 1999. "This time we were doubly determined and it was great to turn the result around. It was certainly an advantage to have been in the final a couple of years ago. The difference this time was that in 1999 we came to enjoy the day whereas this year we came to win."

© SOMERSET