"The people are so friendly"

Somerset 241 for 7 (80 overs). Hildreth 102, Thomas 1.

Clarke strikes with his first ball after lunch which Phillips palpably edges to the wicket-keeper, though refusing to walk.

As I entered the ground this morning a Warwickshire supporter was chatting to some stewards and chuckling. "I love it here," he said, "because the people are so friendly."

How true. Alongside Chester-le-Street this is possibly the nicest county ground to visit. So many of the spectators are friendly and knowledgeable and passionate about cricket.

There's always been something mellow about Somerset people. During the First World War when, in other parts of the country, white feathers were being pinned to men as an accusation of cowardice (even though, in reality, many of them they were not at front for good reasons like health or keeping the family farm going or being the only son left out of nine) down here there was almost no such crass behaviour.