Rose relishes Somerset title hunt

Rose believes his players are fully focused on winning the title

Director of cricket Brian Rose has labelled his side's chance to win the County Championship as "a unique opportunity" in Somerset's history.

"I haven't seen people so excited for a long time, it's great to see and it's great to see they're all up for it," Rose told BBC Radio Somerset.

"We've got a unique opportunity really in the history of Somerset cricket.

"We're hoping that doesn't weigh too heavily on us, but I think judging by the mood the boys are fine."

As Somerset take on Durham, Yorkshire and Lancashire in their last three games, Rose believes his players have the experience not to let the pressure get to them, a factor which has helped the team develop ahead of schedule.

"We've got the likes of [Andy] Caddick, [Justin] Langer and [Marcus] Trescothick who've played loads of Test matches so it's old hat in one way for them.

"I'm lucky that we've got two or three South Africans in the side that have also played international cricket and are very experienced, so they've kept the younger element of the side with their feet on the ground and quite realistic about what we have to do.

"It's a golden opportunity to do well, there are six sides in it and any one of those six sides - let alone win it - can also get relegated.

Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose

"I did say that we had a five-year plan to get into the First Division, consolidate and then aim for the Championship - I think it's come a bit early for us in one way, but now we're there we've got a unique chance.

"It's a golden opportunity to do well, there are six sides in it and any one of those six sides - let alone win it - can also get relegated.

"Everybody's got to be very careful, so I suspect every ball's going to be well contested - it's almost a unique ending to the season and it's great for cricket."

While the occasional one-day game has gone ahead, the weather has washed out much of the recent action in the County Championship, making it difficult for any side to steal a march on the others in the title race.

Rose, rather than being frustrated by the weather, feels that it has actually helped build the season up to an exciting finish:

"It's been rather peculiar for the last few weeks because each game's been like a mini Test match, but the weather's so badly affected the last three games and it's been the same for everyone.

"It's not as if we've been hung and dried by the weather so we've been lucky in that respect and we come into these last three games with a game in hand on Notts which is very important and we're playing Durham which is probably our biggest game of the season."