Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Champions League, we’re having a laugh, Champions League, we’re having a laugh….! Are you watching you cheating Foxes? Taxis to the airport for Leicester!

Yes, Somerset are now in the Champions League proper and Leicester failed to qualify. After the disappointment of Lord’s last Saturday, the boys flew to India almost immediately, without Craig, Jos and Marcus, to play two qualifying games for the Champions League.

They Set hit the ground running with victory over firstly against the Auckland Aces and the secondly against the IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders, Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis et al.

The victory against the Aces came of the very last ball, with Alfonso (The Fonz) Thomas smacking the ball over the infield for a single to win the game and to avoid that much dreaded one over eliminator.

Peter Trego came into his own against the Knight Riders almost carrying his bat on his way to a magnificent 70, only to be run out off the final ball of the innings. Somerset coach Andy Hurry said Trego's innings was "the best he's ever played".  His knock, with support from Roelof van der Merwe, who hit a quick fire 40, enabled Somerset to set a competitive 166.

The Knight Riders fell 11 runs short and Somerset qualified undefeated, along with, ironically, Kolkata who finished as best runners-up. They now have games against South Australia, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Warriors and first up will be a rematch against Kolkata.

After being absolutely dejected after last week’s loss at Lord’s (seen Somerset in nine finals now and only seen them win twice), qualifying for the Champions League proper has given me a new sense of excitement. Especially with Somerset playing against the best India, South Africa and Australia can throw at them in this format of the game – a lot of counties will be looking at The Set with some envy I would expect. I have even marked out my diary for the next few weeks and have cancelled all appointments!

This season’s first class averages do not make good reading, with only Tres making any sort of impact in the tables. Tres has been named as county cricket's Most Valuable Player for the 2011 season and named PCA player of the year at a recent award ceremony, some comfort, but hardly surprising as he smashed over 2,500 runs.

Averages are all important for a villager cricketer, as I would testify. I do wish, however, my bowling average was my batting average and vica versa, I would be one hell of a village cricketer. I do think that I managed double figures for batting only twice over the years I have played for Stowey, both of those seasons I was captain and guess who worked out the averages!!!!

The great Don Bradman has the best Test average by some margin, averaging 99.94, and the closest guy to him is on 60! The Don would off averaged 100 if Eric Hollis didn’t get him out for a duck in his final Test match, because of this achievement Warwickshire named a stand after Hollis!

Over Stowey’s annual presentation evening is getting nearer, the greatest dilemma for me is what to have to eat and, of course, who am I going to be sitting with so I can bore the pants of them all night. There are plenty of awards which are handed out that evening. For me the most important one is the Player’s Player award, which is voted for by the player’s themselves. I would usual vote for Gary Thomas, but as he has been absent for most of the season, I have to think of someone else; looks like I’ll be voting for myself then!

Well, it’s 10.57, time for a pint and with more cricket in TV this afternoon, England and Somerset, I’ll know what I’ll be doing later!