FIRST, the good news. The ground was full for the T20 Blast match against Somerset, and there was a fabulous atmosphere.

Treasurer Tony Elgood was rejoicing, as the single T20 game would generate as much cash as three complete seasons of championship cricket at Bristol. The purists among us love the championship, but it is the T20 that pays the bills. 8,000 fans who love the game came along on Friday evening.

Sadly, we lost. To Somerset. Again. With that defeat, we lost our position at the top of the table, and qualifying for the quarter final knockout stages will now be difficult.

Somerset tore into us. Bowling well and fielding like demons, they dominated the early overs. After the initial powerplay, we were chasing the game and never looked like catching up. Our opening bowling was loose, and the ruthless Somerset side took full advantage.

Subsequent overs from Benny Howell and Tom Smith were excellent, but the damage was already done. Hamish Marshall is still troubled by his hamstring injury, and is much missed. When he is fit, he must replace high-profile Aussie signing Peter Handscomb, whose nine-ball duck was painful to watch, and the shot that got him out was dreadful too.

This tough selection decision must be taken as Peter is so out of touch, and I write on selection matters with total authority too. At the start of this season, it was suggested in this column that England should include David Willey, Adil Rashid and Sam Billings as well as left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt. They have now done this with Footitt joining the Ashes squad.

In addition, they have adopted a more aggressive approach after having escaped the one-day cul-de-sac captain Alastair Cook led them down. Attacking play exhilarates the fans and can win watches, so keep going England!

Hopefully, Stuart Broad will lose his place to Footitt. I do not think I am alone in finding him boorish and petulant. In the last Test at Leeds he was asked to bowl into the wind. After three overs he declined to do so, and as a result his international days should be numbered.

All through the winter I was asked what would our county do without the Gidman brothers, but it was proven to be the wrong question. What will the Gidman brothers do without Gloucestershire would have been the more pertinent ask.

Will Gidman is not a regular in the Notts team, while brother Alex has a championship batting average of just 16. The grass may seem greener, but is it? Very few players have succeeded after leaving us. Anthony Ireland and Gemaal Hussein are no longer in the first class game, nor is Chris Taylor, but he is helping England as a fielding coach.

Pride of place this week must go to Cirencester CC. They won all three league matches with some ease. The 1st XI beat the hitherto-unbeaten Westbury by 55 runs, and gave a very impressive display. The Cirencester bowling was varied and accurate and the fielding first class, making the victory well deserved. Equally impressive were the new pavilion facilities. This is a club definitely going places.

Elder statesman Phil Carter was delighted with the 3rd XI performance. He had handed over the captaincy to one of the youngsters, Rob Watson, who as well as leading the team to victory put in a good all-round performance. Hugh Alder scored a century and Phil, as usual puffing on a ‘roll-up’, was delighted. I believe he smiled twice.

I now wish to switch sports and correct an unsubstantiated slur. In front of me is the handbook for Cirencester RFC's successful tour of Warsaw. It includes brief details of everyone who went. The writer doubts the description of past president Bob Spackman as a ‘running full back,’ stating no evidence exists to prove this.

I researched the matter with ease, consulting three members of the Cirencester Grammar School Rugby 1st XV in which Bob played. “He certainly ran – everywhere," one of them told me. "It was what he did when he got there that was the problem.” The others agreed.

Sunday was a proud day for Poulton CC as they staged the U14s county game against Hampshire. The team is coached by former player Tim Hancock and county academy coach Steve Cashmore was also present. They were both fulsome in their praise of the facilities at ‘England’s’ and rightly so.