Taunton

Turning off the M5, and nosing through untimely roadworks on the approach to this now sprawling market town, a certain dread assailed me.

Somerset’s county ground had undergone much change since I last visited, a decade ago. What if they had ruined it? Reassurance came swiftly, though only after some essential re-orientation.

The players emerge from a different direction now, and they are faced by a giant apartment block, dwarfing a new, open stand.

Yet somehow the character of this special place is intact – even, dare I say, improved. They are onto phase four of the modernisation now, which involves the demolition of the Old Pavilion and a stand with corrugated roof redolent of non-league football.

Some will regret their passing, like the binning of a favourite but tattered sweater. But Somerset, on recent form, must be trusted to make the new, £3.8m structure a sensitive enhancement within what must never be turned from cricket ground to arena.

Taunton has long been one of that rare breed of venues, the mere mention of which will bring instinctive smiles. For many, it evokes memories of great cricketing deeds, perhaps in the giddy Eighties era of Botham, Richards and Garner, when one-day cup ties would bring grid-lock to the town.

But for some of us the affection is just down to atmosphere. Atmosphere at county cricket does not come from the noise of over-excited announcers or the booming music on t20 nights. It comes from a welcoming environment, intimate vantage points, the clannishness of county followers and the rise and fall of animated conversation.

Taunton has it all. It helps to be well-supported. That maiden County Championship remains elusive but the locals keep the faith and Somerset has more than 5,000 members. Last year, almost 43,000 watched the home Championship games, a figure exceeded only by the far larger catchment areas of Middlesex, Surrey and Yorkshire.

This is no blind faith, however. People come to Taunton because it is a town-centre ground, easily accessed and with car parks all around it. They come because you can book in advance and pay only £13 for first division Championship games. But mostly they come because it is an exemplary place to watch cricket.

To my favourite viewing spots in the country – the deckchairs at Hove, the ladies’ pavilion at Worcester, the pavilion terrace at Southampton – can now be added the seats next to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion at Taunton.

From there, the cricket is framed within a wonderfully English background of St James’ Church behind a gathering of knowing regulars on the tiered benches known here as Gimblett’s Hill.

Harold Gimblett is one of many Somerset legends celebrated around the ground. Perhaps it helps that there is no other top-class professional sport in the vicinity.

Cricket is king, in Taunton, so it seems only right that a stand is named after Botham and the new players’ pavilion after Andy Caddick. The walkway beneath the apartment block (which provided a windfall of funds and, like the one now built at Bristol, brightens the backdrop with busy bal- conies) is decorated with a Hall Of Fame.

Also on the walls, and something not seen elsewhere, are informative notice boards with updated county news and league tables. Maps and signs are plentiful.

One sign leads to the cricket museum, which is staffed by volunteers and regrettably closed, another to a café called The Twelfth Man, staffed by smartly-dressed young women and vibrantly open to all.

New this season, it runs through the day, serving cooked breakfasts, good coffee and cakes and a range of healthy lunches – maybe pasta carbonara, tuna nicoise or chicken and bacon salad – at prices around £8.

There are newspapers to read, televisions on the walls and plenty of tables, including some on a sunny terrace. It is terrific. Fast food is available in the fish-and- chip bar beneath the Botham Stand and, presently, in the Old Pavilion, while Somerset’s members are spoiled for choice by the expansive carvery, with a vast spread of salads, in the Atkinson Pavilion.

It is a banquet for £11.95. Upstairs, those who have paid for premium membership have a bespoke facility, an airy Long Room with a pleasant bar and bistro lunch menu.

Unsurprisingly, it is in great demand. Maybe the most impressive thing about Taunton is its sense of purpose. All the bars and catering outlets are open, even on a midweek day.

There is none of the slightly bored impression, prevalent on certain Test grounds staging county cricket, nor any hint that corporate functions are more important than the regular paying spectator.

My memories of this place, though mainly pleasurable, also include plenty of run-ins with unhelpful gatemen and stewards. This time around, a genuine welcome was evident everywhere.

There is a clear sense of pride in the ground, which extends to the Somerset players undertaking a sponsored end-of-season cycle ride to raise funds for the next development. I will not wait another ten years to return.

THE RECKONING Location: 8/10 Welcome: 9/10 Amenities: 8/10 Atmosphere: 9/10 Catering: 10/10 TOTAL: 44/50

LIKES: Best catering in England, great views and community feel. DISLIKES: Museum could be properly staffed. Otherwise nothing!