WHAT have an Olympic gold medallist, a driver who killed a boy on his way to vote and a man who wanted to hit a dog over the head with a cricket bat got in common?

The answer is they all played cricket for Somerset and feature in a new book about the club by author Stephen Hill.

But Somerset Cricketers 1882-1914 is more than just another cricket book.

It contains illustrated and informative biographies of each of the 227 players who appeared for the county before the First World War.

The book explores their lives as well as some of their more interesting performances.

It pieces together a compelling story and gives the reader an in-depth understanding of the development of the game in Somerset.

In the process, Stephen Hill, who grew up in the Taunton area, has exploded a number of myths and unearthed some new facts.

Many of the life stories are fascinating tales of hardship or privilege, portraits of men from all walks of life, tales of triumph and disaster.

Here's a taster of some of the characters who appear in the book.

*Alf Bowerman, one of two Somerset players who won an Olympic gold medal at cricket before emigrating to Australia.

Somerset County Gazette:

*Fred Marshall Lee, who patented the first ever colour moving images and knocked down and killed a local boy while driving voters to the polling booth on election day.

Somerset County Gazette:

*'Buster' Deane, a larger than life personality who was once denied a four when a dog ran onto the pitch and fielded the ball. He died of fever in the First World War.

Somerset County Gazette:

Somerset Cricketers 1882-1914 by Stephen Hill, published by Halsgrove and priced at £16.99 is available from local stockists, County Sports at the Cooper Associates County Ground, in Taunton, Amazon, and Halsgrove on 01823-653777 or www.halsgrove.com