NEIL Edwards is out of Somerset's team for the Frizzell County Championship clash with Essex at Chelmsford which starts today.

The young batsman has gone down with suspected glandular fever and his place in the squad of 12 has been taken by Keith Parsons.

The illness is bad luck for Edwards, who is looking to forge a place at number three in Somerset's team this summer.

Skipper Mike Burns or Jamie Cox will probably move up to that role against Essex, with Dutch or Parsons filling a place in the middle order.

Somerset (from): Bowler, J. Francis, Burns, Cox, Wood, Laraman, Turner (wkt), Dutch, Johnson, Caddick, McLean, Parsons.

For more Somerset sports news from around the region see the Somerset County Gazette this Friday.