SOMERSET head coach Jason Kerr believes the team are “as prepared as they can be” going into their County Championship opener against Worcestershire, which begins in Taunton tomorrow.

The club have recruited Australian batsman Matt Renshaw as their overseas player and he will go straight into the side at number three - a show of faith in young opener Eddie Byrom that Kerr believes is justified.

On the 20-year-old, Kerr said: “He’s had a productive winter and done really well in First Class cricket in Zimbabwe.

“Importantly, he formed a good partnership with Tres [Marcus Trescothick] at the top of the order last year, giving us some solid starts.

“They work hard together and talk a lot about batting – they both love cricket, which is a great trait to have, and they love batting so hopefully we’ll see a lot of it this year.”

Captain Tom Abell will slot into the middle order having performed well at number five last summer, with Kerr tipping the 24-year-old for a big season.

“He’s worked unbelievably hard on a few technical issues and he’s playing as well as I’ve seen him play,” he said.

“It’s time for him to step up and fulfil the potential he has shown over a number of years, and he’s in a great place to do that.”

There are also big expectations for Lewis Gregory, working his way back to full fitness after a back injury which has plagued him for some time.

Kerr said: “Hats off to Lewis – he’s played with this injury for three years.

“I know how frustrated he has been at times. Physically the demands of the game are huge, and to not be 100 per cent fit for three years and play as much as he has is testament to him.

“To have a fully fit Lewis Gregory will be like having a new player – he can win games with bat and ball.”

Gregory is one of the bowling options named in the 13-man squad for tomorrow, alongside Dom Bess, Josh Davey, Tim Groenewald, Jack Leach, and both Craig and Jamie Overton.

Worcestershire arrive in Taunton off the back of a 196-run defeat at Hampshire in their opening game last weekend, but Somerset’s knack for poor starts means the hosts cannot take anything for granted.

Kerr said: “The first round of games saw a lot of low scores. Taunton is a different surface and it’s important we don’t make any assumptions – there is grass in the wicket, and we must assess conditions quickly and react accordingly.

“Worcester have played a First Class game, so we need to make sure we are ready to hit the ground running.”

Somerset's 13-man squad to face Worcestershire:
Marcus Trescothick, Eddie Byrom, Matt Renshaw, James Hildreth, Tom Abell (c), Steve Davies, Lewis Gregory, Josh Davey, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Dom Bess, Jack Leach, Tim Groenewald.

Pick up a copy of today's County Gazette for a four-page season preview, and keep an eye on somersetcountygazette.co.uk/sport tomorrow for live coverage of Somerset's County Championship opener.