HOWZAT! Somerset County Cricket Club has signed up as an official partner of Somerset Day.

The club is promising some "special promotions" to tie in with its Somerset Day game against champions Surrey, who finished one place above the cider county in the County Championship table last year.

Commercial manager Sam McIntyre said: "We felt it was really important to lend our support to Somerset Day.

"We represent the county all year round, but this is an event that brings everyone together on one day to really raise the roof for Somerset.

"We're going to be billing our May 14 Specsavers County Championship match versus Surrey as our Somerset Day game, so watch out for some special promotions taking place then.

"We're also delighted to be offering Long Room County Championship memberships, which will be the top prizes in a Somerset Day competition to be launched in May."

Excitement is building for this year's day on Saturday, May 11, to mark everything great about our county with a host of events already organised and businesses lining up to lend their support to the big day.

BBC Somerset has also agreed to become an official partner of Somerset Day, joining other businesses Evosite, Thatchers Cider, Wyke Farms, Clarks, Pynes and Milsted Langdon.

Two further iconic Somerset organisations have also pledged their support by becoming Somerset Day sponsors.

Hestercombe House and Gardens, which is hosting its Art of Fugue, Voices in Dialogue music delight featuring the Albion Quartet on Somerset Day.

And the Henry vacuum cleaner has declared its support for the initiative. More than 11 million Henrys have been designed, engineered and built in Chard since it first rolled off the production line back in 1981.

Nigel Muers-Raby, founder of Somerset Day, said: "Momentum is building to this year’s Somerset Day.

"It’s testament to the groundswell of enthusiasm for the day that we’re being supported by many of the county’s iconic businesses."

For information about Somerset Day, including the list of events, visit somersetday.com