Marcus Trescothick: Two bad defeats have left us fighting for our t20 survival

SOMERSET'S players are having a major practice session today ahead of what have become two crucial final games in the Friends Life t20 Midlands/Wales/West Division. Heavy defeats by Gloucestershire and Worcestershire have put real pressure on the team after it had looked as though we were making smooth progress towards the quarter-finals.

Twenty20 is the sort of game that can rise up and bite you in the behind if standards slip and you don't get the energy and enthusiasm right on the day.

We haven't got the volume of runs we expect in the last two games. The pitches at Taunton have inevitably been a bit slower because of all the rain, but it is the same for both sides and our batsman have to adjust.

It was a shock losing by such a big margin to Gloucestershire, but we know that any team in the competition is capable of beating any other on a certain day.

I expected us to bounce back quickly against Worcestershire last Sunday, but it didn't prove to be the case and we now probably have to win at least one of our last two group games to go through.

The players were given a couple of days off on Monday and Tuesday to rest and rebuild energy, while yesterday a lot of us went across to Wales to attend Tom Maynard's funeral.

Those that didn't go were at the County Ground for practice, but today everyone will get together to work on skills and focus on the two remaining group matches.

We go to Cardiff tomorrow night to face the Welsh Dragons and then to Worcester on Sunday for what could be a massive game against the new group leaders.

One certainty is that at both venues the pitches will be slow, with our opponents employing spin and looking to take the pace off the ball, so our batsmen need to be prepared for that.

Qualification for the quarter-finals is now the main aim, but if we can win both matches there will still be a chance of winning the group and securing a home tie in the last eight.

With all the Twenty20 cricket played – or washed out – recently, the LV=County Championship has been almost forgotten.

But, with five of our last seven games at Taunton, Somerset still cherish hopes of challenging for a first ever title and I am delighted that Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has agreed to join us subject to a visa being arranged. With George Dockrell missing several matches through commitments with Ireland, we couldn't have hoped to recruit a more experienced like-for-like replacement.

Rehman performed really well against England during the winter, taking 6-25 when Pakistan bowled us out for 72 in the second Test in Abu Dhabi and 5-40 in the third Test in Dubai.

I have never played against him, but if the weather ever dries up and we can prepare pitches at Taunton to spin a bit more he could be a vital weapon.

He is also a useful left-handed batsman, going in around number eight, so we can expect him to get a few runs for us as well. Surely we are due a dry spell soon.

The non-stop rain has meant our Clydesdale Bank 40 match with Durham on Sunday, July 22 being switched from Bath to Taunton because it has been impossible to prepare a pitch at the Recreation Ground.

I can understand why that decision has been made and I'm not sure what the club's policy towards playing at Bath will be in future, but there is a lot of history attached to playing there and I would like to think it will carry on.

You need good weather over a long period to make conditions suitable for county cricket at The Rec and I really feel for all the people who put so much time and effort into trying to stage Somerset games there.

Coming from Keynsham, it is the closest thing I get to playing on home soil and I always really enjoy Bath, so fingers crossed for better luck with the weather next year.

Finally, this week a word about England and the hugely encouraging start to the 50-over series against Australia, who went into it ranked the top one-day side in the world.

We really dominated the first two games. I think using two new balls has played into our hands because we have good technical players at the top of our batting order in Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, who can nullify any advantage to the bowlers and lay the foundation for big scores.

Eoin Morgan has played brilliantly and Ravi Bopara's 82 in the second game has cemented him into what is now a very well structured side.

Every individual knows his job and is doing it well. We also have the luxury of a depth to the squad, which means the odd change doesn't weaken the team.

In previous years taking one or two key men out would have left a big hole, but that is no longer the case and we are looking much more like the best one-day team in the world than the Aussies.

A lot of credit must go to Cook, who has done a fantastic job since taking over as skipper. It is always a boost to have your leader doing well and he has been terrific both with the bat and in the way he has captained.

Interview: Richard Latham