Yorkshire paceman Chris Silverwood came through a late fitness test on his injured ankle at Lord's today and was was soon opening the bowling with Matthew Hoggard in the final of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, writes David Warner.

Somerset decided to bat on winning the toss and England opener Marcus Trescothick, who also made a last-minute decision to play after just recovering from a broken thumb, smashed 27 off just 25 balls before being dismissed to a magnifcent catch from England team-mate Michael Vaughan.

Yorkshire had to find a doctor this morning to give Silverwood his injection and it was only minutes before the toss that he was pronounced fit to play.

The sell-out crowd saw Silverwood begin with an off-side wide to Peter Bowler from the Nursery end.

The first boundary came when Trescothick cut a wide ball from Hoggard for four.

A brilliant diving stop by Ryan Sidebottom at mid-off prevented a certain four to Trescothick when Silverwood strayed, but it was Hoggard who then suffered as the left-hander went on the rampage.

Hoggard's no-ball brought Somerset a free hit and Trescothick skied the ball to backward square leg where Sidebottom pulled off a brilliant overhead catch but it could not prevent the batsmen crossing for two.

The next ball was off-driven by Trescothick for a glorious six and the following two deliveries went for boundaries on either side of the wicket, 20 runs coming off the over to leave Somerset on 37-0 in six overs.

Skipper Richard Blakey decided to keep Hoggard in the attack and it was a wise move. In his next over he got rid of the dangerous Trescothick for 27 off 25 balls with four fours and a six.

Trescothick lashed hard into the covers where Vaughan dived to his right to pull off a wonderful one-handed catch and Somerset were 41-1.

But Hoggard was not having the best of opening spells and when Somerset skipper Jamie Cox came in he received Hoggard's third no-ball of the day. Another free hit followed and Cox hit this to the third-man fence.

The early honours had gone to Somerset, despite Trescothick's dismissal, and Bowler took another boundary off Silverwood as they hurried to 75-1 off 13 overs.

Updated: 12:29 Saturday, August 31, 2002