INCOMING Somerset captain, Chris Rogers has urged his side to play with intensity and aggression ahead of the new county cricket season, which gets under way on April 10.

The Australian, who arrived in Taunton last Monday, says expectations are high in the Somerset camp and the squad is looking forward to getting started.

He said: “It’s always hard and at the start of the season everyone has got high expectations, but we won’t know until we get out there.

“From my point of view I want us to play in the right manner and play with a lot of intensity and be really aggressive against other sides, and that doesn’t mean sledging.

“I just mean it’s the way we play our game and if we do that and play in the right manner then I will be happy.”

Rogers is no stranger to this part of the world, having spent three seasons playing for North Devon CC, who at the time were captained by Mark Overton, father of Craig and Jamie – and the 38-year-old says it’s nice to have moved full circle.

He said: “I have got a lot of friends down in this area, so I have almost come full circle and it’s lovely to be back here.

“When I signed for Somerset I was really excited to be moving this way again.”

Rogers’ Somerset side make the long trip north to take on Durham in the County Championship opener in little under ten days’ time, and the captain is under no illusions as to the challenge they will face at the ICG Emirates.

He said: “It’s going to be fresh up there and a really good challenge first up for us.

“Durham are always a competitive side, particularly on their own ground so I’m looking forward to that because I have got some pretty fond memories of that place as well.

“It will be interesting at this time of the year, but it’s a challenge we all have to face at some stage.

“Every game is going to be a big game because it’s a pretty strong competition.”