Caddick hopeful of swift return

Somerset are confident that Andrew Caddick's back injury, which has kept him out of the Championship match against Lancashire, is not linked to the surgery he had last Christmas. He has been diagnosed with a muscle tear and is aiming to return for Somerset's match against Hampshire on May 7.

Caddick limped off midway through his fifth over in the second innings against Cambridge University last week and the initial fears were that it could be another serious problem. He had an operation on Christmas Eve to correct a disc problem, but Caddick is hopeful of a swift return this time.

"I had a cortisone injection in my back under sedation in Musgrove on Saturday and things seem to have settled down," Caddick told the Somerset website. "I am now having a lot of physiotherapy and hoping to start bowling again next week. Obviously we are being cautious but I am hoping to be fit to play against Hampshire the week after next."

Brian Rose, the club's director of cricket said: "Caddy has got a slight muscle tear in his upper back which is not as serious as we thought at first. We don't think it is linked to the operation and believe it is a separate issue."

Caddick took 70 Championship wickets in 2007 to spearhead Somerset's promotion push and his new-ball partnership with Charl Willoughby was set to be one of the team's key weapons this season.