MARCUS Trescothick is so keen that he has already started batting to make sure that he is in top nick for the next campaign when he will continue his quest to become the first Somerset captain in history to lift the County Championship.

Since the end of the season the skipper has undergone an operation to remove a bone spur from his ankle, but everything seems to be going well.

Reporting back at the County Ground with the rest of the Somerset players on Monday he said: “My ankle seems to be alright after my operation and there is an opportunity over the winter to get it strong and up to speed ready for a long season.

“I have been batting on and off now for the last few weeks and will be trying to maintain this throughout the winter.”

Trescothick may be 38 on Christmas Day, but he has no intentions of hanging his boots up yet.

“I don’t see anything changing for me for the next three or four years or however long it’s going to be. I have always said that I want to set my first target at 40, after which we will reassess.

“After that as long as the ankle and body holds up to standard then nothing changes.”

Pete Trego, who last season claimed 50 Championship wickets for the first time, said: “You have got to keep on developing and we are not the sort of team to enjoy a little bit of success and take our foot off the gas.

“We understand our responsibility to everyone in Somerset and realise that what we have done so far is not enough so we are very motivated to go on and on and with a bit of luck the rewards will come for us in 2013.”

Club chairman Andy Nash revealed at the SCCC Awards Dinner on Friday night that Somerset were going to honour Brian Rose by naming the Brewhouse Gates in his honour.

Rose stepped down as director of cricket at the end of the season ending 45 years of involvement with the county.

Nick Compton staked a strong claim for opening the England innings in the first Test against India which starts a week today when he hit an unbeaten 64 in the drawn match against Mumbai A. The final warm up match of the tour starts today.

Somerset got their membership launch off with a bang on Monday and already a large number of supporters have signed up for the new campaign.

Full details can be found at www.somersetcountycc.co.uk