IT'S been a great week for Eddie Byrom.

He signed a two-year professional contract with Somerset on Wednesday, hit 102 off 62 balls for Taunton St Andrew's away to Taunton on Saturday, and today he makes his county debut against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.

This County Championship match (2pm start) is Somerset's first ever day/night game (played under lights with a pink ball), and it sees them attempt to pick up their first Championship win of the season without star batsman Dean Elgar, who is on international duty with South Africa.

Byrom opens the batting alongside Marcus Trescothick, with the other changes to the team seeing Josh Davey replacing Dom Bess and Tim Groenewald in for the injured Jamie Overton.

Byrom has become the latest in a long line of former King's College pupils to play first-class cricket, the 20-year-old having graduated from the Somerset Academy last summer.

Yesterday Byrom said: "It’s hugely exciting and a massive honour to be given a two-year contract by such an amazing club as Somerset.

"For my family and for me it’s just a dream come true."

He added: "King’s is a great cricketing school and to be able to have coaches like Phil Lewis and Rob Woodman there to work with has really helped me along the way, and the facilities there are fantastic.

“I am also so grateful to Mr Lewis for introducing me to Somerset to start the whole process – for him to do that for me has been fantastic.

"He has helped me so much and managed things so that I could go and play for Somerset 2nd XI – I had to occasionally miss school, but Mr Lewis worked to create a balance, knowing what was best for my development as a cricket player.

"I am just so grateful to him.”

Hampshire won the toss and have elected to bat first - for match updates follow @CountyGazSport on Twitter, with daily round-ups on the County Gazette Sport website each evening.