AMERICAN razzmatazz replaced English reserve as baseball took the place of cricket at Taunton’s Cooper Associates County Ground in October in 2008.

Around 1,000 spectators turned up to watch the match between Somerset star batsman Marcus Trescothick’s Subway Bangers and the Great Britain national team.

Tresco included a number of county team mates in his side, as well as former England colleagues Ashley Giles and Geraint Jones.

It brought to life a pub conversation - could Trescothick and company's top notch cricketing ability translate to a different but somewhat similar sport of baseball.

The answer was quite clearly NO.

But they were no match for the professionals, who ran out 21-1 winners, with Jones notching the only score for the cricketers.

Somerset County Gazette: Somerset County Cricket Ground. Marcus Trescothick benefit year baseball match. Pic Steve Richardson.

Trescothick, who has always had more bold cricket shots, smashed his first two out of the ground, but as both were over backward point they were outside the foul lines and didn't count.

He did manage to get to first base every time he was at bat but still, it was a mismatch.

All the same he went "three for three", reaching first base every time he was at bat.

The ground was transferred into a baseball arena for the one-off spectacle, with the home plate in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion and a full size dirt diamond, including a pitcher’s mound.

Somerset County Gazette: Somerset County Cricket Ground. Marcus Trescothick benefit year baseball match. Pic Steve Richardson.

As it was his benefit year, he opted for baseball over the more typical golf days and dinner evenings at the Rotary Club.

Proceeds from the event went towards Trescothick’s benefit fund and his chosen charity, Children’s Hospice South-West.