Somerset's cricket coach Jeff Richardson was hardly surprised by his team's demotion from the Premier League.

In fact, he sees the drop as a blessing in disguise - a chance to blood young, new players and form a plan for the West End club's future.

"I could only be disappointed if I had high expectations and going into it I didn't have high expectations because of the type of players I had in terms of ability, age and actual numbers.

"I was hoping for something better but if you compare Somerset's team to others, they (other teams) have players who have been in Cup Match and played at national level. My active roster at any given time was 13 players at best. So, one or two injuries and I was in trouble," said Richardson candidly.

"I am looking at the relegation as an opportunity to rebuild the team. Hopefully, I can get some buy-in from some of the older guys to bring along a few youngsters and get a bit more enthusiasm for the game."

Noting that several Somerset players are in the "twilight of their cricket" and now have work and family commitments, Richardson acknowledged it was difficult to get the results of clubs like Western Stars or St. David's.

"It's not viable to ask them to train three nights and then play on Saturdays and Sundays."

Given this situation, he thinks it will be necessary to go beyond Somerset's boundaries to secure new talent and he is optimistic about achieving this.

"Somerset is a club that has a lot to offer and they are doing some very positive things. Maybe a few players will see what they are trying to do and come to Somerset to play because we're going to need some help."

Regarding their poor form this season, the coach said, "it's difficult to start bad and finish good" and that he had a feeling Willow Cuts - who edged Somerset into relegation - would garner the necessary points from last Saturday's final league match against Cleveland.

"I figured that Cleveland would either not show or, if they did, they would not be at full strength and I knew Willow Cuts would be at full strength because of the importance of the game and the momentum they had.

"Being a realist, I felt we wouldn't make it."