OUR win over Nottinghamshire at Headingley last week, collectively, was our best Championship performance of the season so far and set us up nicely for the ongoing match at Durham.

We are one of those old-school sides who look to bat once and bowl teams out twice, and it was very satisfying that it worked out in that way.

From 50-3 in the first innings replying to 224, we needed some big contributions, which we got with hundreds from Andrew Gale and Jack Leaning. Those two set the game up for us.

Galey’s been a little bit similar to myself in that he’s needed a big score, and to get one when we needed it was really important and will do wonders for him.

Jack can’t stop scoring runs at the minute. He knows he’s got to make hay when he’s hitting it well, and hopefully he continues to take full advantage of that.

A mention has also got to go to Ryan Sidebottom for the way he bowled, particularly at the start of the Notts’ second innings. He has been out of cricket for a while now, but his opening spell to get their two openers really put us on the front foot.

As a team, we haven’t necessarily played our best cricket all of the time, but hopefully we’re hitting form at just the right time because there’s a solid period of cricket coming up.

Durham are going to be a tough proposition for us on their own patch. They always wins games, and they seem to be in the hunt every year. Their habit of winning is a real skill.

The pitches there are favourable to their seam attack and they look to take advantage of that.

I know the team needs me in this period, and hopefully I can start firing too. If that can happen and coincides with the team playing well, I know we will be winning games of cricket.

I have played poorly and not well enough for my standards over the past couple of games but I’m champing at the bit to get a big score. If somebody gets a big hundred this week, it will put the team on the front foot.

I keep getting starts – 15 or 20, which is rubbish really. I then seem to be getting out in innocuous ways. I haven’t particularly got any good balls, so it’s just been really frustrating.

I played a half drive against Notts, but I whacked my back pad with the bat on the way through, which sent my bat out in the wrong direction and I missed it.

Sometimes you feel sorry for yourself and doubt yourself but I’m confident I can contribute this week.

With my runs not contributing, I haven’t really felt a massive part of the Hampshire and Middlesex wins.

Obviously I’m still elated in a team environment but to take an important catch at slip to help get rid of Samit Patel just before tea on day three against Notts was quite comforting for my own peace of mind, even though it might not have been a massive contribution.

Just a quick word on Stuart Broad, who bowled well for Notts to take seven wickets as he prepares for the Ashes.

He bowled in really good rhythm and had decent pace and carry.

He’s one of the best bowlers in the country. It’s remarkable the small amount of bad balls he bowls. When I faced him, he didn’t give me anything. That bodes well for England.

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