THE County Championship title isn’t won this early on in the season. We haven’t played very well really in any match, yet we’re second with one win and four draws.

As long as you’re in the hunt, that’s the main thing.

Imagine what it’s like when we do play well. I don’t think we’re worried yet.

The last few years we’ve really hit the ground running. We’ve got wickets and runs and dominated every session. But, in reality, you can’t do that every single week.

We have still created enough opportunities to win games, and teams have raised their game and played well against us. We’ve got to expect that because we’re the team that everyone wants to beat.

We know that if we keep putting pressure on teams, eventually it will turn and we’ll win games.

We were a little bit disappointed with how we played against Somerset at Taunton last week.

Having played so well against Surrey at Headingley to get the win, to go down there and not be anywhere near our best was frustrating.

But I think we showed some resilience to make sure that it was a draw.

Over the last few years we haven’t played as well as we can do at Somerset. We haven’t won there in quite a long time as a county. And we followed suit in that, really.

They out batted and out bowled us, which is something that hasn’t happened too often to us in the Championship over the last couple of years.

We didn’t have that record in our minds going into the game. I don’t think you ever do as a side.

We still feel like we’re in a good place as players. Everyone seems to be hitting the ball nicely. We’re in a good place – as are the bowlers.

But we have to accept that winning matches is going to be tough, especially with the new rule on the toss and the fact that there are some good teams about.

We’ve just got to make sure that we find a way.

I’m sure we’ll be back on it come the Lancashire game at Headingley on Sunday.

That game will no doubt have something a little extra on it because they’ve started the season well with a couple of wins.

We’ve had five games on the bounce, and we get a little bit of time now to get away from Championship cricket. I think that’s ideal for all of us, be it bowlers and batsmen.

Going into Twenty20 on Friday, and the Lancs game, rejuvenated is going to be key for us.

I’ve been pretty pleased with my own form in the first part of the season.

Early season as an opener, you just want a couple of scores to get you going – get your feet going and give yourself some confidence.

I was really happy with how I played in the MCC game in Abu Dhabi. In the first two games, I didn’t get substantial scores, but a couple of 20s against Warwickshire gave me confidence.

Then I got two big scores at Notts, including a hundred in the second innings, to put me in a good place.

I played a couple of poor shots against Surrey and, particularly in the first innings, against Somerset.

I found myself in a decent position on 33 the first innings at Somerset before being caught in the slips.

On another day, I would have driven it for four and me and Adam Lyth would have put on another hundred on top of our 103.

I’m encouraged with how things are going, and I’m looking forward to a consistent season.

Not only will this week give us a break from Championship action, it will also help us prepare well for our first T20 match against Leicestershire on Friday.

Over the last few years, we haven’t had chance to practice our skills due to the weight of four-day cricket and we’ve gone in cold.

We’ve got three warm-up matches against league opposition over the next few days. There’s going to be a few of our lads playing for them, which will be beneficial to all parties. Hopefully now we can hit the ground running.

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OUR side for the NatWest T20 Blast will probably be a little bit younger than it has been during the last few years, especially in the bowling department.

Sometimes you’ve got to look forward, and we’re going to have a look at a few young bowlers, which is exciting for the club.

It’s going to be a brilliant way to help them get ready for more regular first-team cricket in the future.

Our four-day side is so strong that a couple of them will find it hard to break into the team. But with some experience and overs behind them, I’m sure they’ll be playing very soon.

* Alex and his sponsors Pennine Business Partners are aiming to Hit Cancer for Six in 2016. They are donating £10 to the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust every time Alex hits a six or takes a catch, and are asking cricket lovers everywhere to support this great cause that provides special care and support to young people fighting cancer. Visit Pennine Business Partners page on Just Giving https://www.justgiving.com/Pennine-Business-Partners