IF AT the start of the season we had been offered this position in the County Championship table with three games to go, we would have certainly taken it.

There is a four-point difference between us and Middlesex at the top and the reality is, that's nothing with the amount of points on offer.

We accept that, in the first three quarters of the season, we haven't perhaps played as well as we have done in the two previous years when we won the league.

But we are starting to play some really good cricket now when it matters the most and we know how to win Championship games.

If we can keep doing what we've done at this time of the season in recent years, hopefully it will see us through to where we want to be.

We were disappointed to only come out of our game against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl at the weekend with a draw because we dominated them and were in a good position after day two and then again late in the afternoon on the fourth day.

Losing nearly a full third day to bad light was massively frustrating, as was losing the final session on Saturday when we needed six wickets.

But it's part and parcel of playing in English conditions and it won't be the first or the last time this has been said – you can't control the weather.

At least we weren't the only ones affected up and down the country, so it hasn't affected the table.

We'll move on to the Durham game today and crack on. The lads are certainly in a buoyant mood. We're calm, chilled and know what we need to do.

This is the first of two home games to come (Somerset visit next week) and if we can get two wins, we should be in a really good position going into our final fixture at Lord's in a couple of weeks.

Middlesex have got two tough away games to come now (at Nottinghamshire and Lancashire) and there is a lot of pressure on them, given they haven't won the title for a long time.

Make no mistake, though, it won't be easy this week. Durham haven't had the best of seasons but they always fight and are a tough team to play against.

Keaton Jennings has been in great form this year, scoring six Championship hundreds, and he is going to be a massive part of the game in particular.

But hopefully we can put a really big score on the board and give our bowlers something to bowl at.

* 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, which provides special care and support to young people fighting cancer. Visit the Pennine Business Partners page on Just Giving https://www.justgiving.com/Pennine-Business-Partners.