http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/ en Copyright 2008 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:07:27 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss

The winning moment: Steve Harmison is mobbed as Kent raced to the Championship title for the first time © Getty Images

Wise sages say you should never wish your time away. But the 17 hours between close of play at Canterbury on September 26, and the start of the final day, could not go quick enough. For that evening was the only point in the season where there was a feeling of expectancy about our Championship aspirations. Before that, it was more quiet confidence, but events had transpired around the country to leave us firm favourites as the dew settled on the night of the 26th. It was a feeling I was uneasy with. It had seemed that every county had chose to play down their hopes at various points, and no sooner had a county topped the table, the next match saw them deposed. I was wary of one more sting in the tail; something dramatic on the last day of a closely-fought, open Championship season: an unlikely Notts runs-chase, perhaps, or a brave resurrection from Kent’s lower-order. Thankfully, nothing of the like occurred, and Saturday September 27, 2008, will forever be etched in the memory of everyone associated with Durham. To see the pride and sheer joy on faces of players, coaches and supporters alike – not just on that day, but in the celebratory haze of the week to follow – will stay with me forever. To say that I am proud is an understatement, but you can only imagine what it must mean to those people who toiled long and hard in the darker, less successful times. They are many. And to each and every one of them this must feel so sweet. It is a genuine high-class reward for their efforts, and never at a club or in a region has this been so richly deserved. It would be silly to try and name them all, but the one who can represent them fittingly is Geoff Cook. Last year was great for the club – a day at Lord’s and a first piece of silverware; something tangible. But 2008 will always be remembered as the year in which Durham reached the pinnacle. I think Geoff struggles to find the words still. Perhaps in a few years time, he will be able to relate his thoughts and feelings. It would make captivating listening.

	'Only now am I realising what it takes mentally to be successful consistently. It is a great feeling, and one with endless possibilities' © Getty Images

Before that last evening down in Canterbury, the 2008 season was a good one. We consolidated our position as one of the strongest counties in all forms of the game and finally got the Twenty20 monkey firmly off our back. The genuine disappointment at losing two semi-finals shows the standards that are now seen and expected at Durham. We expected to win those competitions, and it seemed as if we may have been victims of our own consistency, as progression in each competition meant that each and every day of cricket was vital. It should never be any other way. And after the Canterbury game, the 2008 season became a truly great one. Going into the last round of games we were third favourites to win, and looking like the bridesmaids again. Only on the very last day of the season, at the most important of times, did we get our noses in front. That speaks volumes for the attitude and resolve of the squad. Many lesser people may have coasted, or even frozen, and let the chance slip through their fingers. Not so at Durham. It emphasises so well that success is not built on far reaching goals at the end of the journey, it is about the day to day absolute mental and physical preparation. Take care of each and every day, and the rewards will come. I just wonder how many times Geoff et al. had to reinforce this dogma since 16 years ago. It is to his great credit that Durham have built a squad full of personalities, not just talented, but capable of this mental grind. It is a marathon, not a sprint. On a personal level, only now am I realising what it takes mentally to be successful consistently. It is a great feeling, and one with endless possibilities. It is a realisation that you are the only person capable of motivating yourself for each ball, each over, each session, each day. I am far behind some guys at Durham in that respect, and I am far ahead of some. But having achieved this and seen what it takes, I believe that everyone in the squad wants more, and will become better and better at preparing themselves individually – and, as a result, collectively - for the day-to-day process of being successful. This is why I have no doubt that 2009 will see Durham have a squad that is even more determined and motivated to build on what we have achieved so far. This may sound like a corporate business lecture, and for that I apologise, but it is the best way I can define how and why 2008 will be forever Durham’s.]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/10/durham_determination.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/10/durham_determination.php Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:07:27 +0000

'For Grant to play two innings like those at Lord’s and Canterbury was phenomenal' © Getty Images

After the euphoria of winning the Friends Provident Trophy it was important as a team that we didn’t think that was the end of our season. There was still promotion in both the Championship and the Pro40 to play for and though we didn’t quite manage it in the longer form there was one further chance to celebrate in the 40-over game. It all came down to a decider against Kent – at Canterbury – which was like another final. When we looked at the schedule it seemed part of the script that the title would be decided on the last day of the season – and so it turned out, as victory for either side would give them the Division Two trophy.]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/09/essex_form_not_enough_for_engl.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/09/essex_form_not_enough_for_engl.php Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:46:22 +0000

The camaderie of life in a team is what players miss the most when they move on to new challenges © Getty Images

After arriving back into the changing room following another gruelling session in the field, I sat back in my all-too-familiar spot and peered down at the floor groping for the drink I had left there. To my horror, all I managed to grasp was a handful of Nashy’s fourth-day whites, an inside-out pair of sweaty underwear (just for good measure) and what looked like a half eaten banana! Not quite what I was looking for, but then in that brief moment, in my tired and defeatist state, I burst out laughing. I suppose I was laughing because I felt surprisingly privileged to have this man’s dirty kit entwined with mine. Where else on earth would I meet a guy like Nashy and where else in the world would something so banal make me smile? Oh we do love the day-to-day proximity with one another, don’t we? Maybe it was this brief moment, this philosophical outlook that made me realise what a wonderful, yet strange place this cricket changing room is. Despite Nashy’s grass-stained kit and putrefying underwear invading what little privacy I had, I still wouldn’t swap the cricket changing room for anything. So why is it when players retire from cricket it is not their bat or ball they miss so much, but rather the changing room: the banter, camaraderie and the sense of belonging that is associated with it that makes the transition so tough? When that inevitable day arrives, as happens to every player, when that dreaded envelope is discovered in your pigeon hole or maybe when you have decided it’s time to hang up the boots, the transformation into the so-called ‘real world’ can be a tough ordeal. The consistent player-to-player interaction is something that is easy to take for granted. The freedom of speech, the secrets told, the laughs had, the sarcasm, wit and repartee and of course this ‘banter’ I allude to can make the changing room a special place. Like the film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, where Tim Robbins becomes institutionalised by the penitentiary. At first he hates the confines of those jail walls yet, over time, they grow on him until he couldn’t be without them. Perhaps not the best analogy but it is the intimacy that you have with the ten other players that makes it such a comfortable place. Making that step towards so called ‘normality’ or the ‘real world’ is like being released from jail after serving your time. So what then is this term ‘banter’ we hear so frequently? Because it is the banter which makes the changing room the place it is. Is it just having a good laugh with some mates, talking and discussing the trivialities of day-to-day life, or is there something else to it? I thought the best way to find out was to open it up to the Middlesex boys during a morning warm up. “Boys what would you define as banter?” I asked, hoping to get an enlightened view from one of the more educated and insightful members of our team. Instead, I was interrupted by our very own ‘Hartlepool Hammer’ Danny Evans, who piped up “its somefing you ain’t got mate”. Needless to say, this was followed by an eruption of laughter. I suppose the truth hurts sometimes! So what role does this banter play during our cricketing lives? I believe it is crucial to our development as people and as players from the early days of age-group cricket right through to heady heights of international stardom. I was fresh out of school – green, naive and an ignorant little boy who went from the small pond of schools cricket to the big sea of professional sport. It certainly opened my eyes. I wanted to take on the world and suddenly I was thrust into this cocooned environment with characters like Tuffers and Gus Fraser, learning the ins and outs of the cockney English language plus a few other things here and there. Growing up fast was the only option. In modern society people have become stereotyped into saying, thinking and breathing a certain way of life. We are held back from saying what we think because of the social restriction, the rules, etiquette and the built-up inhibitions. But in the changing room things are said and done that you wouldn’t see or hear anywhere else. It is this social freedom, the ability to ‘bare all’, in every sense of the word, which is very hard to replicate. You realise that you reveal or tell things to people that you never wanted to but end up doing it anyway. Call it plain stupidity but very few things go unheard in the changing room. People are often judged on their banter - it is your skill and performance that ultimately mark you, but I often hear players asking “what’s his banter like?” It’s important to have decent banter as it can make you more accepted. The best laughs I’ve had in my short life have without doubt been in the microclimate of the changing room. It is hard to define what makes good banter. Perhaps it is quick-wittedness, tinged with a competitive edge? But it’s never cruel, it doesn’t really cross the line of being unfriendly, and is often affectionate. Some days the banter is there, other days it doesn’t come so easily, much like scoring runs. Fundamentally, it is the banter that unites us, bringing us all on to the same level. You can never escape it when it is your turn to be the butt of the jokes, so it is better to laugh it off, never let it annoy you or at least pretend! ‘Biting’ is the worst thing you can do and trust me we’ve all done it. The inner workings of a cricket team, the politics, and the form all players go through, both personally and as a team, make it a challenging environment. There are few sports where one spends so much time contemplating, questioning, even meditating as much as in a season of cricket. Players arrive early at the ground, hoping to get a good spot in the changing room, usually in the corner somewhere. Then they get changed in front of people they know little about and for some this can be uncomfortable. After that they are back in and out of the changing room for the whole day, spending more or less time in it depending on how successful their performance has been. You hear a lot of stories about players who throw their kit about after getting out. Sometimes it goes beyond kit, even the occasional broken windows or tray of home baked scones found sliding messily down the walls. There are also some strange screaming noises bellowing from locked toilets and physiotherapy rooms. At the heart of it everyone has their own way of venting their frustration. So yes, changing rooms do differ from team to team. Some clubs have certain traditions that have been instilled for years. There are different rules for dress code or times of arrival. Some places are relaxed and allow players to arrive in tracksuits, whereas at The Home of Cricket it is blazer, shirt and tie to enter the Pavilion. Others regulate that mobiles are off during the hours of play or that players are not sitting in the physio room checking their Facebook status (not that I have ever done that of course!) Much depends on the infrastructure at the time, the captain, the coach and quite often the success of the team. Often poor performance can result in a tightening of these rules, but rarely is it arriving ten minutes earlier or wearing smarter attire that accounts for the losses. These things should be unconditional and can lead to something of an excuse culture. The advent of Cricstat has made for an interesting discussion point in the dressing room. A computer logs every ball we face on a hard drive and then this is available for players to see. Quite often when there is a loud appeal we all rush to the computer to take a closer look. “Was that out?” “Gee that was close”, are the calls. Some players like to watch it before they go in to bat. The wise individual, the one who knows his game and is in touch with his instincts, never spends too much time on the computer. We all suffer some bad form and maybe a little technical glitch visible on the screen could be the solution. Over-analysing though can mean you end up seeking unattainable perfection. I would not advocate taking this path. For every player who likes to sit quietly alone, well away from the cricket, there will be an extrovert who prefers to be in the midst of team banter to take their mind off the game before heading out in the middle. I remember once passing a player on my way back to the changing room and telling him that the ball was swinging in and the wicket was slow. He reprimanded me for doing so, saying he didn’t want to know that in future. On the flip side, the changing room can be an unwarranted comfort zone, a place that becomes so familiar it can be daunting to leave. In this haven you have your comforts – the hot cup of tea and biscuits, the newspapers and of course this friendly banter. Suddenly you have to leave this ‘second home’ and before you know it you are out in the middle, confronting those very real fears and anxieties, about to face that first ball. This is it. You are exposed. There is no hiding place. Sometimes it can be a cold, miserable and daunting prospect. The new ball may be nipping around and that bad form or run of bad luck has just bitten you again. There is nothing for it but to muster your courage, take a deep breath and face the music. Every changing room holds such an eclectic mix of people; different races, classes, nationalities, ages and of course experience. What brings them together is their ambition to win. When you have built a strong team it makes this extraordinary mix of people and personalities a powerful machine, and it is the dressing room banter that is the oil to make it run smoothly. But don’t get too comfortable. The changing room is the not the place you want to be. Then again, I have spent the last few hours in self-induced solitary confinement writing my blog. No calls, no banter, just lonely silence – perhaps Danny Evans had a point after all! ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/09/banter_makes_the_game_go_round.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/09/banter_makes_the_game_go_round.php Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:47:00 +0000

'In truth I didn’t see much of the game after I got out as I spent a lot of it with a towel over my head' © Getty Images

I endured a couple of rough days in Birmingham before the Final, having earlier spent a few days in Norfolk on a little holiday with my girlfriend – although I should point out that’s no reflection on Norfolk…or my girlfriend! The upside of the unfavourable weather over the first couple of days of our Championship match at Edgbaston meant I had some time to rest. I had a few concerned text messages about my virus so I had to let them know I wasn’t quite on my death bed! We managed to get in around a day and a half of cricket on a spicy Edgbaston wicket and that was ideal preparation as a team, as it meant we didn’t have to expend too much energy ahead of Lord’s. All the guys had a bat or a bowl and it was better to have something to concentrate our minds on rather than be bored at home thinking about the Final. We were able to agree on an early finish, as the earlier rain had meant there was no prospect of a result, so it was then time to hit the road for Lord’s.]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/an_emotional_triumph.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/an_emotional_triumph.php Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:50:17 +0000

James Foster and Boris the Eagle © Getty Images

Twenty20 Cup Finals Day turned out to be very disappointing as we didn’t get through our semi-final against Kent in a game we felt we were good enough to win. We missed out in a couple of overs during our run-chase and if you do that in a Twenty20 match needing ‘10s’ it can make life very hard work. We didn’t have the best of starts with the ball at the outset and, although our spinners brought things back a little, Kent were able to post a decent total. Although we kept wickets in hand early on, the run-rate kept going up and the target proved beyond us. I was happy with the way I kept at the Rose Bowl – and I have been throughout the season – but it doesn’t make any difference when you lose. After a defeat like that it is always important to bounce back with a victory and that was something we managed at Derby the following Monday in the Pro40. Our batting unit played exceptionally well and Ravi Bopara’s quickfire hundred was ultimately the difference in what was a tight match. Being on TV it was a good test of how we would cope after a setback and it was nice to get ‘back on the horse’, so to speak. One of the highlights of the game was Graham Napier’s ‘deflowering’ of Grant Flower’s number three shirt. We have so many different shirts these days and Napes brought his Friends Provident Trophy rather than Pro40 top to Derby. It didn’t look too flash but, with the help of a lot of sticky tape, Napes transformed a number three into a 17! Napes backs himself as a bit of an artist so he was pretty happy with his efforts! Southend Festival week came next and that was one of mixed fortunes with a Championship loss before another Pro40 victory. The balance swung one way and the other against Glamorgan but our first innings lead should have been more and we then fell away in our run-chase. Losing by such a large margin (202 runs) meant the defeat was probably our most disappointing of the season. Glamorgan fully deserved to win but we really shouldn’t have let them score as many runs as they did in their second innings on a wearing pitch. That defeat once again left us needing to respond in the right manner during our next match, the Pro40 against Northants on this occasion. Having started well in that competition it was important to keep the momentum going and that was something we certainly did as I can only recall us bowling two bad balls during their brief innings of 61. With Mark Pettini’s groin playing him up again it was nice to step in and get the chance to lead the side in that game. I enjoy the role and the extra responsibility as it’s always a proud moment to captain the county you’ve grown up playing for. ‘Swampy’ returned to lead the side on the Tuesday against Surrey – also in the Pro40 – on what was a slightly sporting wicket due to overhead conditions, with rain always threatening. We were indebted to Grant Flower for an exceptional knock that showed his experience and class. In the end we posted a very defendable score under lights, especially with Graham Napier and David Masters’ ability to seam the ball around. When the rain came we were well ahead on Duckworth/Lewis so we were able to go into a little break in good spirits. I enjoyed a lovely few days away with my girlfriend, who’s a teacher so is on her school holidays at the moment, in Norfolk. As I’m used to being slapped round the face by a bird it was a good grounding for Essex’s pre-FPT Final media session on Monday. Boris the Eagle from Billericay Bird Sanctuary was brought along to ground to pose with a few of the Essex Eagles ahead of our big day out. Boris is a powerful animal and I thoroughly enjoyed having him on my arm, although a stray wing in the face wasn’t too pleasant! Saturday is a huge occasion for Essex when we take on Kent at Lord’s. It’s not ideal preparation coming straight from a four-day match at Edgbaston but at least it means we won’t have time to dwell on the Final. Lord’s experiences don’t come round too often so it’s important that we enjoy the day. Irrespective of who we are playing we are determined to win the game anyway, but our Twenty20 Cup semi-final defeat against the same opposition will probably be in the back of our minds. Kent are a top side with a lot of depth but so are we and we will be going out to win in style.]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/slapped_by_a_bird_boris_the_ea.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/slapped_by_a_bird_boris_the_ea.php Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:26:26 +0000

Tyrone Henderson had less to be cheerful about when he fell victim to a dressing-room prank © Getty Images

Even in this crazy consumer-led and materialistic society we live in, the best things in life are the simple things; your friends, cups of coffee, conversations and the odd game of golf. They cost nothing and they are the most meaningful. Let me tell you though, Middlesex’s recent victory in the Twenty20 competition was about as meaningful as it gets for us at the home of cricket. Well, it is a funny game isn’t it? Not that we haven’t heard that one before, but after two drubbings in the County Championship and a bad loss in the Pro40 against Durham it looked like the excitement leading up to Twenty20 finals day might end sooner rather than later. Well not this time. Middlesex’s formula that has been so successful in this year’s competition held its own when it really mattered most. So after a great turnaround it has been a fantastic week for Middlesex, there’s certainly some great talent in the ranks and the squad is showing real signs of strength and depth. The drama of the dropped catch, the Dawid Malan overthrows and the anxiety over those final two balls put everyone’s adrenalin into overdrive. Anyway we are a week on, and questions of the Champions League and the trip to Antigua for the Stanford tournament are a hot topic and so they should be. Cricket has clearly taken a quite a turn. In the words of the Middlesex coach Toby Radford, “the experience was quite surreal”. This quick-fix cricket is bringing about exciting times and while it may not be everyone’s cup of tea it is certainly a great time to be playing. In the aftermath of everything there has been some larking around at the club, which I suppose is to be expected after the stratospheric performance in the Twenty20 finals. David Nash, known around the circuit for his practical jokes, has been at it again … and his victim this time? None other than the man of the moment - Big Tyrone (the incredible hulk) Henderson. Henderson is a loving, home-spun kind of guy. He has to go down as a popular member of the nice-guy eleven but maybe on this occasion I would have to slip him into the naïve eleven too. Sorry Ty - maybe I should have checked with you before I write these sort of things! Anyway. We arrived at Lord's for a back-to-work session. Believe it or not there is still some work to be done before the season is over. Some good results in the Pro40 and a strong finish in the Championship is a must. In a quiet moment, Nashy decides it’s time for some fun and to call Tyrone. Good with voices, he becomes a representative of UK sport doping control. He wants to discuss Tyrone’s recent drugs test following the Twenty20. Gravely, and keeping a strongly official tone to his voice, Nash told him that he had failed - but that sometimes this happens. Boringly echoing the voice of officialdom from the car park, Nashy told Tyrone that a ‘b’ sample is an essential requirement but that he mustn’t worry – it’s all part of the procedure. He would be calling back to advise him of when and where he’ll need to go for his second test. With most of the boys in on the joke it was hard for us all to focus on practice. Tyrone didn’t even bother. We caught the occasional glimpse of his giant frame pacing up and down outside the MCC Indoor School, the bemused shrugging of shoulders, the shaking of the head. I popped outside to pretend I was looking at the weather and heard him hiss, eyes wide, almost panic stricken into his phone: "But I don’t do these things, I’m clean, I’m a clean guy…" I reported back and everyone was in hysterics. Then Tyrone came back in, trying to pretend nothing had happened. Inevitably his phone rang again. It was Nash once more in the guise of the UK Sport official. Curtly, he told Henderson he would receive a call in the next half-an-hour to discuss the next step. Tyrone nearly curled up into the foetal position on the spot! The remainder of the indoor session was punctuated with comments like: "Did you have a ‘Night-nurse’ you shouldn’t have?” And “They’re doing Ginseng tea upstairs, Ty, if you fancy one!” Desperately trying to keep straight faces we waited for the final call. When it came we all held our breath, straining to hear the conversation. The big South African seemed to shrink before our eyes. His face took on an ashen pallor. “What do you mean a lie detector test?” he spluttered. “Of course I’ve never done one!” And then: ‘What!!! Look mate, I don’t even take Disprin!” Finally: “What has Dwain Chambers got to do with it?” A grown man crying was definitely on the cards. Nashy gave it away when he came back into the Indoor School. Literally weeping with laughter he set everyone off. Only Tyrone stood there – a bemused, dispirited figure looking questioningly at everyone. And when he caught on, he responded as only he would. With a generous smile and barrel-chested laugh. “Hey man – you certainly got me with that one.” When the dust had settled I reflected that though Ty had been the butt of a heck of a joke, it had all been cool. Great camaraderie, genuine humour, a lot of laughs - that doesn’t cost much does it? ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/henderson_the_fallguy_as_middl.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/henderson_the_fallguy_as_middl.php Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:34:32 +0000

A maiden double century against Surrey was the highlight of hectic time for Will Smith © Getty Images

As much as I love the North East and playing for Durham, being situated miles from most other counties means endless hours on a coach. Though this year we have a new driver – the jovial Dave – compared with last year’s grumpy Ivor. Whether Ivor was his actual name, or just a convenient rhyme with ‘driver,’ I’m not quite sure. What I am sure of is that Dave has made journeys much more comfortable. Ivor’s penchant for testing the brakes every ten minutes was not conducive to peaceful journeys. Mitch Claydon’s extensive selection of DVD’s have accompanied us on most trips, and while I’m disappointed that his Baywatch boxset hasn’t been opened yet, whatever has been put on is generally met with approval. The most popular choice seems to Mike Bassett – Football Manager; a true gem of a film. Quotes and snippets from the film are regularly recited in the dressing room, but there is one that is not so regularly used, but perhaps should be. It encompasses all that is important and evident in the last few weeks of our season. Mike Bassett recites from Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If,’ in one of the more poignant moments of the downright silly comedy. ……‘If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat these two imposters just the same;’……
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!’ ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/pride_disappointment_and_anger.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/08/pride_disappointment_and_anger.php Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:37:32 +0000

Graham Napier has always had it in him to produce the sort of innings he showed in the Twenty20 © Getty Images

My last blog was written just after a couple of defeats against Middlesex in the Twenty20 Cup had halted our early progress in the competition. Three weeks on and ourselves and Middlesex are one victory away from meeting in the Twenty20 Cup Final so the potential for exacting the ultimate revenge is not an impossibility. Everything has gone to plan for us in recent times and we are now on a roll. I’ve written before about how important momentum is so we just have to go with it while things are going our way. Everyone is confident in their own performances and we now feel we have the squad to maintain our level of competitiveness even when we are missing a player or two. In terms of Twenty20 cricket – which is the format that has occupied a lot of our thinking of late – it is clear we have become a very strong outfit with a lot of bases now covered. Danish Kaneria is an outstanding spin bowler and James Middlebrook and Grant Flower have offered support in that area; ‘Golden Boy’ Graham Napier and Dave Masters have started well up front with the ball; Ryan ten Doeschate has also come in with a lot of wickets at crucial times. ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/07/watching_george_go_nuts.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/07/watching_george_go_nuts.php Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:00:16 +0000

Ravi Bopara heaves another six during his 201 for Essex © Getty Images

Results have not been going our way of late but we can take some comfort in the fact that we have reached the semi-final of the Friends Provident Trophy following our recent win at Grace Road. That victory was dominated by Ravi Bopara who produced a very special knock to finish with 201 not out. Ravi’s been our stand-out player this season and I’m delighted that England are now playing him at No.4 in their ODI team. That’s where his strength is. At Grace Road he came in at a very difficult time, after we lost a couple of quick wickets, but he seemed to strike the ball extremely well from the start. Everyone who witnessed his performance saw a very special innings that day. It was nice to see the umpires, opposition and home crowd giving an away player the type of recognition that Ravi got at the end. I spent a lot of the innings at the end so got a perfect view of Ravi’s display – helping him to add a record fifth-wicket stand for Essex in the competition (190). When I came to the crease we were four down with not many on the board so it was important that I stayed with Ravi. My job was to pick up singles to make sure he got as much of the strike as possible while hitting any bad balls that came along. I was pleased with the way I played – particularly against Claude Henderson, who is a very canny performer. It was crucial that I kept Ravi company for a long period because we didn’t want to expose the lower order to Henderson and their other spinner Jeremy Snape. Now we go on to play Yorkshire in the semi-final and it will be very exciting to be on a cricket field with Darren Gough again – the first time since he left us. Darren was a huge influence on our side during the three years he was here and made a lot of friends. Having got to know him as a team-mate there is certain to be a lot of banter flying around on the day but, most importantly, he is an extremely good player so we need to be aware of what he can do. Their gain was certainly our loss when Darren joined them. Yorkshire have a lot of strength-in-depth but we’ve put in some good performances in the Friends Provident Trophy so can go into the game with every confidence. And so to the Twenty20 Cup. It’s been an interesting start to the tournament for myself as I’ve taken on the extra responsibility of captaincy. Mark Pettini took a knock in a vital area during our four-dayer at Lord’s and was in a fair bit of pain after that. Unfortunately he took another blow in our opening Twenty20 Cup match at the Oval and he’s been struggling ever since. We wish him a speedy recovery. As a result I’ve taken up the mantle and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Twenty20 cricket is probably not the ideal start for a captain, as everything is quite rushed, but I’ve had good support from our experienced players. While Mark is laid low I’ll be doing the job for the foreseeable future so hopefully I can the team back into the winning habit. Performing so well in our opening match at The Oval meant our subsequent two defeats against Middlesex were even more disappointing. Credit to Middlesex as they are a powerful Twenty20 unit with a lot of strength in areas where they can hurt you. One of their main plusses is the spin duo of Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal who are fine one-day bowlers and put a little of pressure on you as a batsman. After those defeats it’s important to get back to winning ways at Sussex and at home to Kent to get some more momentum. Off-the-field there has been little time for ‘fun and giggles’ behind the scenes of late because everything has been so hectic in terms of our schedule. No doubt a few wins will put the smiles back on our faces!]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/06/ravis_masterclass.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/06/ravis_masterclass.php Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:14:35 +0000

Will Smith pulls during his century against Durham. 'It was a huge effort and one of my most satisfying days in cricket' © Getty Images

According to the average eloquent football pundit, a week is a long time in football. Without doubt the same astute statement can be applied to cricket, and in our case it is not just one week, but the last two, that have felt like an eternity. Durham supporters of a weak disposition would have been well advised to steer clear of any one of the last four games – two Championship games, one Friends Provident Trophy quarter-final and the first Twenty20 Cup match. When I signed off my last blog, and amid much abuse from Gareth Breese for calling him pint-sized, I had failed to mention anything about the upcoming Championship game against defending champions Sussex – a tricky encounter anytime, but at ‘Fortress Hove’ it took on greater significance. ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/06/nerve_shredders.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/06/nerve_shredders.php Durham Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:02:59 +0000

Gary Kirsten: emotional intelligence as a batsman © Getty Images

As a cricketer one can have a lot of down-time. The moments actually spent executing a skill, whether it be diving for a ball in the outfield or cracking a shot through the off side, is something that can be measured in milliseconds. Unless you are in the middle, you can be sitting on the balcony; making a cup of red bush tea (the so-called healthy non-caffeine type), or talking trivialities with a team-mate. In such periods, it is fascinating how the mind can wander, especially if one's form is poor. The extended period of time and energy not being expended out in the middle can lead to over-analysis and introspection, a tendency I developed too often in the early part of my career. In what is becoming an ever more complex and technological age there is an increasing emphasis on analysis of players, opposition and the inner workings of one's own team. It's come to the point where I've begun to wonder what England's post-war players would have made of such an experience. Take my grandfather, Denis Compton, for instance. He was the David Beckham of his era, yet he often needed reminding what time a Test match actually started! In his day, he and his team-mates would play golf on their days off to maintain fitness and nurture their competitive instincts. Today's regime involves bleep tests, measurement of skin folds, and computer analysis alongside technical practice sessions on specially-designed ball machines, for both fielding and batting. My grandfather is alleged on occasions to have missed the start of play, yet still made a hundred in someone else's kit and while using the No. 11's bat! What would he have made of life as a professional cricketer in the new millennium? The modern professional arrives at first-class games on the eve of the match, participates in lengthy team meetings, highlighting opposition strengths and weaknesses with the use of computer-generated data to back up strategic points designed to enhance the team's education of the battle ahead. And yet, has the modern player become too technically minded? My own journey has mirrored this, and in questioning the best way forward for me personally, I have gone through a period of exploring alternatives. Finding the mental courage to free oneself up, and play with joie de vivre when the match intensity is at its greatest, is a paradox for all players seeking new peaks in performance. One aspect that I've found increasingly interesting, is the balance between technical intelligence (ie knowledge of one's batting style on a physical level) and emotional intelligence (ie the ability to manage one's emotions). That old cliché, that batting is 90% mental and 10% technical has been repeated in many an article on the psychology of the game, but how true is this statement, and just what is meant by "the mental game"? Take Andrew Strauss's Man-of-the-Match innings recently at Old Trafford, which won the second Test for England against New Zealand. For me, that innings was more about mastery of emotion than perfect technique. Strauss is leaving more balls outside the off stump and not searching for runs like he was 12 months ago. But is that as much a technical advance as it is an emotional one? He appears to have a calmness about him which is in contrast to his demeanour at the crease in the previous 12 months. As cricketers, we hit hundreds if not thousands of balls on the bowling machine while refining what we hope will be the perfect technique, and how often have I seen batsmen after getting bowled, (and I definitely include myself in this category) walking straight to Cricstat (the program where we can watch our innings ball by ball) to check if their shoulders were sideways on or whether their front foot landed in the right place. The problem is that in preparation we all want to achieve something tangible, something we can both see and feel at the same time. But this, in my experience, can create changes which can be cosmetic. I’m beginning to understand that real change must come from within in order to achieve consistency of thought, which can then lead to consistency of behaviour. Practicing behaviour is less tangible. It requires a patience and dedication. It is not something that can be seen by the naked eye. We've all watched Johnny Wilkinson go through his routine when he takes his place kicks. Those cupped hands, the view of the seam drawing a line through the centre of the posts, and a dead aim through the middle before he fires his leg up and allows the rest to happen. The truth is it's no different each time; he repeats his routine whether in a club game, a training session or a world cup final. This is what he does. I'm sure it would be quite easy for him or anyone else to place the ball down and think to hell with all that visualisation, making myself calm stuff - I'm just going to put the ball down and kick it. It can be easy to become complacent in one's routines but I suppose what I'm learning is that behavioural consistency takes a lot of patience, a lot of time and certainly a lot of practice. I was fortunate to spend some time with the ex-South African opening batsmen and current India head coach Gary Kirsten last winter, in Cape Town. Gary was a player not particularly noted for his elegance or natural ability, but he was a top international batsmen and someone who prided himself on maximising his strengths and working with what he “was given” on any particular day. His biggest message to me was to rid myself of ego. It's far more important to be willing to accept and work with what one has on any day than to tell yourself: this is how I should be playing and how I want to play. He told me to take expectation out of the equation and go with: “'Let's just see how I play today”. By spending more time with acceptance, I soon realised that in fact it's okay that things aren't going the way I would like. The irony is the more time you spend being displeased with your current performance the longer it's going to take for it to improve. So be accepting of how it is in the present, be kind to yourself and it won't be a surprise that as your ability to control your emotions increases, so will your performance. I'll never forget one particular day. First he asked me: “Compo – how do you define playing well?” I answered confidently: 'Timing the ball well, feeling at ease and dominating.” His response astonished me. “Really? Well do you want to know what playing well is for me? It's about scoring runs irrelevant of how well or badly it comes off the bat.” He described an occasion during South Africa’s tour of England in 2003, the series in which Graeme Smith scored consecutive double centuries. During the fourth Test at Headingley, Andrew Flintoff was bowling very quick and Gary told me there were times when he was genuinely scared. He even admitted that he feared that if a single one of the short-ball barrage he faced that morning had been smack on target, it might have been the end of his career. After two-and-a-quarter hours in that first session he managed just 13 runs. "It was simply a matter of survival," he told me. Kirsten, that day, didn't fight the fact that he couldn't score a run; he didn't tell himself: “I'm a good square cutter”, or, “'I know I'm good off my legs so if it's there for me I'm going to have a go”. Instead he looked deep into himself and said: “No I don't feel good today. I'm just going to stay with this as long as I can.” As it happened he came out after lunch, hit one in the middle, and suddenly he felt in complete control. Gary stayed with his discomfort. He even became comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. He remained in the dark tunnel a long time, but through the dogged single-mindedness that was always his trademark, he emerged out the other end, with a brilliant 130 that rescued his side from 21 for 4, and won the match for South Africa. His story is a great lesson in acceptance – for any cricketer to adapt and embrace the demands of any given day and always to make the most of what that day brings. How often do you go out to bat and feel like a dog? How often do you fight it to the point where batting is no fun? These days I’m trying to steer away from judgement, because it's only your ego that judges you and builds unwarranted expectation. When I observe the leading players, I see that the honest players – the ones most true to themselves – are invariably the ones with the soundest work ethic. The ones with the soundest work ethic are invariably more consistent. They seem clear-minded; content; and appear to be at greater peace with themselves. The key for me has been in understanding the important part emotion plays in performance. In doing so, I am re-discovering the “fun” element in the challenge between bat and ball after years of obsessively pursuing an unrealistic objective of “'the perfect technique”', and getting too caught up in the analysis of my game. The writing process has also been very helpful in clarifying some of my ideas about how best to develop, and a good use of time when not engaged in matchplay. Thank heavens for down-time! ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/06/controlling_the_emotions_in_pu.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/06/controlling_the_emotions_in_pu.php Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:25:18 +0000

'Should you find yourself wandering through Newcastle city centre, or perhaps if you use any form of North-East public transport, then you may just notice us, two of the most un-intimidating cricketers imaginable, staring at you smouldering with intent. Don’t be scared' © Durham CCC

Ottis Gibson is being sorely missed at the Riverside this year. A fairly simple statement you might think. The man was nothing short of talismanic last year. But while his presence was not only vital to our on-field results, as wickets came his way with considerable regularity, he also lent much-needed credibility to the club’s Twenty20 marketing campaign. That the campaign won an award for best advertising (forgive me for not knowing the actual name of such a prestigious acclaim) owes solely to Gibbo’s presence. There was someone else who featured… someone who you may feel was equally as critical to its success, as his name was the cornerstone of the whole gimmick. At this point I will cease that most nauseating of habits – talking about myself in the third person – yes, Gibbo and I were the chosen ones. Those of you who have seen the film ‘Men in Black’ will know that it features one of many Will Smith’s that exist in this world. So due to my penchant for favouring the moniker ‘Will’ to my full Christian name William, the fact that Gibbo has the aptitude for looking mean and moody (not to mention his innate coolness), and that for last year’s Twenty20 competition the Durham Dynamo’s wore black, all went hand in hand to create the fantastic opportunity for my good name to be sullied. I simply cannot do mean and moody like my multi-million pound namesake. Or, it seems, like Gibbo. Nevertheless, the photo shoot was conducted, amid much shoddy sunglass-enhanced pouting and pseudo gun (for gun, read silver-painted cricket bat) waving. Interesting fact: the man charged with organizing this just so happened to be a good school friend of mine. He is now an ex-school friend. So for this year’s Twenty20 campaign, one in which we as a club are determined to make successful on the pitch (helped by the signings of Albie Morkel and Shaun Pollock) it appears the marketing department are keen to repeat the dose of excruciating embarrassment for me, by commissioning ‘Men In Black II.’

	The other man in black, Gareth Breese © Durham CCC

Presumably, I thought, they would draft Gibbo in to provide the sequel with the necessary ballast. After all, ‘Men in Black II’ featured both the cool, mean Will Smith and the nerdy Tommy Lee Jones. Not so. Maybe Gibbo has realised that in assuming his role as England’s bowling coach, he has just risen above this kind of shenanigan. I don’t blame him. So who to cast as my sidekick then? He has to be someone tough, someone who takes no prisoners, someone who has a threatening physical presence perhaps. It turns out Gibbo’s replacement is one of only two people in the squad who I actually might have covered in the height stakes! That man’s identity may surprise you; it is the one and only Gareth Breese – our loveable, pint-sized off-tweaker. So, a few weeks ago, a similar photo-shoot took place. Of course it was all old hat to a seasoned ‘Man in Black’ like myself. I must say I had to guide Breesey through the tougher aspects of the shoot. He had trouble in particular trying to perfect the slight head-tilt, necessary to create the aura of such a brave world-saving hero. It took time, but we got through it in the end, and now the results are on display for all to see. ‘Men in Black II – Back in Black.’ Should you find yourself wandering through Newcastle city centre, or perhaps if you use any form of North-East public transport, then you may just notice us, two of the most un-intimidating cricketers imaginable, staring at you smouldering with intent. Don’t be scared. For the mean time its back to my day job – the somewhat mundane matter of county cricket will make do for now, but I expect the job offers and castings to flood in due course. On the pitch, the early season gripes about rain and no form seem to have disappeared for the time being. A few sunny days followed by a few runs in the second team, and all things seem rosy again. Cricket is an amazing game – the ups and downs can go from the richly rewarding to the excruciatingly frustrating. As a team, we are through to the quarter finals of the Friends Provident Trophy, after two victories over Bank Holiday weekend. We are defending champions of course, and a mouth-watering tie at home to Nottinghamshire next Wednesday is looming large on the horizon. All that and then the explosive Twenty20 arrives in town. I believe we are running out to field to AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’. You’ve got to hand it to our marketing department!]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/back_in_black.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/back_in_black.php Fri, 30 May 2008 17:04:30 +0000

'It appears there is a bit of needle kicking around between Essex and Middlesex' © Getty Images

It’s always good to start on a happy note and after Monday’s rained-off match at Hastings, we are now guaranteed qualification for the quarter-finals of the Friends Provident Trophy. We have one game left in the group stage (away to Middlesex) to decide whether we have a home or away tie but we’ve played some good cricket in the competition so feel we have a team capable of making progress wherever and whoever we play in the next round. Wednesday’s match against Middlesex will be our eighth day of cricket (including friendlies) against our local rivals already this season – with more to add in the very near future! From a personal point of view I don’t feel that intensifies a rivalry because when you come across players so often you get to know them on and off the field, to the betterment of the relationships. What you can say for sure is that by the end of these matches we will know each other’s games inside out. Our Championship match against Middlesex earlier in May did make a few headlines because of our decision not to allow our opponents to bring in a substitute wicketkeeper in our second innings when David Nash got injured. Although the decision is ultimately down to the coach and captain our collective view was that if a seam bowler got injured you can’t call in a substitute bowler so the same rule should apply to wicketkeepers. It appears there is a bit of needle kicking around between the sides as a result of that decision so we wait to see how that impacts upon our forthcoming matches. As it turned out our Championship game with Middlesex was one of the best victories I’ve been involved in for some while. When James Middlebrook and Chris Wright joined together in our second-innings run-chase it seemed the game was up but they came up trumps with an excellent unbeaten partnership. Chris Wright had not had a lot of chances with the bat until that point but he had a good technique and timed the ball extremely sweetly on that afternoon. Our most recent Championship match – at home to Leicestershire – was one of the stranger four-day games I’ve been involved in. At the end of day one – with 18 wickets already done – it appeared we’d all be sat at home on Saturday with our feet up. After that, however, the wicket flattened out and Leicester ended up with a substantial lead to set us a tough run-chase on the last day. Had Jason Gallian and Ravi Bopara gone into tea with unbeaten centuries then we could have mounted a charge in the final session. Alas it wasn’t to be so it came down to a matter of survival. Having felt out of touch in four-day cricket I was glad to get the chance to bat as much time as I could and with a couple of decent contributions down the order from David Masters and Tony Palladino we managed to hang on for a draw. There was one nervous moment when last man Danish Kaneria spooned the ball just over mid-off’s head before it was down to me to survive the last over. At the end my exuberant fist-pumping celebrations were a mixture of relief at securing a draw and also at being able to bat for over four hours. There was a fair amount of needle in this match as well – as seems to be a regular occurrence these days! – so it was a good test of concentration and making sure I didn’t get involved in any potential confrontation. Everybody has mucked in this season with good individual performances and it was my day on this occasion. That will be the key to a successful season or not. This blog is sponsored by http://www.jamesfostercoaching.com/]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/the_needle_of_local_rivalries.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/the_needle_of_local_rivalries.php Tue, 27 May 2008 16:52:51 +0000

A loss of form has meant a spell in the Middlesex seconds for Nick Compton, but he's determined to battle back to the limelight © Getty Images

The nature of cricket and sport more generally, is that quite often things don’t always go the way you would like. You may be injured at a crucial time just when you’re reaching form, you may be searching for runs when you know it may be your last chance or you may be playing well and doing the right things but still you can’t find a place in the team. People often say to me that it must be great to do something you love, to be in the sun all day, and 99% of the time this is true, but it can still be one of the most frustrating and stressful businesses out there. I have been playing second-team games in the middle of nowhere with a mixture of young professionals learning their game and club cricketers looking to catch the eye of the second-team coach (or sometimes merely making up the numbers). In many ways it is even more of a challenge to play well in this arena. The bowling does not have the same quality as first-class cricket, so the intensity is considerably lower and the inevitable goal of achieving promotion or success in the various competitions isn’t there. After being in the first team for most of the last three years, it can be hard not to allow my standards to slip, but I think for these reasons you have to rely on yourself even more. I aim to do well and not to allow the nature of the game, the varying intensities of the players and the lack of good facilities to pull me down. Really I’m making it sound like one big excuse culture and at the heart of it that’s what it is. You can make the best of any situation and that only comes down to a simple choice. If you had taken a look at the football pages of the newspapers in the past month you would see that all the euphoria surrounds the Premiership and Champions League races, but more specifically the heroes who have got their respective teams to the top. Ronaldo, Rooney, Lampard and Drogba are just a few of the big stars on show - but what happens when one of them gets injured or they have a bad season? No one writes about the Chelsea or Manchester United players who are not currently involved, the ones who are palmed off on loan for half a season to some First Division team miles away from their so-called home ground. They’ve got profile otherwise they wouldn’t have been signed by a big club and with that comes huge pride and both internal and external expectation; so to spend your time on loan has to be a very hard and painful route to go. They are not playing for the club whom they have loyalty. Their team mates forget them because they are not involved in the everyday hustle and bustle and what’s more the team they are playing for isn’t their own, so ultimately it must be a lonely existence. That is what really interests me about sport. Justin Langer once said to a team-mate when he played for Middlesex, "If you get your runs no-one can touch you." What a true statement - but does this cloud our judgement? When a player is doing well everyone wants to know them. People they deleted from their mobile years ago call them up. Their parents are happy and full of pride. The local press man is suddenly friendly and wants to do a feature. Sponsors suddenly deliver an extra bat in the post when normally the allocation is three per season and team-mates are enjoying their company. Then there are the times when a player is struggling to reach a hundred or take a bagful of wickets. Scoring runs or taking wickets should have absolutely no bearing on whether someone is a good bloke or not. Sport loves to find reasons why a player has failed. When you find yourself in that situation you have to learn to balance your emotions and not simply be happy when you are doing well and sad when not – though this is easier said than done. Despite what is going on around me, whether it be team selection, an injury or stories in the press, my priority is to make sure that when that first delivery is bowled I am watching it like a hawk. If I can do that well then it gives me another opportunity to face the next ball and so on. Maybe writing this blog will prove to be more a reinforcement to my own development than of any interest to anyone else. Nevertheless it does make me admire those who have achieved in this game that much more. Not just the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, who has 10 million screaming fans following him around India daily, but the lower profile cricketer too, because everyone has their challenges however big or small. So what do professional cricketers do on their day off? Most of the time is spent trying to scrub off hard-earned grass stains from the game just gone. It’s always a sign that you’ve got involved and made some sort of contribution. Between doing the washing, hanging it up on the couch, over the door or somewhere in the kitchen because there are no washing lines in London, you try to get some good couch time with the missus or even the ex for that matter. However, it isn’t long before you’re cruising up the M1 again. It is pretty much head down and full steam ahead once the early season weather dissipates. The one thing I love about playing cricket in hot weather is that when you come off from a competitive game you are hot and sweaty and you feel like you’ve really got into the competition. I think when we spoke last I was talking about my first experience of playing in the snow, two weeks on and how things have changed – with a week of scorching weather in the lead-up to the first Test, followed by days of rain and cold wind again. But whatever the summer brings, a good game of cricket with suntan lotion on is always going to be better than being stuck in a stuffy office - for the time being anyway! ]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/the_lonely_life_of_the_reserve.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/the_lonely_life_of_the_reserve.php Sun, 18 May 2008 10:37:48 +0000

'Andre Nel seems to be the ‘King of Frustration’ in the Essex dressing room but that’s only because there is no skill involved in the game!' © Getty Images

I may have been the one ruled out of the Championship match at Derby with a thumb injury but I wasn’t the only Essex player suffering from frustration last week. Cricketers are always looking for something to fill in the time on rainy days and we’ve hit upon a real winner at Essex. It all started at Taunton last year when much of the four-day game was affected by rain. As we were based out in the sticks we spent a lot of time stuck around the hotel. We stumbled upon a room that contained a lot of board games such as ‘Battleships’ and ‘Connect Four’. One particular game that caught the imagination was ‘Frustration’, which only one member of our squad could remember playing as a kid. Alex Tudor showed his age… Everyone loved it so much that when we got to the end of our stay in Taunton we decided to buy the hotel’s box off them for a fiver, which has proved money well spent! Some of our boys end up spewing over that game because frustration really is the operative word. It’s all down to the luck of the dice so the boys can get very upset. Andre Nel seems to be the ‘King of Frustration’ in the Essex dressing room but that’s only because there is no skill involved in the game! Andre’s always very quiet when he’s not winning but when he’s going well he shouts and screams uncontrollably…which you won’t find too hard to imagine. My absence at Derby meant Adam Wheater was handed his Championship debut which brought back memories of my own one-day debut all those years ago – coincidentally, away to Derby. Warming up ahead of your first match when you know you are going to represent the team you’ve dreamt about playing gives you a real buzz. For me it was a very proud moment and I’m sure Adam felt the same way. Adam did exceptionally well during the game as he put on a key partnership with Ravi Bopara and also kept well. No doubt he’ll be a major player for Essex in the future – but hopefully not the foreseeable future, being a wicketkeeper myself! After losing a tight game at Derby it was important to bounce back the following day in the Friends Provident Trophy at home to Sussex. Having spent the previous four days icing my thumb and taking anti-inflammatory pills it was heartening to discover a noticeable improvement on the morning of the game. I’d not done any catching since testing it ahead of the previous game and although it wasn’t perfect it felt good enough for me to play in a key game like that one. Victory against Sussex (via Duckworth & Lewis) was due to an exceptional team performance. Our batting was built around Bopara and Grant Flower’s partnership, during which they expressed themselves terrifically. Ravi is a special player in the form of his life and Grant – in his first proper knock of the season – played one of the best and most confident innings I’ve seen him play for Essex. Ryan ten Doeschate then got some vital runs towards the end and I chipped in with a few right at the death to give us a challenging total. Unfortunately we lost some overs due to rain which meant Sussex’s run-chase became something close to a Twenty20 game. We started off well in the field and the pressure built so that their required rate went up to 10 per over. It is difficult to sustain that when you are losing wickets and new players are coming in. Our guys bowled and fielded really well with lots of energy and a high skill factor. Next up is a four-day tourist match against New Zealand at Chelmsford from Friday which I’m really excited about. It’s a good challenge to pit myself against international opposition. All the guys involved are really up for it because you always want to test yourself against some of the best players in the world. It’s particularly exciting that New Zealand will have their IPL players back for this match. Included in those returning is my ‘oppo’ Brendon McCullum. What a player he is - his cricket is getting better and better. Brendon is a huge talent so it will be really good to see how he goes about his batting – will he continue to be ultra-positive like he’s been in the IPL or look to rein himself in a little? Hopefully I’ll get a chance to chat about a few bits and pieces with him on the keeping side during the game. Finally this week I’d like to pay my own tribute to Joe Hussain, who died last weekend. Joe coached me at Ilford Cricket School from the age of nine until I was 19. He gave me a lot of advice when I was younger and looked after me a bit. Joe definitely improved my game – he was the type of coach who let you play, show off your natural flair and then correct you accordingly. Joe was very passionate about cricket and was obviously a driving force behind Nasser’s success as well as being very keen for his other ‘boys’ (those he coached) to do well. He will be missed. This Blog is sponsored by www.jamesfostercoaching.com]]> http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/andre_nel_king_of_frustration.php http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclassuk/2008/05/andre_nel_king_of_frustration.php Thu, 01 May 2008 18:41:59 +0000