These past two weeks have seen me without any first-team games as we had a break from the County Championship and I have pulled out from playing any more YB40 cricket.

We can go no further in the competition and hopefully this means I can fully concentrate on my red ball skills and be kept as fresh as possible for the five remaining championship clashes.

The first of those is this week and I’m writing this on the eve of our game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

The first week was spent mainly in the gym doing specific fast bowler strength training or outside doing various running drills to top up my fitness for the coming weeks.

Some might think this sounds brutal and boring, but I actually enjoy the fitness work.

The chance to build some strength back up and feel good about myself rather than being sat twiddling my thumbs was probably wise.

In years gone by a week off in mid-season would have meant some ‘team bonding’ in a pub somewhere locally, but nowadays cricket is a lot more professional.

You’d be letting yourself, and more importantly the team, down if you didn’t buy into the modern ethos.

Also, you’d be out of the job pretty sharpish unless you were a ridiculous talent.

Last week I spent the week up at South Northumberland playing a three-day second team game against our Durham counterparts.

There are five or six first-teamers were in the same position as me, so we were given the chance to play.

It was my first game for a second team since 2009, when I was just starting out at Northants.

This time I was a senior pro helping out our academy and junior pros whilst getting practice in.

As it turned out I scored a 50 and took a five-wicket haul.

As usual I was more chuffed with my batting than my bowling and kept reminding the coaches that I was an all-rounder in the making still – even at my age!

  • ENGLAND are now 3-0 against our arch enemy and on the brink of being the first English side to win an Ashes series 4-0.

This would be a remarkable achievement and one which should help to drive the England side on to win the match.

Having played quite slow and some would say boring Test-match cricket at times, when they have had to turn on the style and press for the win, they have managed it comfortably.

Although that’s pleasing and good to watch, it makes you think why they couldn’t start each match with a bit more aggression and intensity!

  • BEFORE I leave you for another fortnight, I must also say a massive congrats to my old mates at Northants.

They destroyed all before them on T20 finals day last weekend to  become the 2013 champions.

Although I’m now at Yorkshire, I’m still best mates with a number of the Northants boys and I was chuffed to bits they won some long overdue silverware.

I'd have loved to have been a part of a trophy-winning side at Northamptonshire, but it wasn't to be.

Now I have new dreams and goals to achieve with Yorkshire, which would be just as special!