After his first full year in county cricket last season, Stephen Peters was hoping to build on the experiences gained, in what was a difficult year for every player at the county, and launch his career this season.

A talented batsman, the 20 year old had still to make a full impression on the first class championship scene.

Full of hope and intention at the start of the 1999 campaign, Peters found himself on the outside looking in after playing in the opening match against the 1998 champions Leicestershire. Not at all what the Harold Wood born player envisaged.

He did not appear in the first team until the recent match at Old Trafford when he acquitted himself with distinction against a Muttiah Muralitharan-inspired Lancashire side, finishing unbeaten with 32 in the second innings.

Peters admits that this season has been a difficult one personally, saying: "It's been a strange year so far because I don't seem to have played too much cricket.

''Going into the Lancashire match, I didn't feel as if I'd played a decent game of cricket for a couple of weeks.

"I felt my career has had a setback this season and I've been disappointed that I haven't played so often.

''Not only in the four-day games but the one-dayers also. I finished fifth in the averages last year which wasn't a bad effort in my first full season."

Asked about the experience of facing the Sri Lankan off-spinner who has been called for throwing in the past, Peters said: "I've never seen anything like Muralitharan before, a couple of deliveries that he bowled me were unplayable. It wasn't only the spin that he was getting, it was the bounce also.

"I thought that I played him reasonably well particularly in the second innings, you just had to watch every ball and punish the looser delivery.

"One delivery that I received I had to pay off my throat because of the bounce."

That performance saw him retained for the match with Glamorgan and he responded by hitting his highest championship score of 81 before he was the last man out.

Arriving at the crease on the fall of the fourth wicket, Peters produced a well composed innings that contained just five boundaries in a knock that spanned 203 deliveries in which he demonstrated a range of stylish cultured strokeplay.

Talking to the Gazette afterwards, Peters said: "I was delighted and hopefully it's the start of a consistent run for me. I felt in good form at Old Trafford and also in this innings so hopefully I can go on and build on from here.

"I thought that I might have a chance of reaching my first championship century but after Barry Hyam and Mark Ilott were dismissed, I had to go for my shots.

"Still overall I have to be pleased with the way things are starting to go. Hopefully I can pick my season up from here."

Stephen Peters, who scored a career best 81 in the championship match against Glamorgan.

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