We certainly come to Southchurch Park in confident mood following our tremendous Championship success in Wales last weekend.

I have to be honest and say that hosts Glamorgan were a bit below par, but it's my belief that our performance in the match generally was the best I've seen from Essex this season.

At the beginning of my spell back at Essex from the England camp I said to the lads that it was vital that we went out and got all the points available over the next two Championship games - and we certainly did that in style at Glamorgan.

It was a real team effort, although obviously there were individual performances that stick out.

Stuart Law's latest century was vital and he comes to Southchurch needing only 20-odd runs to be the First in the country to 1,000 this season.

He's top of the averages and certainly in superb form. It was also important to have Paul Prichard back at the top of the batting line-up after his long spell out through injury.

He got a useful half-century and I was also delighted for young Stephen Peters. I've always had him marked down as an outstanding player of the future.

Sure he struggled a little at the start of this season, but he went quietly away and concentrated on scoring runs in the 2nd X1, which he did successfully, and now I'm sure he's going to prove more than useful in our middle order.

To my mind the team we had out against Glamorgan was probably our strongest currently. I do feel for my vice-captain Ronnie Irani in that when I've been away on England duty he's had to lead out sides missing key players for one reason or another.

Let's hope that most players will be injury free now and that, whoever comes in for me when I go off with England again, will find some form.

Having beaten Glamorgan, it's vital that we now do the business at Southchurch against Middlesex.

The toss can be pretty vital at Southend and I was certainly hoping to win that to break a run of losing them that I've suffered recently.

Southchurch has some great personal memories for me including my first under-19 century and an undefeated 80 against Lancashire in only my second senior game for Essex.

I've also scored Championship tons down there and all in all I think the Essex boys would certainly back me in saying that it's among our favourite venues.

We're obviously hopeful of some good warm sunny seaside weather and I'm sure the fans will be out in their thousands for the National League game with Hampshire Hawks on Sunday.

Hampshire are a side I feel we are well capable of beating in the one-day game and it would be dangerous to write us off in the National League.

If we can beat Middlesex in the Championship affair and then Hampshire in the one-day game it will give the whole side a tremendous lift before I go off for the Second Test next week.

Paul Prichard - having him back at the top of the batting after being out through injury is important to the county's cause

Stephen Peters - I'm sure he will be more than useful in the middle order after a successful spell in our second XI

We'll wait and see if Goughie's fit to play

It's interesting to see that Darren Gough made an earlier than expected return to the Yorkshire line-up for their Championship game on Tuesday.

Obviously, if he's 100 per cent fit, Goughie would be an automatic choice for England, but as I've said before we certainly don't want him rushing things.

There's a lot of cricket to come with the New Zealand series being followed by the winter tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe.

I'm sure that Goughie's fitness will be the major item on the agenda when I and my fellow selectors talk about the team for the Second Test with New Zealand at Lord's next week.

Having won the First Test in three days I don't think anyone will be looking for wholesale changes.

In fact, I think the selection will be done by telephone calls between us all. If Goughie comes through his latest match with no problems he will obviously be involved, but don't expect many other changes apart from that.

Clem's good innings as our scorer

A lot of Essex fans will have heard this week about the retirement of our long-term Essex scorer Clem Driver and I have to say it will take a long time for us all to get used to not having him about.

To be honest, Clem probably carried on a couple of years longer than many expected, but he's been a great servant to cricket generally and a tremendous character and I'm sure all us Essex lads will get together to do something special for him when there's a bit more time.

While speaking to you I'm playing some cricket of a little more tension-free variety in the annual Rickling Green six-a-sides today (Wednesday) and it's a wonderful chance of a bit of relaxation.

We've been coming here for quite a few years now and with the sun shining like it is at the moment and a village-type atmosphere, it's perfect preparation for the more serious stuff to come.

I hope to see as many of you as possible at Southchurch cheering us to a double success.

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