JONNY Bairstow’s first-innings century was the difference in our County Championship win over Middlesex at Headingley last week.

We played some really good cricket during the third and final day on Tuesday to clinch the win, finishing off their second innings and then chasing down 213. But we didn’t bat as well as we would have liked in the first to get only 229.

Bowlers were always going to be in with a shout on that pitch, but Jonny’s innings was a match-winner.

Then again, Andrew Gale and Glenn Maxwell also scored important runs towards the end of the chase, and we earned ourselves a day off.

Glenn has settled into our dressing room nicely. He chipped in with three wickets in the first innings and 23 not out in the second. We’ve welcomed him in. He’s a good bloke, and that’s the most important thing.

As for myself, I played really poorly on that last day in only getting to ten before I was lbw to James Franklin.

I’m well aware of that, and I’m determined to turn things around. If my practice is good and my method is good, then I’ll score big runs. I still think it will be a very successful season for both myself and for the team.

Selfishly, I’d have liked to have played a few more than our six Championship matches to get some rhythm going, particularly having started the season so well.

But the fixture-list has worked out well for the team.

We have another week away from Championship cricket now and it enables Ryan Sidebottom time to get fit after his calf injury without us having to rush him.

I think Will Rhodes might have been doubting himself a bit after the first couple of days, particularly with his bowling, but he stepped up to the mark with three quick wickets to help wrap up their second innings during the third morning.

Then, at the end, he didn’t play a massive innings but he was cool under pressure and got the job done with ten not out.

At the beginning of the week, we knew Middlesex were going to be a tough proposition because they were sitting at the top of the table.

It was a hard-fought win for us on an old school Headingley pitch – a little bit up and down. I hope it’s going to be the start of a sort of snowball for us now.

Last year’s defeat to them at Lord’s gave us a kick and we’ve got to make sure this has the same effect in all cricket, not just the Championship.

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