IT’S just as well we clinched the tightest of victories over in Holland, having spent 24 hours travelling on the team bus.

Our trip there was not ideal in terms of travel arrangements, but we got there eventually and were able to have a little walk around Amsterdam on arrival.

There was a bit of bus-lag and everyone was pretty shattered so there was only the chance for a look around before playing and driving home again.

The match was certainly one to remember, though.

It was a nice ground at Amstelveen and the poor groundsman had been rolling the wicket non-stop for ten days in a bid to inject some pace into it and that didn’t work, so he ended up asking me for advice on how to make the strip quicker!

The lack of pace helped them as their bowlers were medium-pacers who concentrated on bowling straight.

Our total of 218, which included a fine innings by Matt Walker, should have been enough.

However, with ten overs to go we were staring at an embarrassing upset and it took an amazing last over by Chris Wright for us to win it, with the Dutch needing seven from the last six deliveries.

Chris and Napes bowled well in the last five or six overs and Holland proved they are not a bad side.

Thankfully, with the amount of cricket we play and practice we do, we sneaked home and there was a mini pitch invasion after the final ball!

There was a group of Essex fans who came over to watch the game and they were in good spirits by 3pm, having no doubt been on the gas.

They might a right racket during the second innings and it was great to have their support.

Their pitch invasion at the end was reminiscent of our first Twenty20 game a few years ago when we didn’t have any security.

They then sat outside the pavilion singing songs about Chris Wright – aka Jesus Christ – and I’m sure they had a decent night out afterwards.

David’s fiery duel up in Manchester

GUESS what?

No, I didn’t buy more leopard skin pants while in Holland (Tom Westley has phoned to say he has bought a funky new pair), but I did manage to lose the toss again.

Jaik ‘Lucky’ Mickleburgh came out to the middle with me and failed miserably so when it was time to toss up against Lancashire in the Championship this week, I went out and did it alone.

Predictably, I lost again, not that it has worked out too badly so far.

I thought Lancashire made a mistake in deciding to bowl first – they probably thought they could bowl us out cheaply like they did earlier in the season.

About 290 has been par score at Old Trafford this season and we went past 300 and then bowled them out cheaply after some excellent spells by all of the bowlers.

Saj Mahmood held us up for a while and he had an interesting battle with David Masters while we were batting. David has a tendency to pick on the fastest bowlers in the country when it comes to a verbal exchange – Tino Best was the last one.

It is good to see, although not for David’s batting partner at the time, who has to face a pumped up Tino or Mahmood.

Lancashire are a competitive side and we have to match them.

There is some bad blood between the two sides, with a couple of big one-day games between us last season and it was a grudge match even when we faced them in Barbados in pre-season.

We are expecting the wicket to deteriorate and with a first innings lead we are in a position to win the game.

Before we started, our league position had plummeted to third from bottom and Kent, who were below us, beat Durham so we really need the points.

We can’t rely on other sides to do us any favours.

FULL COLUMN IN THURSDAY'S ECHO