By Tom Westley

IT’S great to be finally getting the new season underway against Kent this weekend.

We’ve played well during pre-season so we know we’re in good shape and we want to show that by making sure we get off to a good start.

I think I’m right in saying we’ve had the better of the results against Kent in the past couple of seasons and that’s a trend we certainly want to continue because I think it’s always important to do well in your first few games.

I’m also feeling in good shape after spending a bit more time in the middle during our final friendly with Cardiff MCUU in the week.

I hadn’t quite been feeling my usual self in the other pre-season games and I think it could well have been down to re-adjusting to the conditions after spending the winter playing in Sri Lanka.

But I managed to score a hundred which was great but I wasn’t the only as Jaik Mickleburgh did the same and Nick Browne managed to get one in each innings.

It was great to see because the batsman had plenty of time at the crease while the bowlers got to bowl plenty of deliveries which was just what we needed before getting underway.

Getting runs or wickets is good no matter what the intensity of the game so it will certainly have given us all a boost.

Hopefully that will make a difference against Kent and it will be great to catch up with their assistant coach Matt Walker.

He was our batting coach before going back to Kent and is someone many of the players still have a really good relationship with.

With that in mind he will be stuck in the middle a bit this weekend but hopefully he can’t remember too many of our secrets and it will be us starting the new season with a win.

JIMMY'S AMONG THE BEST

I’VE been watching England’s game in the West Indies when I can and it’s great to see James Anderson on the brink of breaking Ian Botham’s record as our leading ever wicket taker in Test match cricket.

I’ve never had the pleasure of facing James’ bowling myself but whether or not it should be described as a pleasure I’m not sure!

Some of the lads still talk about the time he tore Essex apart at Chelmsford, which was thankfully before I arrived, and mention just how good he was.

My Essex team-mate Alastair Cook has obviously played alongside James for many years with England and he often sings his praises too.

He’s one of the very best bowlers in the world and I’m sure he will have a big say in this series too.

This match looks like going to a fifth day and, as a traditionalist, I don’t want to see Test matches being reduced to just four days which has been mentioned.

I do understand the thinking behind that from a financial point of view but Test match cricket has always been five days and that’s how it should stay.

PROMOTION IS OUR AMBITION

WE’RE going out to try to win promotion from Division Two this season but we know it will be a difficult task with so many other strong sides to play against.

I think Kent are quite similar to ourselves and could well be up there along with Lancashire who are a strong county and will be desperate to bounce back from last season’s relegation.

But Surrey are a good side too and Derbyshire are also strong, so we will definitely have to play consistently well to get the promotion we all want