IT’S just typical.

Essex are on a roll and are only five points off a promotion place and what happens – I get injured.

It’s not merely a strained muscle or a bit of bruising – I have two slipped discs in my back.

And it happened in the most innocuous of circumstances at Colchester on Friday.

I was 40-odd not out and batting with Ravi as we looked to build up a decent lead over Surrey when I took off for a quick single.

I felt something go in my back and, at the time, I hoped it would ease off.

However, after treatment and a two-ball attempt to carry on, it was painfully clear I was not going to play any further part in the Colchester Festival and spent the next few days either lying face down or on my back.

The aforementioned discs actually slipped earlier in the summer but it has been manageable.

I had a scan in May which showed the problem and once I warm up I’m okay and it seemed to die off. However, they have slipped again and it was the first time it has happened while I was active.

It’s the nature of cricket and professional sport that the body undergoes a lot of strain and there isn’t much I can do about it other than rest and make sure I don’t aggravate it any more.

I’m taking painkillers and have to sleep on the floor which is hardly ideal.

Hopefully rest will be a healer and I could be back in action in a couple of weeks.

Is it the most painful injury I have had?

Well, I can tell you it damn well hurts, and while there was one point on Friday when I literally couldn’t stand up and was wondering how I was ever going to get on my feet again, it doesn’t compare to being hit in the privates while batting.

Ravi and Tim take us to cusp of promotion

WE may have lost on the last ball in the Pro40, but the Colchester Festival was a great success for us because of the victory over Surrey in the championship.

That Surrey got 428 in their first innings and we still beat them says a lot about our performance.

Ravi was the star of the show with his double ton and while it wasn’t a flamboyant innings, it was what we needed to gain a lead.

He was never in any real trouble and showed he is probably too good for county cricket.

There is an argument for saying England changed their batting line-up to fit Jonathan Trott in and maybe they should have changed it to fit Ravi in, but you can’t argue with Trott’s performance. It was a blessing that we were bowled out before the end of the third day as it meant we could get at them before the close, which was exactly what we did.

I was really happy for housemate Tim Phillips who scored runs and took wickets in the match - and took more wickets in the Pro40 on Sunday.

It is his job to win us games on turning wickets and he had a major impact on the match.

We’ve had two high scoring draws followed by two victories in the championship which has taken us to the cusp of a promotion place.

We always knew that successive wins would see us shoot up the table and although in previous seasons we have tailed off at the end of the campaign, this year we are the form team going into the final few weeks.

We are able to channel all of our efforts into the championship and it should prove to be an exciting time.

At least I can commentate

WE welcomed Ashes hero Cookie back this week and it is great to have him back in the side.

The Ashes has already been covered to death so I won’t say anything other than well done to all involved and what a great occasion for the whole country.

My celebrations were somewhat hampered by the fact I’ve been moving around like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

I was meant to go to the V Festival in Chelmsford at the weekend but missed out and spent the night lying on my bedroom floor – which can’t often be seen – in terrible pain instead.

However, I was pressed in action in the BBC Essex commentary box at Colchester and managed to waffle on for 45 minutes, providing the occasional bit of wisdom.

With Cookie playing for Essex again and Ravi heading in the opposite direction, I’ve been asked the impossible question – if I had to pick just one of them for Essex, who would it be?

It doesn’t get any harder than that. I can’t choose. No, really I can’t.

Oh go on then. I’ll pick Cookie so he can make me my tea after the game!

Welcome to Billy the God

WITH Jason Gallian retiring, Tom Westley at University for part of next season, Ravi and Cookie likely to be on England duty and Jaik Mickleburgh struggling with injury, we have signed Billy Godleman from Middlesex to strengthen the top order.

It’s a signing for the future and he certainly has a lot of potential.

He has a few routines and strange idiosyncracies when he bats, but most batsmen are fidgety – in fact I am as fidgety as most.

He’s a gutsy performer and is the sort of player you want at the top of the order when playing on a green wicket.

With Ravi away we do not have an out-and-out number three and from number four downwards we are pretty settled.