IT WAS disappointing to start our NatWest T20 Blast campaign losing by just one run on the Duckworth/Lewis system against Sussex.

We were just trying to keep ahead of the Duckworth/Lewis score and had managed to do so at the start of what was to be the final over.

We thought we were going to keep playing but then three balls in, without the rain getting any harder, the umpires made the call to come off.

It was a bit confusing but the umpires have to make the call and we have to go with what they think.

They said it was too wet, but 90 seconds before it wasn’t.

It would have been a great game of cricket if we’d had the full 20 overs and we certainly felt we’d given ourselves a chance.

In terms of the Sussex innings I thought both of our spinners bowled well. But with the wind helping the ball get to the short boundary on one side we needed to defend that a little bit better.

Everyone has been hugely welcoming since I got back last week. Bristol is a second home for me and my family – we enjoy it here and I am looking forward to another successful season.

This is my fourth season over here now, it’s something I enjoy doing and I think it has helped me to be consistent in terms of runs over the last few years. After a good season last year I don’t put any more pressure on myself to repeat it. I think when I play relaxed and enjoy myself is when I play my best. It might be tough to beat what I did last year but as long as I am enjoying myself and having a good balance with downtime then I know I will be at my best on match day.

I kept in touch with Daws (Glos head coach Richard Dawson) during the first five to six weeks of the season and with a few of the guys. I tried to message them particularly when they got hundreds or put in a good performance.

With the time difference the matches were on in the evening in Perth so I watched every game closely.

There is more expectation on us to make finals now after winning the Royal London One-Day Cup last year.

In T20 we just missed out on the quarter finals last year so we would like to go a step or two further and try to make the final in that as well.

In T20 especially every player needs to want to be man of the match. Justin Langer, the coach of the Perth Scorchers, talks about it a lot.

If you go in with that attitude then I think that will go a long way towards helping us do well in the tournament.