It was another fantastic performance to beat Essex in the last T20 match and it means we are now almost guaranteed a home quarter final which would be a great achievement.

We have played some good cricket in the Blast this year and it has been good to see different players putting in performances at different times.

After 11 years this is my last Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival.

I always love coming to Cheltenham. I can’t really explain the feeling but it is a special place to play cricket.

When I first joined the squad it was something the players talked about and you look forward to it every year.

It is a fantastic setting – especially when the sun’s out – and you usually get good crowds so there is a great atmosphere. I think for our supporters in the north of the county this is their big chance to get to a game and they make the most of it.

It’s also nice to stay up here in the town and be able to go for a beer and talk to some of the people that have spent the day at the cricket.

I have some great memories from playing here over the years.

On a personal level my first Festival in 2006 went pretty well, I scored a hundred in each of the four day games and had a couple of 50s including 60 odd not out to beat Yorkshire in a one-day game.

But it is the team performances that mean the most. When I first came here we didn’t have a great record but that has improved a lot in the last few years.

My best memory at Cheltenham was when we chased down 300 to beat Middlesex in a CB 40 match in 2010.

Chris Taylor and Steve Snell put on a big partnership and then Daws (Richard Dawson) and Lewy (John Lewis) got us over the line at the end.

The first week of this year’s Festival went by really quickly but it was great to come away with two wins. We have got two massive games coming up against Leicestershire in the Championship (July 20-23) and Sussex in the Royal London One-Day Cup (July 24) this week that could be key to our season.

It would be nice to finish with a couple of victories but whatever happens I will just try to enjoy it.

My wife and I have been coming up here for the last 11 years straight so it will be sad to leave the Festival behind.

On the other hand I keep telling people that it won’t be long before I am back here sitting on the other side of the boundary with a beer in my hand watching the boys.