FINALLY the win against Essex shows that I haven't been talking rubbish about us playing good four-day cricket.

After four rain-affected matches, we finally got a pitch that has a result in it.

A lot of people will feel our bowlers secured the win and they do deserve a lot of credit. But for me, the man-of-the-match was Ben Smith.

His two knocks won us the game. He scored 131 in the game which was phenomenal when you think that Essex didn't score that many in their first innings.

If you want a pyramid of the match winners then Benny has to be at the top with the bowlers underneath.

They'll probably rip my head off for saying that, but Benny's contributions should be up there on a pedestal.

But we did bowl well as a unit, we have a very good four-pronged seam attack - probably the best in the country.

Kabir Ali was back bowling with a beautiful rhythm. He was quick, swung the ball and got us off to a great start in the second innings.

Simon Jones and Steve Magoffin bowled beautifully in both innings and Chris Whelan put in a really quick spell on Sunday where he rushed a few of them and made a few things happen.

The pitch at New Road certainly helped us, but that is just home advantage.

Look at the days leading up to the Essex game. Groundsman Tim Packwood couldn't get the covers off very often if at all and, if we are brutally honest, that suited us more than it did them.

There were no dangerous deliveries in the wicket, but as a batter there was always a ball which had your name on it.

In an ideal world you wouldn't have wanted 17 wickets to fall on the first day, but we won the match by 75 runs so we are not going to worry.

Maybe we should have bowled Essex out for less than 100 first up, but let's not pick bones out of that. Having got our first win it is not a case of hoping - long may it continue - it must.

It was disappointing that we are out of the Friends Provident Trophy, the rain got to us again, but that has gone and we can't dwell on that.

Last week the powers that be got together to talk about the restructuring of the county game.

Having spoken to players and members, the one thing that doesn't need to be tampered with is the four-day format. We have got that right, the two divisions, the 96-overs a day and two-hour sessions is how it should stay.

If changes are needed then look at the diffferent formats of the one-day game, but leave the Championship as it is.

We may be the Pro40 champions, but that is the one competition I would look at, but the one thing we do need is a knock-out tournament.

I believe that we have got enough counties to do it.