IT is a major honour that next season we will be playing in the first division of both the County Championship and the NatWest Pro40.

Our goal at the start of the season was to win promotion in the four-day game and we have done that.

Yes, last week at Kidderminster was extremely disappointing. We have to be honest, we were rubbish and maybe the week in Cardiff had an effect because we were off the pace.

But all that aside, we have achieved our goal.

We have played some fantastic cricket in the Championship and, even though it looks like we are not going up as champions, I believe that we have probably been by far and away the best team in the division.

Given the season that we have had it would be wrong to single one person out as the stand-out performer. Everyone, at one time or another, has held their hands-up and put in a big display.

I suppose if you put me on the spot to pick someone it would have to be Simon Jones. To go through what he has been through and to have his best-ever season in the Championship is remarkable.

I know that he has had to have a clean up on his knee and if he comes back 10 per cent stronger than he has been this year then we have got one hell of a weapon.

In the one-day game, with the loss of spinner Ray Price, we have had to change the way we play. Playing two spinners lends itself to a certain style of cricket.

We had last year what was a very experienced side and, just by looking at the team we had at Cardiff on Sunday, it shows the inexperience that we have got.

All the senior players have got to take responsibility and make sure that we keep going in the right direction.

Next season we will be without Graeme Hick and I have said before that you can’t replace someone like Hicky, so we are all going to need to raise our game by five per cent next year.

But this is one of the most pleasing aspects of the season. We are already looking at ways we need to improve for next year.

The most disappointing thing for me this season were the two games we lost in the Championship.

I hate losing any game, but you can accept it if you have competed and lost to a better side, however, in the games against Derbyshire and Middlesex we were rubbish.

The funniest moment of this campaign has been every time our physio Ben Langley has tried to play football — he is never on his feet.

The most surprising moments have been every time Stephen Moore has turned up on time — this man is far too intelligent, but rarely on time.

As for me this winter I shall be coaching during the October half-term. Hopefully I’m going to be doing a bit of radio work and of course for the next few weeks I shall be relaxing before returning to training as most of the lads are now on 12-month contracts.

It has been great to share my views with you all this season and I look forward to being back in the spring.