SPINNERS don't often prosper at New Road in the early stages of an English summer, so Gareth Batty was delighted to pick up seven wickets in Worcestershire's first LV County Championship Division One game of the season.

Although the County were soundly beaten by 241 runs at the hands of Durham, the match went well for the all-rounder and his performance has given his confidence an early-season boost.

He said: "I am off and running and I've got rhythm now so wherever I am asked to bowl in the forseeable future, I've got the confidence of overs under my belt and I am ready to go.

"Although we lost the game, it was a good start to the season for me, getting seven wickets in the match. The wicket was a bit different to what we thought, so I got thrown the ball quite early and fortunately it went reasonably well.

"In the first innings there was no spin at all, but I had a job to do and it felt pretty good. In the second innings there wasn't an awful lot of assistance either but there was enough there to put doubt in the batsmen's minds.

"I had a plan of how I wanted to do things and sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn't. The game against Durham went reasonably well for me."

Meanwhile, the West Indies' defeat to England in their final game of the 2007 Cricket World Cup saw Brian Lara play his last international match and bring down the curtain on a glittering career.

In 2004, Batty was playing for England in Antigua when Lara scored his world record 400 not out and the great left-hander's retirement brought the memories back for the New Road off-spinner.

"The game started pretty well for me, I got a wicket in my first over," he said. "But Lara batted incredibly well and set about amassing the 400.

"He got a one to bring up the 400 off my bowling. I bowled him a couple of the best balls I've ever bowled and I think I only beat him twice on the outside in the entire knock.

"That was probably the best innings I have ever witnessed, purely because of the feat at the end of it and the way he went about his innings.

"He batted in fits and starts - he would have a go at the bowlers, then slow down and knock the ball around for a while. He is certainly an incredible individual. I don't think there is going to be anyone quite like him for a good while to come.

"I could have been the man to get him out - don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I was ever good enough to do that, but I had the opportunity.

"You learn things from watching people like him batting and there are times when it is just that little bit easier bowling at left-handers because I can draw on that experience."