HAVING a week with the seconds has helped refresh my outlook and my bowling.

Of course, it was nice to get four wickets, but what was more important I think was that I was able to be positive and try and change the game.

It can be hard when you are bowling to try and make up the overs or keep things tight defensively, but with the game against Surrey I was able to set some attacking fields.

What really stood out for me in that game was the way that young Dave Wheeldon played.

His century was superb and it shows that he can have a big future. Along with Josh Knappett, they displayed some of the best batting that I’ve seen this year.

During the game there were a few chances that were put down in the field, but these are young players and at times they will make mistakes and I’m sure that they will learn from them.

Hopefully after this past week with the seconds the wicket at Sussex will be more conducive to every type of bowler and I can get back in the side next week.

When you look at the overseas bowlers Sussex have had in the past years — Mushtaq Ahmed and this year Piyush Chawla — you would hope next week’s match would suit the spinner.

But when the tide comes in down at Hove it will help the seamers too.

The decision to leave me out of the Warwickshire game was the correct one — spin played no part in the match.

We decided to go with an extra batsman and given the fact that I haven’t scored any runs I couldn’t have expected to have played a part.

What was nice to hear was that Richard Jones bowled well in the first innings against Warwickshire. He has had a tough year with everything that has gone on and for him to bowl like he did was superb.

To see that he is starting to fulfil his potential and talent is a big positive.

We now turn our attentions to Durham in the NatWest Pro40 on Thursday and I cannot see any reason why I shouldn’t be back.

I feel that I have done well in the one-day games and this is a competition where we can try and regain our title which we won two years ago.

This is our last chance of silverware and we have to try and take it or at the very least be up there challenging.

When I look back on this week, I feel mentally refreshed and hopefully that can help the team try and get out of the position we are in.