We seem to be taking one step forward and two back as far as our one-day cricket is concerned at the moment.

We genuinely felt we had turned the corner in the National League after beating Middlesex and the intensity of our practice before last Sunday's game with Northants did nothing to alter that feeling.

Once again though we came up short with the bat.

As well as Andre Nel and Michael Cawdron bowled with the new ball for them, we should have comfortably chased down a target of 149.

I don't think anyone can say that we aren't picking the right team, but as yet we haven't found that winning formula and we all know that our main problems lie with our batting.

At the moment too many of our established players, and that includes your's truly, are lacking confidence or simply trying too hard.

In the past, when we have been successful, one of either myself, Murray Goodwin or Richard Montgomerie has been able to play the sort of innings that has given confidence to the younger members of the team but, apart from Murray's 81 at Lord's a fortnight ago, it hasn't really happened.

Believe me, we are working hard individually and collectively to put things right and the three games we have over these few days, starting against South Africa yesterday, will hopefully give us an opportunity to get our one-day season up and running on home territory.

In other aspects of the game I have no complaints.

Our spinners, Mushtaq Ahmed and Mark Davis, have given our one-day attack an added dimension and it has been a real bonus to see Jason Lewry and Paul Hutchison emerge in the last week or so with the new ball.

Our fielding has improved too and I'm confident things will come together for us soon.

Saturday June 21