It’s been a tough week for Middlesex – and I have to say I don’t feel the fixture list did us any favours.

Four games in four days is fair enough, but the schedule meant we had to do a lot of travelling by coach, to Taunton, then Cardiff and back again to London, and I think that certainly had an effect.

The Somerset game on Friday finished at about 9pm, then we had to get to Cardiff, check in close to 12 and be at the ground early the next morning.

It’s fair to say there were a lot of weary bodies and that probably showed in our performance. But, with that said, we should have put it right when we got back to Lord’s for the Warwickshire game.

We dominated 80 to 90 per cent of the game and we should have won it, especially when Chris Rogers and Eoin Morgan were batting beautifully.

But when Rogers got out it was up to everyone else to contribute and we couldn’t quite do it. Losing was a bitter pill to swallow and we have to start making sure these close games go our way.

Now it’s vital that we beat Surrey. Last week’s T20 game against them could easily have gone the other way, when we bowled and fielded superbly.

There’s no reason why we can’t win this one, get our campaign up and running and build momentum. Surrey had some of their top batsmen out last week and it was great to bowl against the likes of Kevin Pietersen.

As a county cricketer, it’s the pinnacle to test yourself against that calibre of player and it has to get you buzzing – if it doesn’t something’s wrong.

I’m excited about the prospect of bowling to more good quality players in the England Lions series. Obviously I was over the moon to be told I was in the squad.

It was also a surprise because I didn’t think my name would necessarily be in the hat. But I’m looking forward to the challenge and I hope it’ll bring the best out of me.