This always happens: the team joins up for a tour and we are worked really hard up until a couple of days out from the first big game. And it’s been no different here. The amount of time we have been on our feet training in this last week has been more than, I would say, normal and the by-product is that there is a tired set of boys. The bowling coach wants his piece, the fielding and batting work need doing and our physical trainer wants his piece too. The schedule has been tough and it’s not about to get any easier over the next few days.

In the last two days we have played Bangladesh and Ireland in warm-up games. It was Bangladesh down here at Wormsley, where we’ve been training and then up to Derby to the County Ground to play Ireland. Both were good games for different reasons.

The Bangla game was a tight one. We let them get away to a pretty handy start with the bat through some not-so-good bowling, myself guilty of some very good and some very bad; which was also the problem in the Ireland game, but I’ll get to that soon. We pulled it back really nicely through the middle with Dan [Vettori], Nathan, [McCullum] Butts [Butler] and then didn’t do too bad at the death as well.

We needed 147 to win. Not a big score, but still one that was going to take a bit of work against a disciplined bowling attack. We needed 12 off the last over and it came down to the last ball for us to knock it off. Nathan did this in typical McCullum fashion, six off the first ball and then a four off the last to secure the win. It was a bit of a wake-up call and the review early the next morning brought forward some parts of the game where we need to take chances more rather than sitting back and hoping it will happen.

I had been bowling really well in the training game situations that we’d be doing out in the middle and then came into this game with an uneasy feeling and didn’t get it quite right. As I said I was either good or bad. And I know why; it’s never been easy for me to control some of the emotions that are needed to replicate the good things ball after ball.

As I said, we were up early for the review before heading up to Derby for the Ireland match. It was raining down here and raining in Derby when we set off. The groundsman had assured us the rain would stay away for the afternoon and we’d get a full game in; and this groundsman was right. The rain stayed away and we got a full game in.

We bowled first and I got through my first couple of overs for around six runs; a big difference from the day before. My third over wasn’t quite as good, but I’ll take the improvements from the day before. Again we tied it up really well through the middle, Dan, his normal self, and Jesse [Ryder] contributing a two-over spell for just four runs and picking up three wickets at the same time; a little game changer right there.

My death over wasn’t great. I started with a no-ball what went for four. I haven’t bowled a no-ball for quite a while and it annoys me a lot when I do, especially when it’s a free-hit to follow. I managed a dot ball on the free-hit, thank goodness, although the rest of the over was again either good or bad. A slower ball that went for six and an attempted yorker that went for four, not my best work I then finished off with two dots which I was pretty thankful for.

So we had 150 to chase. Not a bad score and it was going to take some work getting that was until Ross Taylor stepped up! Eight sixes in one innings takes you a very long way to winning game and that we did with about three overs to spare. Some of the sixes were huge; one clean over the players sheds at extra cover into a pretty strong breeze. And that was that, an ice bath for me, a warm shower, a quick meal and we were back on the bus heading back down here. I must mention Guppy's [Guptill] innings of 47 off 45 who started us off well and then took the back seat role when Ross was going off.

The bus trip was tough, my body, along with most of the others, was a bit sore and tired after two games in two days with the four-hour return bus trip.

It was an early start again this morning, straight to the ground to get some training in before Scotland took on the West Indies at Wormsley. I had a day off bowling today and was quite happy about it; my back was a little sore and tight. I got our physio to get stuck in and loosen it up. I’ll tell you, for all the pain she put me through if it hadn’t felt a lot better when I got off the table I was never going to get back on. I’ll be getting back on, I felt a whole better. Nice job Kate! I had a good bat and then we headed off to do some fielding at another ground so that game could start. I’ve always got work to do here and after we had finished I went back and did some more as I wasn’t happy with what I had got through in the session. I’ve been having problems picking up the distance of the ball off the bat. So I had a whole heap of running catches to work on. The only thing about working like this is that you sprint and catch a ball then sprint and catch another. It is a killer. I caught a couple I didn’t think I’d get to but then dropped a couple I had over-run. This distance thing is annoying me. Maybe I should have taken up the offer of getting my eyes checked when I was in Napier last.

It’s Friday night and I’m knackered. After playing on Tuesday for Leicestershire against Nottingham, travelling here to just outside of Oxford to join the training camp for the World Twenty20 and training hard the last couple of days, the last thing I could think of is a Friday night out on the juice; well not quite, I could actually go a couple, but they won’t be good for me, so I’ll give them a miss.

Tuesday’s match result did not matter for us in terms of progressing in the FPT competition. We were already out of contention for the semis. Of course we were out there to win, and to do our best to win but it was also a chance to change the team up a little and give a couple of guys a game in either different positions or just be playing. This was my first game back after getting hit in the ribs 10 days ago. I had had a really good bowl in the nets the previous day, which was my first bowl back, and I was surprised at how good I felt and how pain free I was while bowling; that doesn’t happen very often!! Straightaway I felt good at the crease and had that sometimes illusive rhythm. I passed myself fit for next day’s game and was really looking forward to getting back out and playing.

Weather was not forecasted great for the game and it kept its promise. Rain came in a couple of times and eventually finished Notts’ innings at about the 36 over mark. The rain kept coming in and only left time for a ten-over chase, and we were set 77 for a win. We didn’t quite get there after losing a couple of wickets close together in the middle of the chase. It wasn’t to be today and there was that too familiar feeling of a loss.

I bowled 6.3 overs for around 30 which I was reasonably happy with. My first two overs I felt really good, bowled well and tied them down nicely. My next two I tried to bowl a little too fast, I was just so excited to be back out on the park, fit, and feeling good and I got a little carried away. I pulled it back in the last two overs of my spell and picked up a wicket in a maiden over and then my next only went for one. A good finish to my first match and spell back and I could now head off to this training camp with confidence that I am both fit and feeling good with my bowling.

Our training base is at a ground called Wormsley, it’s the late Sir John Paul Getty’s ex-residence. He decided he wanted a cricket ground in his premises, so he built one. It’s a really beautiful ground with great on and off-field facilities and it’s been a treat to train and play here. I’ll add some photos tomorrow hopefully....

Since I joined up we haven’t been in the nets, we’ve been out in the middle going through game situations with proper fields, full intensity bowling and some very, very big hits. The boys have obviously been training hard back in New Zealand before getting here, and in the couple of days they got here before I joined up. It has been an impressive start to the World Twenty20 campaign.

Tomorrow will be another tough day with morning and afternoon sessions out in the middle. I was tired after this afternoon session but after a swim back at the hotel and a good meal I am looking forward to getting back out there and training hard.

We played a game yesterday afternoon as part of our preparation. We played against the New Zealand Cricket Club; New Zealanders living in London who ‘wander’ around the south-east playing around 20 fixtures a year. They were never going to be strong opponents but it was still good match practice none the less. Guppy shone in this match scoring a spectacular 101 off 53 balls with some massive hits included; a treat to watch. I was pretty happy with four overs for 18 and picking up a cheeky wicket too.

So, onwards we head towards the World Cup. Franky joined us today from Gloucestershire and a couple of the IPL boys turn up tomorrow. It’ll be good to get everyone here and firing over the next few days.

	The rhythm was back while bowling in the first innings against Gloucestershire © Getty Images

I’ve got a bit of time on my hands at the moment. Playing for Leicestershire in the most recent Championship match (four-day) I got hit in the ribs while batting in the second innings. I’ll come to that in a bit.

So, so far over here I haven’t done as well as I’d have hoped. In my first couple of matches my action wasn’t really there and had to do some work on it during a training session that I managed to squeeze in before this Championship match. I had a good little bowl out in the middle in training, slowed everything down and just concentrated on a strong load-up and release. My run-up rhythm came quickly and then all of a sudden I was hitting the catcher’s glove hard from a nice length. It had come back to me and I had learnt some more about where my action needs to be and how to get it there when it falls over.

We turned up to the ground in Bristol, where Gloucestershire are based, to a pleasant surprise. I had been told of the cold and somewhat dank changing rooms that were on offer there; we were very happy to get use of the new changing rooms. They were fantastic, comfortable and easily a large enough area for an international team; a couple of very good baths for either hot or cold baths. Nice work Glos!

The pitch looked like something I wanted to bowl on and was really impressed with our openers getting through the morning session without loss; a great job by these two. Unfortunately it didn’t quite continue. We lost eight wickets around the 80-90 mark and scratched through to 133. After such a great opening partnership we didn’t do well enough after that. I was pretty happy with my 23 and got through some tough stuff too.

I was looking forward to bowling on this deck; I had watched the Glos bowlers get some pace, bounce and a little movement; a couple of things that I don’t mind. I bowled well, I was really happy with how it came out and the lengths I was hitting. Of course, as normal, I was trying to bowl a touch fuller than my natural lengths are, not quite hitting it, but still making them play, and miss, in areas I want them to be playing in. It was what I needed to be doing after an average couple of weeks here at the start.

I got through 32 overs and ended up with two wickets. I feel that on another day it could have been maybe six or seven. I have certainly bowled worse and had more wickets. Thirty-two overs is quite a few but I felt really good, when you bowl well the body is generally doing the things it should be and body parts don’t hurt as much. It’s when you don’t bowl well that the body hurts as the sequences are out and you end up muscling rather than using rhythm to get it in the right place. Of course the baths were used for both hot and colds as I’m always trying my best to keep the body right for the next day.

Second-innings batting and we’re 260 behind. A tough ask to save this one if the weather doesn’t interfere. It didn’t, and we ended up getting 71 in front and Glos knocked it off without loss; a ten-wicket defeat. It was a pretty good effort to make 331 with a couple of lads getting some real good scores without going on to make them special. Always need guys to make scores special as they can be the winning, or saving, of a match.

I got 31 in the second innings in a partnership of 55 with Carl Crowe. I earned every one of that 31 in this innings. I got a pounding from Steve Kirby from over and mostly around the wicket. Mostly I feel I played him quite well, he was quick and aggressive. I have had a lot of short stuff since the Gabba Test in Australia and am getting better at facing it. As I’ve said if I can get under a bouncer early I generally get under the rest. I couldn’t pick up (see) Kirby as well as I have picked others in the past and it was tough. It took a lot of mental effort to try not to back away and just slog. I tried as hard as I could to stay in line and play as solidly as I could and in that effort I got pinned by stepping out of my game plan. I had a pull shot that I stepped away from and opened up my right side, the ball went thud and I knew I was in trouble.

I tried to warm up to bowl during the change of innings but just could not get through any part of my action without it hurting. Lots. So I sat in the changing room with ice on my side. I had thought earlier in the day that if we got 150 in front we had a chance of winning. Not to be and a couple of games on the bench for me.

Because I know you all care ... The ribs are coming along okay, a lot better over the last couple of days that it was in the first two. I had a good work-out in the gym this morning with Suzie, our Leicestershire trainer. I couldn’t do everything I would do normally but got through some good stuff and will get back in there tomorrow to do more.

Some people have asked why I’m not off playing in the IPL. Well, cause I’m here playing for Leicestershire. I got asked to play during the India series but as I had already signed for Leicestershire I couldn’t take up the offer. I just spoke to Graham Napier, who’s just been selected in the England World T20 team and has been a team-mate of mine at Wellington; he said he had a great time with his team Mumbai Indians and throughout his time in the tournament. Hopefully next time it comes around I’ll get a chance to play as it looks and sounds like a great tournament to be a part of.

Well, it’s cold here right now. I’m at home in England, on the couch about to pack and drive to Bristol for the start of tomorrow’s Championship match vs Gloucestershire. I’ve been over here for two weeks now after a few extra days back in New Zealand waiting on my passport to come back with a visa entry stamp in it to come and play for Leicestershire.

I must, again, thank the good guys at Post Haste for helping me out a whole heap. My passport had to go to Canberra, Australia, to get the visa. I knew that as soon as it came back into NZ on its way back to me the ‘track and trace’ number that I could watch online would be activated. So as soon as it landed and was in the Post Haste system, I was on to them to get it to me ASAP. The last week I was back in NZ I was never far from a computer so that I could check to see if it had got back to Auckland on its way back to me in Wellington. I had also been changing my flights, almost every day, hoping the passport would turn up. So, at 3.45pm, a couple of Tuesdays ago, I saw, online, my passport had reached Auckland. If I was to get out that day I would need to:

a) somehow pick it up in Auckland as it wasn’t going to make it to Wellington in time
b) change my flight and hope that there was a seat available.

So that was one nervous, stressful and in the end a successful afternoon. Flights changed, that was the easy bit. Picking up the passport that was going to take some magic, and somehow the planets aligned and it worked out! Again, Post Haste, Jimmy Sales, Phil and the others who helped out, an massive thank you from me and of course my wife.

So, I’m here now and have played three one day matches and one Championship match for Leicestershire. The schedule is pretty tight and time off between games isn’t as much as we would get at home in our domestic season.

We haven’t had a great start to the season with our first win only coming yesterday against Ireland in the Friends Provident Trophy. So far I haven’t really succeeded as I would have hoped to in the competition. I had two weeks off in NZ before getting here and really enjoyed doing very little and letting the body have its rest. I am a bowler who bowls best when I’ve been bowling and bowling. So I was in a catch 22 situation. I needed the rest but I also needed to keep bowling to hit the ground running here. I was hopeful that I could get into the groove over here after a couple of training sessions and find my form quickly. I haven’t, unfortunately, and last week’s Championship match at Southgate vs Middlesex was not my best showing, at all.

Yesterday was better, the action is almost back to where it should be, and the adjustment of lengths to bowl on slower and lower pitches has been the tougher part. Coming from a Test series on some good Test pitches to county cricket early in the season on low and slow decks has been a little frustrating. But I have to get on and do my job, learn, adjust and get some wickets for the team.

So far the weather has been pretty good; although, as I said, it’s rather cold and wet today. The decision to take the IPL to South Africa looks to be a good one, apart from the early few games that were rain affected and the weather here, in the UK, was outstanding. I’ve been trying to keep up with the results and how the NZ boys have been going, but as I don’t have the channel they are being shown on, I don’t get to watch much of the footage. So it’s Cricinfo for the match reports and live scorecards. It’s a tight competition and some upsets have been played out right the way through. I’m looking forward to catching up with the guys once they get over here for the Twenty20 World Cup to hear how this one has been.

Right then, time to pack the bags, pick up a couple of lads and get on the road to Bristol. I’ll be back in a couple of days with another update.

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