I WILL be a reluctant spectator today as Gloucestershire travel to Warwickshire in the C&G Trophy.

It's always disappointing not to be selected for a match, especially as I targeted the one-day games as an area where I wanted to make a bigger impression this week.

Still, these things happen in professional sport and you have to take it on the chin.

A win today will hopefully help banish the disappointment of our County Championship defeat by Northants.

The pitch didn't really suit us to be honest but there's no disguising that we didn't bat or bowl well.

Still, it's no use dwelling on it too much. There's still a lot of cricket to be played this summer.

While there was disappointment for Gloucestershire, it's been a good spell for England.

Zimbabwe had no answer to England (again) but I think talking of banishing them to the cricketing wilderness is a bit hasty.

The tourists were well beaten but I think the focus should be on giving credit to the England lads.

Richard Johnson certainly won't forget his debut in a hurry!

As a bowler, it is encouraging to see players similar to myself getting their opportunity at Test level and it just gives me even more incentive to work hard and give the selectors something to think about.

Zimbabwe's successive defeats have led to questions about whether they should continue as a top Test nation.

I'm not sure what to think. I suppose it does at least raise the question of whether there should be two Test divisions with promotion and relegation.

Whether the cricketing authorities would ever take such a step, I'm not sure.

Finally, I was surprised to hear there is some doubt about whether the Kensington Oval in Barbados and Sabina Park in Jamaica will be deemed fit enough to stage World Cup matches in 2007.

I suspect the reason is lack of practice facilities on site, but playing on both grounds was definitely a career highlight for me.

It's not every day you get to play in grounds which have seen some of the 'greats' perform such as Ambrose, Walsh and Holding.

Still, I can see the importance of cricket needing to offer the facilities necessary to attract sponsors and supporters.