A good personal week but one of frustration for the Crusade.

I couldn't have asked for a better return to CricInfo Championship cricket after missing last week with a dislocated digit. I scored 151 as the team clocked up a healthy 527 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. We scored the runs quickly being dismissed just after lunch on the second day. Very hot weather (30 degrees) and lightning fast outfields made batting very pleasurable as we made the most of some wayward bowling.

With runs on the board we created enough pressure to force Notts to follow on with only rain preventing us from winning on day three. The rain didn't clear on the final day until after lunch but, five quick wickets left us needing only two wickets with 50 overs remaining.

Then the rain came again!

As soon as it stopped we all swapped our crickets boots for gumboots and helped remove the covers which were very extensive. England insist on producing multi-talented players - that is more than one dimension to their game. I don't think groundsmen is what the selectors had in mind boys!

Our efforts were all in vain, although we did get more cricket we couldn't break the partnership with the game ending in a draw.

We are still top of the table but it would have been nice to create a buffer as we head into a two week break. It's a timely break as I will only miss two championship matches during my time in Sri Lanka. While I hope we maintain our position at the top of the table, my thoughts are now with the New Zealand team and our up coming triangular series with India and Sri Lanka.

I leave on Friday and look forward to meeting up with the guys on Saturday morning. I've been delighted with the weather in London this week which has been very muggy and hot, similar to conditions in Colombo.

But spare a thought for the boys coming in from NZ who have been training at the Academy in Christchurch. The morning frosts have been plunging temperatures into the negatives, which is not really conducive conditions for positive practice - especially catching drills.

This will be one of the biggest challenges to deal with - getting adjusted to the weather and also the wickets. Training indoors is massively different to any of the pitches we will play on in Sri Lanka; we will have to be smart in our preparations as we don't have much time before our first match. One thing for certain is we will hit the ground running as everyone will be rearing to go after three months break.

Change of tack - what an amazing weekend of sport!

The second Lions rugby international against Australia, the first Ashes cricket test at Edgbaston and finals weekend at Wimbledon. On Friday things couldn't have been better for the British - Tim Henman leading his semi-finals, the Lions confident of winning the series and a spectacular rearguard action from Alec Stewart and Andy Caddick putting on a 100 for the last wicket to give England a reasonable first innings score of 300.

By Saturday night Henman had been beaten, the Lions had lost and Australia were 400 for 4 with Steve Waugh the 'Rego' (regulation) 100 not out. You can imagine the papers - all I can say there's a fine line between a back slapper and back stabber!

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