Be not afraid of moving slowly, only of standing still.

This was the quote that coach Peter Moores left us on our board this week, taken from one of his many books of Chinese proverbs. The more senior players will recognise this as a call to raise their own game, and that the time has come to stand up and be counted.

The one main difference that divisional cricket has brought to the game is pressure. Pressure to remain in the top flight, pressure to get into it. You only have to pick up a copy of the Daily Telegraph, the cricket enthusiasts' bible, to see that Division One cricket gets all the attention and all the reporting. Very important to all aspects of the club, be it the marketing department who can sell on the back of publicity, or the player seeking to impress selectors from afar.

All of this combined means that if you want to watch or play in a superior standard of cricket, then get yourself into and then stay in Division One.

It seems that our quest to do just that has come down to just two games, two very important games. Out of all the teams involved in the relegation fight, we seem to be in the most favourable position. If we outpoint Hampshire, then we know they are gone. If we beat them, then we all but condemn Yorkshire and Somerset as well.

Of course, those two teams have to win their remaining games to a chance of finishing ahead of us but all in all we are in reasonable shape. It was therefore imperative that the focus and preparation for the Hampshire game was spot on.

Ahead of the game we had back-to-back NUL fixtures. Our form in that competition is well documented, and given that we had lost all our match matches since that memorable Championship victory over Surrey more than 3 weeks ago, it was inevitable that action had to be taken.

Perhaps the most notable of changes we made was the omission of Richard Montgomerie. Out of sorts of late in the Championship, and with a disappointing average of just 13 from his last ten NUL innings, it has been a mixed season for arguably our best batsman of last year.

As a captain, you are often put in difficult positions, and whether to drop our leading one-day batsman from a competition he has not fired in will rate as one of the toughest I have had. The decision was made that much harder as Monty was desperate to play, in order to put right the wrongs and also to find some form ahead of the crucial Championship games.

In fact, I went the other way, and felt that as well as giving those without opportunities thus far the chance, it might just be the incentive that Monty needed for a final onslaught in the Championship.

There are times when you get it right and times when you get it wrong. Thankfully, this time, my decisions have been vindicated after completing two wins in the NUL. Then, after losing the toss in the crucial Hampshire match, Monty batted throughout the whole of day one to register 168 not out. A magnificent riposte from a talented player who, and he will not agree with me, from time to time needs to really challenge himself.

We said farewell to Will House this week as he announced his retirement. I only have good things to say about Will. An extremely popular member of the side, his explosive and competitive nature will be missed by all and touch rugby in the morning will never be the same.

A reminder that next week we play a memorial match for our friend and colleague, Umer Rashid. It has been an incredibly tough year since Umer's death but in many ways it has brought the squad closer together. Friday the 13th will be our own opportunity to remember Umer. The afternoon and evening is an occasion to celebrate his life, his career, and all that he stood for - peace, love and freedom.

Saturday September 7