WE had a lot of pride to play for against Middlesex in our final LV= County Championship match of the season and we thoroughly deserved our victory by an innings and 128 runs.

We had nothing to play for in terms of league position because we had already been relegated from Division One — but it was great to finish the season in style.

It was a pleasure to see Tom Fell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit 171 and 130 not out respectively, while Shannon Garbriel bowled with fire in Middlesex’s first innings.

It was a good toss to win on the first morning of the game because the weather meant it was seamer-friendly conditions. The lads bowled extremely well.

Gabriel got five wickets and was well supported from the other end as we bowled out Middlesex for 98 in their first innings.

When we signed Gabriel, we were looking for someone who could make an impact and hit the ground running and he did that in his short period with us. He bowls with genuine pace and had the Middlesex batsmen jumping around.

He was a good guy to have in the dressing room, too, and was willing to share his thoughts with the other bowlers. Perhaps we might see him back at New Road in the future.

When we batted on the first evening, it was a very important period in the match.

I was dismissed cheaply but Brett D’Oliveira and Fell applied themselves brilliantly to get us to 70-1 overnight.

On the second day, the way in which Fell and Kohler- Cadmore played was a pleasure to watch. They are two young guys making their way in the game and showed great temperament. It was fantastic to sit up on the balcony and watch them in action as we reached 431-5 before declaring.

Middlesex started off reasonably well in their second innings but we came back after lunch. The turning point was when Ed Barnard claimed the wickets of Sam Robson and Nick Compton in the same over.

Jack Shantry also bowled a long and effective spell and Shannon chipped in with a couple of wickets as we dismissed Middlesex for 205.

Getting relegated was bitterly disappointing and I think we missed some golden opportunities to win some matches. But I believe the future is bright.

I have enjoyed skippering the club — I feel very proud and honoured to be the captain — and I hope I can carry on the duty next season. I will now enjoy a break and spending a bit of time with my wife and children before returning to the club for preseason fitness tests on the first Monday in November.