THE BOYS are over the moon to have got our first win of the NatWest T20 Blast by beating a talented Middlesex side.

We know we will have some tougher games over the next few weeks but it was great to get off the mark. Hopefully coming off the back of the Kent game (a first victory in the LV County Championship) we can get a bit of momentum going across all forms.

It was fantastic to hit the winning runs on my T20 debut. I found out I was playing on Wednesday night after the injury to Rodders (Gareth Roderick). I was a bit nervous before the game but once the match starts you soon forget about it.

By the time I went into bat I felt pretty relaxed as we needed only 25 from five overs. It was surreal to be facing Stephen Finn (Middlesex and England fast bowler) who is someone I have grown up watching play for England on TV.

I managed to hit my first ball for four which helped get rid of any remaining nerves and it was great to play my part in getting us over the line (scoring 18 not out in 13 balls).

The main difference I found playing in the T20 compared to the County Championship is that the energy levels are higher on the field and everyone seems to be buzzing. It is a bigger crowd than we usually get and with the music blasting after every boundary, as a player it’s the kind of atmosphere you want to play in.

Rain did affect the crowd a bit on Friday but it is still probably the biggest I’ve played in front of. To start with it was quite difficult to get used to – especially wicket keeping when facing the Pavilion where the majority of people were – but I soon managed to block it out and enjoy the atmosphere.

It was funny to think that only a few years ago I was in the crowd watching matches and hoping that one day I would be the other side of the rope.

We now play Sussex and Kent away in the T20 before our next home match against Glamorgan on June 8.

As a proud Welshman and having learned my cricket over the border it would be great to be involved in that game.