The PPP County Championship Division Two table has a good look about it.

Essex are riding high in second place just ten points adrift of leaders Worcestershire as we set out to achieve a third successive win from our current four-day outing against Glamorgan in deepest Wales.

Championship tables have been few and far between so far in a season that has been seriously interrupted by persistent rain, but good wins against Northants and Gloucestershire in our previous two matches have pushed us right up there - and deservedly so.

Last week's win down at Bristol was a triumph for team spirit as much as for a great innings by Paul Prichard, some great seam bowling and good lower order stands involving Barry Hyam, Darren Robinson, Tim Mason and Ashley Cowan.

The ball was moving all over the place after we were put in on the first day and Prich used all his guile and experience to make sure we got away to a good start before he was eventually out just four runs short of a deserved century.

Half-centuries from myself, Paul Grayson and young Hyam also put us in with a great chance and it was beyond even our wildest dreams when Gloucester were skittled for just 85 in their second innings leaving us to savour a great win with a whole day to spare.

It was also nice to achieve victory without big scores from Nasser Hussain or Stuart Law.

They are clearly big guns and will always get runs. Sadly they missed out this time, but when the pressure was on the other boys reacted positively and that's how I always want it to be.

Sadly, with every silver lining comes a cloud and it seems you can't keep everybody happy all of the time.

I am coming under increasing pressure from certain sections of the media and the Essex support to explain why off-spinner Peter Such is not in the team.

It is easy for these critics to speak from afar, but I am selecting the team and I will go on picking what I believe to be our best side.

I always talk over the make-up of the side with senior players like Nasser Hussain, Stuart Law, Paul Prichard and Keith Fletcher and at no time has Suchie been counted out of our plans.

He is a quality bowler and whenever the time and the conditions are right he will be in the side.

But every wicket we have played on this season has been seamer-friendly and although Suchie's replacement Mason is primarily an off-spinner he is brilliant in the field and has also been involved in several lower order stands, despite his own apparent lack of runs.

Heart says England, but head says West Indies

Watch out England - Brian Lara is back!

As our Aussie Stuart Law always says: "A batsman is only one ball away from being in good nick."

And the previously below-par Lara rediscovered his golden touch with a brilliant knock of 176 for the West Indies against Zimbabwe last week- just in time for the series against England which was due to get under way at Edgbaston today.

Lara's been somewhat jaded in the past year or so, but his return to form could be ominous for England and a real boost for a West Indies squad that is always thrilled to be touring this country.

Some of the Windies may be a little long in the tooth now, but in Lara, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and skipper Jimmy Adams they boast a number of match-winners, although with Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, Andy Caddick and Darren Gough, England have their own.

That's why my heart says England to win while my head points to a West Indies triumph.

Skeletons in cricket cupboard

The worms are starting to come out of the woodwork and a few skeletons are being found in the cupboard as the Hansie Cronje "match fixing" allegations continue to hit the headlines worldwide.

The deposed South African captain is coming increasingly under pressure as his former team-mates begin to squeal and poor old Hansie could be just one of a number of big names who could be facing life bans before the huge match-rigging investigations are completed.

Hansie appears to be sinking ever deeper as the pressure mounts and a lot of dirt has yet to be dug before the world cricket authorities get to the bottom of what is clearly a filthy business.

Hansie's alleged involvement came as a huge surprise to me. I always thought he was a truly great captain and a thoroughly nice guy.

I think it could be another two years at least before world cricket can hold its head up high again.

Bring on the Germans

England will win Euro 2000!

You might think I'm daft for sticking my neck out and predicting that after the defeat by Portugal, but I genuinely believe we are still good enough to lift the trophy.

Portugal were outstanding and are clearly one of the best countries in the tournament, but write England off at your peril.

I thought David Beckham and Paul Scholes were outstanding against the Portuguese and at 2-0 up we should have gone on to win the game.

We went for the win and ended up with defeat.

Ronnie Irani was talking to FRANCIS PONDER

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.