I’VE JOINED Essex on loan for a month and I’m looking forward to playing first-team cricket and joining a good side.

Some players might be happy playing second-team cricket and I think that all depends on your character but I can’t stand not playing – I get really agitated when I’m not in the side.

I think that I’ve been bowling quite well this year but I haven’t been getting in the team and I haven’t played any T20 cricket at all, which is a competition that I really think that I should be playing in.

I want to be playing first-team cricket, so I pushed for this and it’s all happened this week.

I waited a little while but you have to be cut-throat in professional sport if you want to be playing as much as possible.

Hampshire made me available for a loan and clubs that were interested could then speak to them about it.

Essex came in for me and I’m happy that they did because they’re a very good side. Even though they play in Division Two, they’re definitely a Division One team.

They’ve got some very good players in their squad like Ravi Bopara, Jesse Ryder and Graham Napier and it will be good to play alongside guys like that.

I’m very excited about it. Obviously, I’ve been at Hampshire for a long time but when you’re involved in professional sport, you have to do what you think is best for your career.

Hopefully I can have a good month with Essex.

I’m looking forward to walking in to a new dressing room, joining up with a new group of players and showing what I can do.

They’ve got a four-day game against Australia this week, so I think my first day will be on Monday - there’s a four-day game against Lancashire at Old Trafford and that could be my first game for Essex.