Glamorgan ready for Joe Root after facing James Anderson

We’ve gone up against some top quality players so far in the County Championship and last week we faced James Anderson.

To play one of the best in the world is a fantastic experience for us and it was a fun contest, one that I had been looking forward to.

It can go one of two ways against the best bowlers out there, you can either relish the challenge or be a bit scared of it, but as a team we are definitely relishing it.

It was a bit different for me because some of the boys higher up the order faced him in really tough conditions when it was dark, cloudy and the ball was new.

When I came in Anderson wasn’t on and when he came back into the attack with the second new ball it was a bit dryer and the sun was out.

Lancashire's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of Glamorgan's Billy Root, during day two of the LV = Insurance County Championship match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.

I didn’t face heaps of balls against him but it was a good contest and he always tests you on off stump. It’s just about backing your technique and ability, trying to make sure that he doesn’t outfox you.

I made 58 and I didn’t get out to him, so can take a lot of confidence from that as I look for a bit more consistency in an up and down season.

I’ve had a few good scores mixed in with some low ones and have only batted in the second innings twice.

Sometimes I have got out after doing the hard work but I feel in a good place after Old Trafford and I hope to be better when going up against opponents for the second time.

You never really how it’s going to look coming out when you are up against, for example, Sussex’s Ollie Robinson or Kent’s Darren Stevens for the first time. I can plan for the next time and will back myself to perform.

That’s something I hope to do in the coming days in front of the Sky Sports cameras in our game against Yorkshire in Cardiff, another big opportunity against another tough side.

We played well against them up at Headingley – and I managed to get the England captain out.

It’s fair to say that it wasn’t the best ball in the world but Joe Root managed to whack a full toss straight in the air – any spinner will tell you that sometimes the poor stuff can get wickets.

Even the best in the world can mistime a full toss but I don’t think he’ll get out to that again! Hopefully I can take his wicket in a more conventional fashion.

Glamorgan's Callum Taylor hits out from the bowling of Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood, during day two of the LV = Insurance County Championship match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.

We want to continue to build as a team and we are enjoying playing these strong sides that were in Division One before the pandemic.

We are getting better with experience – Australia internationals Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Nesser help on that front – and we are building a bit more depth with good players in the second XI keeping the pressure on.

A lot of people have doubted us in the past but I think that we have shown we can perform at this level.

The weather was frustrating last week and the forecast is iffy for the coming days but hopefully we’ll have a bit of luck in June.

It’ll be a treat to get some fans in to watch our game with Lancashire in Cardiff, I know a lot of people are itching to get in and watch some cricket while we are itching to play in front of spectators.

We are a very energetic side in the field and it’ll be nice to feed off an atmosphere.

You don’t always get a big crowd for red-ball games but I’m sure every available seat will be taken for this one. It’s baby steps but bodes well for the rest of the season, especially when the white-ball cricket comes.