THE PARTY season starts tonight when the Twenty20 Cup gets under way at the Swalec Stadium with the visit of Gloucestershire.

It’s a form of the game that seems to be getting bigger and bigger by the year. This is the most anticipated yet because of the success of the IPL, Champions League and England being the World champions.

The format has changed quickly, from what started as a bit of a slog and laugh, to serious stuff.

And this has been reflected by the calibre of overseas players that have been recruited for the competition.

Adam Gilchrist, David Warner and Brendon McCullum are among the stars who will be on show but none will be able to bowl 90mph like our very own Shaun Tait.

Having the fastest bowler on the planet in your ranks is quite an asset let me tell you and will certainly give a few opposition batsmen the odd sleepless night.

He has been here now for nearly a week and has fitted straight into our particularly jovial dressing room.

To be fair, I don’t think anyone has not fitted in over the years. As long as you don’t mind people taking the mick you’ll fit in perfectly!

He has his sidekick with him in Mark Cosgrove – a fellow South Australian. It has been good to get their input as they both played in a very successful Twenty20 side Down Under last winter. Also Taity has been playing IPL for two years now with the great Shane Warne so his input will be invaluable.

The competition will also be a little longer this year with the fixture list expanded to 16 games per side.

This means there will be eight home games in Cardiff so come down and enjoy the fun and games of Twenty20 and cheer on the lads!

It’s so far so good in the Championship. Top of Division Two at the half way point is a great position to be in as the more sedate nature of four-day cricket gives way to the bish, bash, bosh of the Twenty20.

Last week’s win at Grace Road was actually a world record. It was the first time in first-class cricket that a team had a first-innings deficit of 125 to then win a game by ten wickets.

It just proved how far we have come as a team this year to show that character and commitment when we were up against it.

The way we have bowled as a unit this year has been brilliant. Every bowler has put his hand up on more than one occasion to put us in a match winning position.

James Harris continues to prove he is an international bowler in the making, but also Huw Waters has bowled with good control and has been unlucky not to have picked up more wickets. Jim Allenby has been a fantastic addition to our team this year and I firmly believe has been the engine for our team.

He has tremendous skill with the ball and deserves his position at the top of the first class bowling averages at present.

His batting at six has enabled us to post big scores which has put us in winning positions this year. I always feel that playing six batters is a huge advantage especially if one of those batters can bowl.

For me that has made a huge difference to our team and the reason why we are top of the league at the half way stage.

Leicester was also a good game for me personally picking up career best figures of 8-88 beating my previous best of 8-89 against Worcester earlier on in the season.

It’s been a good start to the season for me and I’m happy to have picked up 28 first-class wickets at the halfway stage in the championship season.

Playing against Surrey is always a tough game. When you play against Mark Ramprakash you know you have to be on top of your game.

After winning our last four championship games (first time since 2004) to come away with a draw against Surrey was a decent result.

Also I was able to get Mark to sign his autobiography for my father.

I thanked him between overs for this gesture, but then next over when he hit me for two fours he thanked me for the half volleys!