The team's preparations have been good ahead of the new campaign. We had 10 days out in Potchefstroom, South Africa preparing, it was a slightly warmer and sunnier climate to train in than what we faced when we got back, so that was great for us.
We've also had a marquee constructed over our outside nets which has allowed us to train in the rain and in all sorts of conditions so we should be better prepared, or as well prepared as we have been in any season, certainly in the recent past, so we're going in to the new campaign in a pretty good position.
Our preparation for the new season built up through the winter. Off the back of the South Africa tour and on to the pre-season games.
It was great to have played those practice games, I know some counties don't have the practice games because of the weather conditions, but touch wood our ground staff work very hard and we'll start the season proper on time.
Both Goodwin and Hogan are going to bring a real experienced edge to our team. Murray Goodwin is very well known to people in this country, his record of successes is second to none and his performances over the last ten years in county cricket have been outstanding, so he will bring that senior edge to the batting line up.
Michael Hogan will hopefully step into the shoes of James Harris, who we sadly lost, but he'll come in and lead the bowl attack and he has had an outstanding summer in Australia and I think we are very lucky to have him. I think Western Australia did all they could to try and keep him but thankfully he is coming so he will come over and lead our attack and again offer that experience to our younger bowlers as well.
What's more with Simon Jones looking to play more four day cricket for us, it's almost like having another new signing. He did well last year in One-Day cricket and came through the season unscathed. He's ready to step it up, looking to play more cricket and having him coming in to four day cricket is a real asset.
He still has that hunger to want to play, to want to perform and 'til this day, he still has those attributes that he is famous for…reverse swing and bowling quick, so having him in our line up or for as many games we can utilise him for this year will be great.
One of the things that we took from last year, which was a disappointing year, was that we are a far better side than performances showed, so there is a lot of determination to even that ledger, to put things right.
We're going into the season and we're a far better side than I think people give us credit for this year, which I think is a good position to be going in to a season and we've got a few things to put right. There is a determination in the side to do that to put in some performances that are reflective of our ability.
I've had a couple of very good years personally and I want to try to keep improving, to keep trying to get better. As far as the Captaincy goes, I learnt a lot from my first year of being captain last year and this year will be a case of trying to put some things into place which I learnt from those experiences.
We are very collective when it comes to our goals and there is a collective desire here to perform better than we have in recent years and everybody's individual goals will fit into that.
Although I'm juggling Club Captaincy, PCA Chairman and my Benefit year it probably sounds a lot worse than it is, I'm Club Captain, captain of four day cricket and I haven't got any one day responsibilities this year which is obviously quite a weight off my shoulders in a way.
The PCA stuff is really good, interesting and exciting but my focus is very much on performing for Glamorgan and for Glamorgan to do well.
The Benefit Year is great but a lot of it is run by other people. I've got a couple of outstanding Chairmen in Paul Sussex and Ian Williams who are taking a huge amount of the strain along with my committee, so I'm feeling a bit guilty really, I don't think I'm doing very much at all.
As far as the benefit goes we've got a variety of events which I should probably be using this to sell, we've got a website and we are looking to put on a Glamorgan legends game in Abergavenny, midsummer which will be really good, trying to get all the old stages back playing, your Huw Morris', your Steve James' and dare I say it Crofty - those sort of guys, get them back on the field one more time before they start having hip operations and the zimmers come out. There will be some good things throughout the year so hopefully as they say a good year on the field and off the field.
Read the full interview in the new Glamorgan Magazine available from the ground today. First edition free for members this week or £3 for non members.
