Brown out to make amends

All-rounder David Brown kept Gloucestershire in the hunt in the NatWest Pro40

The Gloucestershire players head back into training next month after they failed to win an LV County Championship game this summer.

Determined to put that right as soon as they can, those who are not travelling to play overseas are due back in the nets in three weeks' time.

All-rounder David Brown is one of those keen to get stuck back in.

"We have got a couple of weeks off now and then we are straight into training with some fitness and working on our games indoors," he told ecb.co.uk.

"I think I would be lying if I said losing games and not winning games doesn't affect the team. There is a pressure to perform, like there is in any job.

"It can be that losing becomes a habit as well as winning. And when you are at the bottom teams don't want to lose to you. If you haven't won a game then they don't want to be the side that you win against."

Brown is philosophical about Gloucestershire's season, with their one-day form marginally better than the longer format.

"We played some good cricket for periods of time but ultimately when it came to the crunch we were left lacking a little bit," he admitted. "I think the table doesn't really lie.

"Every side in Div Two, I am sure, had aspirations to be promoted at the start of the season. We were no different, so to finish bottom was very disappointing.

"I think in one-day cricket we had a poor Twenty20 competition, but I think in the Friends Provident Trophy we played some really good cricket. We just weren't good enough on the day in the quarter-final against Yorkshire.

"In the NatWest Pro40, with it being such a short competition, a couple of rained-off games can really affect you. I think we were in the hunt until the last two games and then didn't manage to finish in the first couple.

"We started the season really well and were quite upbeat. At the end of the day it could have been very different."

Brown, himself, wanted to use 2008 to secure a regular place in the Gloucestershire side and earn a new contract - both of which he achieved.

"I was pleased with my performance, but I think I can still do quite a lot better," he said. "When I got in I tended to make quite a few scores between 30 and 70.

Brown managed to secure a more regular place in the Gloucestershire one-day line-up this season

"Any batter will tell you that you have got to cash in when you get the opportunity.

"My bowling was pretty good and it developed as I went on. I am predominantly a batting all-rounder but if I can contribute in any way with the ball, then that is a real bonus for the team.

"I have been happy with my bowling and hopefully I can do a lot more of it."

A winter spent in the sunnier climes of Australia, playing for Northcote Cricket Club, aided Brown's development, and the improvement he made during the trip was evident this season.

"I think I had a poor year last year and didn't really perform so I went away and had a winter in Melbourne," he said.

"I worked really hard on my game, not just technically and physically, but mentally hard. I re-assessed my goals and asked myself a few hard questions about where I was going and what I wanted to do.

"I put a plan and a few processes in place and it worked for me.

"Unfortunately I got injured for eight weeks in May so that ruled me out and stunted my progress a bit. I managed to get in the one-day side and was sniffing around the four-day side when that set me back.

"Luckily, I managed to get another go later in the year."

Brown ended the championship campaign with 348 runs, including a top-score of 83, and 15 wickets at an average of 26.66, to finish top of the regular bowlers in the Gloucestershire side.

Included in that was a career-best 5-38 he took against Derbyshire at the end of the season.

"I think I managed to become a better player during the year," he claimed. "I think I can look back and say I gave it my best shot and use it as a building block for next year.

"It is something for me to build on and hopefully I can improve on my performance this time next year."