Lancashire batsman Steven Croft made his name in 2008, scoring his maiden first-class century for the club.

The 24-year-old made 122 in a match against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford in June and admitted that that was when he started to feel comfortable in the Lancashire side.

“You just tell yourself that you are good enough for the level,” he told ecb.co.uk. “Especially when I got my first hundred. That was a big relief.

“I built on last season’s experience and getting my maiden first-class hundred was one of my main aims for this season.

“I bowled a bit more than last season too, so I think personally it went quite well.”

On the field for Lancashire things were not quite as successful as they finished in the middle of the table in the LV County Championship Division One, second from bottom in their conference of the Friends Provident Trophy, reached the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup and were relegated in the NatWest Pro40.

“It was a bit up and down really,” Croft admitted. “We had overseas players coming in and out, and we didn’t have one for the last few games.

“But overall it was a good experience. A lot of the younger guys on the staff got a go towards the end of the season.

“When, at the end, there was a mainly Lancastrian core, there was a good sort of feel.”

Croft himself is Lancastrian through and through, having been born in Blackpool and made his way through the ranks at the club.

He was always determined to break into the Lancashire first team.

“At first, I just wanted to get into the side,” he confirmed. “At the start of the season I wanted to play every game.

“So, first of all, my aim was just to get runs in the second team and hopefully get a spot in the first team.”

Croft was Lancashire's one-day player of the year after topping the batting averages in the Pro40

When he got that opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands and ended the season as Lancashire’s player of the year and one-day player of the year.

It was his performances in the NatWest Pro40 which put him above his team-mates for the latter award - a competition in which he made 176 runs at an average of 44, 22 more than nearest rival Francois du Plessis.

“With the first few games getting rained off, it was just a case of being able to go out and express yourself,” he said.

“There was no sort of pressure on it, really. You could just go out there and enjoy yourself.”

Croft played 12 of Lancashire’s 15 championship matches and was ever-present in the limited-overs set-up as he forged a regular place in the side.

He puts his success down to a more settled mental approach to his own game.

“I didn’t change much technically,” he said. “It was more mentally. Last year I batted at three for a lot of the first-class games and I learned a lot.

“Mentally-wise I know what it’s about and what to expect.”

In order to further his development as a cricketer, Croft is off to play state cricket for Auckland in New Zealand.

“I have had a couple of winters in Australia, but I have never been to New Zealand,” he said. “It is first-class cricket as well so hopefully I am going to gain from that and progress like I have been doing each season.

“Hopefully I will be able to convert some scores, and I will be bowling quite a bit out there. I want to bowl some long, consistent spells.

“It is a good set-up with a really nice set of lads, so hopefully it will be a good experience.”