It would be a crucial confidence-builder for us if we can go on and win our County Championship game with Northamptonshire.

Gloucestershire CCC have not won a four-day game since we beat Leicestershire in the 2007 season and we've put ourselves in a good position to end that run.

There is a determination to have a really good season in four-day cricket – as there is in one-day cricket – and the next week offers us a chance to put ourselves high up the table before there is a long stretch of Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup games.

Our first aim is to win the game at Northampton and then we have a home game with Leicestershire, who look a side that can be beaten.

We have played some good four-day cricket since that last win a long time ago, but the problem we've had is that it has been only in patches.

We have to add greater consistency, even though we lost to Essex in a low-scoring game last week, I think there have been encouraging signs already this season that we can do so.

There's no doubt we have greater strength in depth this year, and that the guys have improved their skills.

There's more trust in the guys that come into the team when opportunities arise.

It's vital that everyone has something to contribute and that we don't rely on a few players to produce stand-out performances all the time.

With the bowlers, for instance, there is going to be emphasis this year on everyone bowling shorter spells. The guys are aiming to take one wicket in each spell and if they do that, they've done their job.

I was back in charge of the team on Wednesday, after Alex (Gidman) had a back spasm and was unable to field, and I was very conscious of not over-bowling anyone in one spell.

It's important we keep the bowlers as fresh as possible by keeping them to five or six-over spells. It's especially important for a guy like Steve Kirby, who is very much an impact bowler.

I've probably been guilty over the last couple of seasons of bowling him for spells that have been too long. The idea this year is to keep him fresh and he showed in taking four wickets on Wednesday what an effective bowler he can be.

However, it's going to be a tough ask to bowl Northants out for a second time, particularly as we've got a few injuries.

We were down to three bowlers on Wednesday after James Franklin suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury, Ian Saxelby twisted his ankle and Alex was off the field with his back problem. He was walking around as if a sniper had shot him, but it had eased a lot by Wednesday evening.

The injuries meant we had to use several substitute fielders – David Brown, Craig Spearman, who has had a thigh strain, and our coach John Bracewell, who pulled his groin the first time he had to chase the ball!

Bearing those problems in mind, I thought it was an outstanding effort to bowl Northants out for 161. Vikram Banerjee and Kirbs bowled particularly well and were rewarded with four wickets each.

There is a bit of variable bounce and turn in the pitch, so hopefully we can go on and get that long-awaited victory.

If we do so, much of the credit should go to Sax (Saxelby) for the unbeaten 60 he made in our first innings. He may be a pace bowler first and foremost, but I think he used to open the batting at school. He and I are having a little battle for the number eight spot. I'm batting there at the moment, but he batted at number nine on Tuesday and got some important runs.

He looks a very good prospect and I was just as impressed by his bowling in the Friends Provident Trophy win over Surrey. He bowled hard and straight to put the Surrey batsmen under pressure and got four wickets.

The Surrey game was one we dominated pretty much throughout and sets us up nicely for a big game with Yorkshire at Headingley on Sunday.

They have won two out of two, so whoever comes out on top is going to be in a good position to qualify for the quarter-finals.

To beat Surrey without Spears (Spearman) and Franklin proved there is more depth to the squad this year.

That will be tested again on Sunday because, while Spears should be fit, one or two others will probably be unavailable.

Interview by Mark Easterbrook.