Warren Hegg will play on Saturday

The guys had played really well to take it into a decider, and it was really annoying we were just edged out.

We had a good chat about it afterwards, saying we had done well to turn the series round, but unfortunately things didn't go our way.

Some decisions didn't quite go our way and luck was against us.

Now it's time to concentrate on the Test series.

Rest important

I've been told that all six of the guys who have just arrived here are going to play in the first warm-up game starting on Saturday.

The team are looking to rest as many of the one-day squad as possible. Obviously it's been a long trip so far and I'm not sure I'll be playing with Warren Hegg coming into the side.

But there's another warm-up game afterwards and hopefully I will be picked to play for that.

If Heggie plays the first game he's obviously going to do as well as he can. If he wants to score runs that's what he'll want to do.

I'll try to do exactly the same - at the end of the day it's up to the selectors and the management.

Mark Ramprakash enjoys the scenery

But whatever happens Heggie and myself are going to help each other out.

I have certainly not been given any guarantees about my Test place - if you play well you get picked - if you don't you don't.

Hopefully my performances in India - I played pretty well in the Tests, I thought - will stand me in good stead.

But there's nothing I can do if I don't get picked.

Another thing I mentioned in my last column was that I hoped to be able to get some coaching with Bob Taylor.

Unfortunately, that plan fell through because we got held up in Hamilton. But he will be doing some work with me early next season.

Chucking it down

Here in Queenstown, the weather has been really changeable.

On Wednesday it was overcast, Thursday morning was bright and sunny but it's been absolutely chucking it down since the afternoon.

There's been a bit of a change of pace in general.

Wives and girlfriends have come over for a bit - it's important that we spend time with our loved ones - and some of the senior players like Nasser Hussain have been given a break from training.

On a final note, I was glad to hear my Essex colleague Andy Flower scored some runs in the Delhi Test against India.

He's a world class batsman and it will be exciting to be in the same team as him.