We may have qualified for the Champions League but all the lads were gutted to lose the Frineds Life t20 final against Hampshire at Cardiff on Saturday.

The dressing room was a quiet place after the match because you train hard and play to win trophies.

It was a game that I thought we were going to win because everything seemed to be going our way in the latter stages of our chase, whether it be the Neil McKenzie catch that was given not out on TV replay or a couple of nicks that flew past the keeper for four.

David Miller’s innings was outstanding, and he definitely did not deserve to be on the losing side.

As much as there was immediate disappointment, I think getting to the Champions League will be seen as a huge achievement when the lads get a chance to reflect in the coming days and weeks.

It’s a massive thing for the club and the players with the chance to play against some of the best players in the world and the financial rewards that go with it.

With that in mind, there was definitely more pressure on the lads playing in the semi-final than there was in the final.

In a way, you could almost compare our situation to rugby league when you get to the Grand Final having not won the league.

Although the Champions League isn’t too far away, we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball because it is a huge three weeks for us in the Championship, starting at Scarborough this week.

We have always said that getting promotion back to Division One was our main aim this season, and that has not changed.

I thought the whole Finals Day experience was fantastic. It’s a great concept with three games in one day. I know it’s a long day, but the crowd get value for money, especially if the weather’s good.

Aside from the result of the final, there was another disappointment in that Max Mynah dislocated a finger in the mascots’ race.

I don’t think he really knows what happened because there was a pretty big pile up at one stage but the chances are that it was something to do with Lanky the Giraffe or Sid the Shark!